What types of OLED panels does Sony use in its TVs?
Sony’s OLED TVs are usually priced on the higher side with respect to their QLED TVs.
But does their picture quality really justify the premium price?
Also, between conventional WOLED and QD-OLED panels, which ones does Sony actually use in its OLED models and which of them is actually better?
We’ll dive into these questions in this article.
Does Sony make its own OLED panels?
Sony does not manufacture its own OLED panels.
Instead, it sources them from the two major suppliers—LG Display and Samsung Display.
The company uses WOLED panels from LG Display and QD-OLED panels from Samsung Display, while enhancing them with its proprietary video and audio processing technologies.
For its mid-range OLED lineup, Sony relies on WOLED panels.
Sony’s mid-range priced OLED TVs typically use WOLED panels sourced from LG Display.
These panels generate light through a white-emitting organic layer.
The emitted white light then passes through subpixel color filters that extract red, green, and blue, along with a fourth unfiltered white subpixel.
This enables WOLED TVs to reproduce pure whites effectively, though it slightly reduces the intensity of other colors.
Sony equips its higher-end OLED televisions with QD-OLED panels.
For its premium models, Sony uses QD-OLED panels supplied by Samsung Display.
Unlike WOLED, these panels feature a blue organic light-emitting layer.
The blue light excites a layer of quantum dots positioned in front, which then produce highly pure red, green, and blue colors at specific wavelengths.
This allows Sony’s QD-OLED TVs to deliver a more accurate and wider color gamut than their WOLED counterparts.
Sony OLED vs Sony QD-OLED: Which delivers superior picture quality?
In Sony’s QD-OLED TVs, quantum dots perform highly efficient color conversion, ensuring that light maintains its intensity as it travels from the blue OLED layer to the screen.
This reduces the stress on the organic pixels, allowing QD-OLEDs to achieve higher brightness without overdriving them.
As a result, colors are reproduced at correct brightness levels with greater accuracy and vibrancy.
Additionally, Sony’s advanced video processing further enhances the picture, delivering lifelike images with realistic details.
In a WOLED TV, the primary red, green, and blue colors filtered from the white light appear somewhat dimmer compared to those in QD-OLEDs.
The unfiltered white subpixel does enhance overall brightness, but it also reduces color purity by blending with the RGB output.
As a result, Sony’s WOLED TVs don’t achieve the same vividness or color accuracy as their QD-OLED models.
Still, thanks to Sony’s advanced image processing and the strengths of self-emissive OLED technology, like true blacks with infinite contrast, their WOLED TVs deliver picture quality that surpasses most LED LCD TVs.
Sony’s QD-OLED TVs can reproduce a wider range of colors than WOLED models, making them especially well-suited for HDR content with brighter highlights.
They also feature more advanced tone mapping that adjusts images for optimal viewing experience.
With excellent color accuracy and high color volume, QD-OLED panels deliver vivid, eye-catching visuals.
However, in brightly lit rooms, their black levels may appear elevated—an area where Sony’s WOLED TVs hold an advantage, as they maintain perfect blacks regardless of ambient light.
What processor powers Sony’s OLED TVs?
Sony equips its OLED TVs with the Cognitive Processor XR for both audio and video processing.
This processor enhances sound to make it clearer and more immersive, while also refining images through advanced processing and upscaling.
As a result, Sony OLED TVs deliver picture quality that looks more natural.
Conclusion
Sony offers both traditional WOLED and QD-OLED panels in its OLED TV lineup.
Models like the A90K, which use WOLED panels, fall into the mid-range category, while premium models such as the A95K and A95L feature QD-OLED panels with superior color volume and HDR performance.
Overall, Sony’s QD-OLED TVs provide the best experience in most viewing conditions.
However, in very bright rooms, their black levels may appear elevated due to ambient light.
In such cases, a Sony WOLED TV can better preserve deep blacks—provided it is bright enough and has good anti-glare capabilities.
As an added advantage, WOLED models also tend to be more budget-friendly.
