Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

Taste the rainbow: LG will ratchet up color in its 2015 LCDs with quantum dots

Ryan Waniata
By

Anyone shopping for a TV these days knows that the latest buzzword is 4K, but another new technology is about to steal the limelight for 2015: quantum dots. LG kicked off the quantum-dot madness in earnest on Monday with a sneak peek at its 2015 line of quantum dot-equipped TVs, which boast a broader color palette. Oh, and they’ll have 4K UHD LCD panels, too.

Quantum dot TVs piggyback off of current LCD technology, which employs a backlight that shines through a series of shutters to emit an image. However, as LG explains it, quantum-dot tech works by “harnessing nano crystals that range in size from 2 to 10 nanometers.”

Recommended Videos

The different sizes of the crystals allow each to bend light passed through it in its own shade.

Related

When you shine light on a quantum dot, it glows, thereby emitting its own light. The color that a quantum dot emits is directly tied to its size, and is extremely stable. In this way, using quantum dots results in a broader range of colors that are brighter and more accurate than existing LCD TVs are able to produce.

By putting a film of these little crystals in front of an LCD backlight, LG claims it has improved its LCD TV’s color reproduction rate by more than 30 percent. The system is also environmentally friendly, thanks to elimination of cadmium or other toxic heavy metals in the production of quantum dots.

“Quantum dot’s vibrant and vivid color reproduction capabilities brings LG’s LCD TVs to the next level when it comes to picture quality,” said In-kyu Lee, senior vice president and head of the TV and monitor division at the LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company.

That may well be true, but our excitement for the new quantum dot 4K UHD TVs remains tempered. Quantum dots or not, the TVs still employ LCD panels, bringing along the inherent limitations of the technology, including difficulty creating rich contrast and deeper black levels, as well as poor off-axis viewing.

For now, we’ll stand by the astonishing picture quality of LG’s own OLED TVs, which forego an LCD backlight for displays that employ compounds that generate their own light, rather than rely on an exterior light source. While OLED tech has met with its own challenges in stability and affordability, LG is leading the pack right now, and the company’s 65-inch EC9700 OLED 4K UHD TV is truly a wonder to behold.

That said, we’re still very intrigued to go eyes on with LG’s latest quantum dot creations at this year’s show. And you can bet your lunch money that today’s announcement is only the beginning, as a stable of manufacturers bring their own quantum dot displays to bear.

Stay with us as we ramp up for CES next month, bringing you all the latest on these new TVs, and an ocean of other technologies that will make their way to the show floor in Vegas.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Ryan Waniata
Ryan Waniata
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Waniata is a multi-year veteran of the digital media industry, a lover of all things tech, audio, and TV, and a…
LG 2022 OLED TVs get brighter, bigger and … smaller?
The 97-inch LG OLED EVO G2.

The wait is over. LG has taken the wraps off its 2022 OLED TV lineup, and there's plenty to be excited about.

I traveled to LG's U.S. Headquarters in New Jersey ahead of CES 2022 to get a close-up look at all of LG's new 2022 TVs. Given the predictable excitement about LG OLED TVs in general, I'll stay focused on those models in this report, but you can learn about LG's QNED mini-LED TV lineup and some improvements to its Dolby Atmos soundbars here.

Read more
Vizio’s entire 2021 TV line-up: Gaming-friendly models start at $250
Vizio 2021 TVs

For many, Vizio strikes the sweet spot between budget brands and high-end ones, providing quality tech at reasonable prices. In recent years, that has meant 4K and OLED TVs at prices that undercut the likes of LG and Sony, while producing picture quality and feature sets that are at least in the same ballpark as its more expensive competitors.

That said, the company's offerings tend to be of particular interest to consumers who want a quality home theater experience, but may not want to spring for the absolute top-of-the-line in terms of cost. If you fall into that category, get ready to meet Vizio's entire lineup of 4K Ultra HD TVs for 2021. Below, we break down the specs, features, and prices to help you decide whether any of these displays will end up mounted on your wall or propped atop your TV stand.
P-Series TVs

Read more
LG’s most affordable A1 Series OLED TVs start at $1,300
The LG OLED evo mounted in a living room.

It wasn't that long ago that OLED TV prices were so high, only those with a lot of disposable income could justify owning one. Now, with the official availability of LG's new 2021 A1 Series OLED TVs, you can buy one for as little as $1,300 for the entry-level 48-inch model.

Before today, there was a lot of speculation over how much LG would charge for its A1 Series, given that Vizio's OLED TVs (which use OLED panels from LG Display) are already very aggressively priced. But we now know that Vizio gets to retain its title of most affordable 55-inch OLED TV: Its 55-inch OLED model sells for $1,300 -- the same price as a 48-inch LG A1 Series, and $300 less than the 55-inch A1 Series model.

Read more