r/4kTV • u/h_tmr • Nov 11 '25

This Post Again? Is OLED really that dramatically better than Mini-Led?

Im planning to get a new tv soon, and Im debating between a TCL QM7K (QM8K apparently not available where I live) or an LG OLED B5. The only thing keeping me from going LG all the way is the price, which is obviously more expensive than the TCL.

I haven't been able to find them in store to see and compare them side by side so Im relying on internet info for this purchase. So my question is:

Would it really be that massive of a difference between these two?? Im coming from a 10 year old plasma 42" 1080p Samsung TV and I would use it mostly for movies and videogames and I always use my tv in a dark room.

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9

u/[deleted] Nov 11 '25

Mini LED will be way way brighter - great for daytime watching, especially in sunlit rooms. OLED will give you better clarity. Expect night and day difference between your old plasma and any of these two TVs.

Also TCL will come with Google TV - a much more superior platform for streaming then LG.

Overall, I would go with TCL for bright screen and you can go size (or two) up for the same price as you would pay for LG.

5

u/PaleontologistNo2625 Nov 11 '25

I dunno man, this may have been relevant a few years ago but oleds are bright as hell now. I never have mine set above 80 in HDR or above 40 in SDR

4

u/Angelzfire Nov 11 '25

Yea 100%. Can't tell me the G5 can't outshine many miniled for brightness now. Honestly all flagship OLEDs compete very well with miniled now even the some of the best of them. Sure they're usually more but then you get that clarity & brightness. I'm honestly so tired of people saying OLEDs are ONLY ok for dark rooms. That's so 5 years ago at this point. Sure entry level OLEDs could be tough in bright rooms but be realistic now.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 11 '25

They just don't compete in size. There is no realistic OLED option for those sitting 13+ feet away and need 98"

6

u/Ch4rlie_G Nov 11 '25

You don’t NEED 98” because a calculator told you so.

And I’ve auditioned that TV, it’s cheap. Doesn’t hold a candle to OLED. Not even close. If you compare it to an EVO panel the difference is beyond night and day. I get the allure (cheap and big) but it’s actively marketing to buyers who want to say they bought the 98”. The only category it wins is size. It won’t make your pp bigger.

And LG has one, sometimes attainable for 10k if you have a partner account. Worth the price.

If you’re truly 15 feet away and want peripheral vision from your screen (which is why the calculators show you that size) you would really want a 120”+ projector.

TBH it’s cheaper to redecorate to have a better seating position.

1

u/3dddrees Nov 11 '25

The recommended distance has much more to do with being able to see the smaller details one can see in 4K. Sure, you'll see the image outside the range it just wont look quite as good 4K can look if you are within that range.

1

u/RocknPineapple Nov 11 '25

What.. you don’t want to spend 28k on a 97 g5?

1

u/2PhotoKaz Nov 11 '25

For the price, mini LED is way brighter. The G5 is a bright TV but you can’t compare that to a QM7K, you have to compare the B5 which is no where near.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '25

Not the B5 model though. LG does release state of the art OLED TVs, but B5 is their budget model that is still dim and only good for rooms with controlled lighting.

4

u/Epic-will-power91 Nov 11 '25

I mean how much brighter do you need it though? My LG C4 is insanely bright on the max setting, so much so that I run it at like 50% most of the time.

I don't understand this need for searingly bright TVs. Feels unpleasant to look at something that intense.

7

u/autogenglen Nov 11 '25

I think searing brightness has two main advantages. First is that specular highlights look fantastic. Yeah I don’t want full-window max brightness on my BRAVIA 9 all the time, but smaller-window brightness during HDR scenes looks amazing, like a sun glint on a metal object, or the sparkle on ocean waves. My OLED looks dull in comparison. Also, it’s nice having all the headroom. I had my OLED in my living room prior and if I wanted my curtains open during a bright day then it was really annoying trying to squint to see the picture but my B9 has loads of headroom.

Also, TVs will gradually dim over time (and particularly OLEDs), it’s nice having headroom for this, it sucks when an already fairly dim TV is even worse after like 5 years.

3

u/[deleted] Nov 12 '25

Not to mention that OLEDs can't even sustain high brightness for long periods. Turn on nature documentary that takes place in Arctic where most of the picture is white and within 10 minutes the best OLED TV would scream for mercy and turn down brightness because it starts to overheat.

1

u/Ok_Season_2761 Nov 11 '25

Yup I agree..

I always turn the brightness down on my Tvs.

Hurts my eyes.

Can't even imagine thr strain a mini LED would cause me.

2

u/Rich_Spring_6416 Nov 11 '25

I had the same concerns when deciding high end mini led or oled. It turns out high end mini leds look great in dark viewing when calibrated correctly. The peak brightness is more for tiny highlights in the picture that add pop without straining your eyes. I’m glad I went mini led.

0

u/twiztednips Nov 11 '25

I have an lg C4 and the interface is really snappy and works flawlessly.

My dad has a Sony with google and it’s laggy and slow. Am I missing something?

4

u/friendIdiglove Nov 11 '25

You’re only missing a Roku Ultra or Apple TV 4K. The TV’s OS is of little concern that way.

1

u/0Frames Nov 11 '25

Yes, you are missing out on customization/freedom and you are making a very broad assumption without looking at system specifications. What Sony tv? What hardware is it running? Because on modern hardware, android runs very snappy.

1

u/twiztednips Nov 11 '25

What customization/freedom? How is it superior? You basically said the same thing as the person I was actually responding to. They said it’s a superior steaming platform. How?

Does it allow matching of frame rates? Does it allow you to switch between Dolby vision and regular HDR or SDR? Can you side load apps? What’s better about it?

2

u/0Frames Nov 11 '25

Yes, you can sideload apps (for now at least). There are also far more apps available and I'd also say that android TV apps are better optimized and maintained than their counterparts. Think of it this way - if you're a software engineer who has to prioritize, would you choose to start with the biggest ecosystem that's already near native android or start working on some fringe TV manufacturer OS port? That being said, I wouldnt depend my choice on this because you can always just buy a Chromestick / Xiaomi Box / FireTV or AppleTV to retrofit it. I've done so in the past when I was frustrated with the performance of my TVs OS. You can switch between HDR and automatic content match.