QNED vs NanoCell: Which LG TV should you get?

Both QNED and Nanocell TVs are part of LG’s LCD TV lineup.

While LG OLED TVs are known for their perfect black levels and infinite contrast, LG’s LCD offerings bring their own set of innovations to the table.

From advanced backlighting to Quantum Dot and NanoCell technologies, let’s explore what these TVs have to offer, and see how close they come to matching the OLED experience.

QNED vs NanoCell.

Let’s go.

What is a NanoCell TV?

A NanoCell TV is a type of LED LCD TV that uses a special layer of nanoparticles positioned behind the screen.

As the name suggests, these particles are just nanometers in size.

Their job is to filter out dull or impure color tones, preventing them from reaching the display.

The result?

Cleaner, more accurate, and vibrant colors are reproduced on the screen, making images look more visually appealing.

What is a QNED TV?

QNED stands for Quantum Nano Emitting Diode.

QNED TVs combine two advanced technologies: quantum dots and NanoCell nanoparticles.

When struck by the backlight, quantum dots emit pure, highly accurate colors based on their size.

Meanwhile, the NanoCell layer filters out dull or impure tones, enhancing overall color purity.

This powerful combination enables QNED TVs to achieve a wide color gamut with pure colors resulting in vivid, lifelike visuals.

Additionally, most QNED TVs also use mini LED backlighting, which consists of thousands of tiny LEDs grouped into numerous local dimming zones.

These TVs deliver deeper blacks, higher contrast, and better HDR performance compared to QNED TVs without mini LED backlight.

QNED vs NanoCell: What are the main differences?

You can think of a QNED TV as an enhanced NanoCell TV, one that adds quantum dots and often a mini LED backlight to it.

The QNED models that use mini LED backlighting offer significantly better contrast than standard NanoCell TVs.

That’s because they contain thousands of tiny LEDs in the backlight, allowing for the creation of a few thousands of local dimming zones.

These zones can adjust brightness very precisely, enhancing both black levels and overall picture depth.

On the other hand, QNED TVs that don’t use mini LED backlighting aren’t very different from standard NanoCell TVs.

They offer only average contrast and HDR performance, making them less appealing for those who prioritize deep blacks and impactful highlights.

Most of LG’s LCD TVs, including NanoCell and QNED models, use IPS panels.

These IPS panels provide wide viewing angles but they have a lower native contrast compared to VA panels.

As a result, even with mini LED backlighting, LG’s QNED TVs usually fall short in contrast when compared to similarly priced Samsung Neo QLEDs, which often use VA panels.

Not to mention OLED TVs, which are in a league of their own when it comes to contrast.

NanoCell TVs tend to have an average contrast ratio.

In dark scenes, blacks may appear grey rather than truly black.

This is mainly due to two reasons as we discussed above.

The first one is due to the use of IPS panels, which have inherently low native contrast.

The second reason is the presence of fewer local dimming zones, which limits how precisely the screen can control brightness in different areas.

As a result, shadow detail and depth often fall short in a Nanocell TV, especially when compared to TVs with VA panels or advanced backlighting systems like mini LED.

NanoCell and QNED TVs come with several advantages.

Compared to regular LED TVs, NanoCell TVs produce purer and more accurate colors, thanks to their nanoparticle filtering layer.

Meanwhile, a QNED TV with mini LED backlighting can achieve much higher brightness and significantly better contrast than the average LED TV.

Since both are LCD-based technologies, brightness is generally not a concern, especially for QNED TVs, making them suitable for well-lit rooms.

Additionally, unlike OLED TVs, they are not susceptible to burn-in, making them a safer choice for static content like news channels, logos, etc.

QNED vs NanoCell: Which is a better TV?

Most QNED TVs use mini LED backlighting, which allows them to become significantly brighter than NanoCell TVs, making them better equipped to handle reflections and glare in bright rooms.

The use of thousands of mini LEDs enables the creation of a much higher number of local dimming zones, allowing the TV to control brightness with greater precision across the screen.

Thanks to this precise lighting control and a wider range of brightness levels, colors appear more accurate and dynamic on a QNED TV.

Combined with quantum dot technology, which enhances color purity, QNED TVs deliver superior overall picture quality with vivid and lifelike visuals.

QNED vs NanoCell: Which TV to buy?

In summary, while a NanoCell TV is a step up from an average LED TV, thanks to its purer colors and wider viewing angles; a QNED TV with mini LED backlighting offers a clear advantage.

It delivers better contrast, deeper blacks, higher color volume and overall superior image quality.

That said, NanoCell TVs are more affordable than QNED models with mini LED backlighting.

So, your buying decision should depend on what you prioritize more.

If you are a bright room viewer who wants better picture quality and doesn’t mind spending extra, you should go for a QNED TV with a mini LED backlight.

Otherwise, if you’re on a tighter budget and can compromise a bit on contrast, a NanoCell TV still provides solid performance over regular LED TVs.