What is QNED?
Posted on August 20, 2025 By Mike M.
QNED, QLED, Neo-QLED, OLED, and on and on the list goes. The TV world seems to have only gotten more complicated lately, and with a new acronym seemingly popping up every year, it can be daunting to try and learn the differences between them. There is one type of TV that's worth keeping an eye on right now though, and that's LG's QNED TV. With a combination of various display technologies, these TVs can bring your entertainment setup to the next level.
What Does QNED Stand For?
QNED stands for Quantum Nano-Emissive Diode and it's a type of display technology you'll find in various LG TVs. That might sound intense, but if you're familiar with TV technology, you've probably seen a few of those words before. Quantum refers to quantum dot technology, which you can find in many modern TVs. The nano-emissive portion of the acronym refers to LG's NanoCell technology that helps filter out dull colors from any on-screen content. Finally, diode just refers to the mini LED backlight that many of these displays use. That's a lot of technical jargon, but the main thing to note is that QNED TVs combine all of these technologies to bring you a truly immersive viewing experience. Let's break it down further.
What is a QNED TV?
Quantum dots and LG's NanoCell technology work together to do one thing very well: enhance on-screen colors. Quantum dots improve colors by absorbing light and then re-emitting that light in a more specific color. In simpler terms, when light passes through quantum dots, it is molded into different vibrant colors and then pushed the rest of the way through the screen. LG's NanoCell technology takes this color purifying process one step further. NanoCell will further filter the light passing through your display, removing any dull or impure colors that might've slipped by, producing even more vibrant colors than quantum dot technology could do alone. This color correction not only improves the overall color quality, but it also opens up more viewing angle opportunities, since the picture can remain clearer even when you're not looking at the TV straight on. The last thing to note is that these TVs use mini LED technology for their backlighting. Mini LEDs are far smaller than your average LED, which means you can fit more of them behind the LCD panel in a QNED TV. This delivers brighter images, deeper blacks, and greater general control over the brightness of the TV.
QNED vs LED
Comparing LG QNED TVs and LED TVs doesn't seem very fair, but it's still important to see the differences laid out in front of you to make sure you make an informed decision when it comes to your entertainment. LED TVs are LCD TVs, like QNED TVs, but the similarities more or less end there. Basic LED TVs don't come with quantum dot technology to help boost their color correction, and many don't use mini LED technology, leading to less impressive lighting. However, what can be said for them is that they're great budget TV options. You can get a decently large 4K LED TV for a great price, so if you're on a budget or are looking for a TV for college, an LED TV is definitely a great option.
QNED vs QLED
QLED TVs operate in much the same way as QNED TVs. They're both LCD TVs that make use of quantum dots to improve color quality and that does allow them to provide a colorful viewing experience. Though QLED TVs don't have NanoCell technology to further improve color quality, the viewing experience on both of these TV types is very comparable. The main difference between them is that regular QLED TVs do not come with mini LED technology, a feature which many QNED TVs do come with to offer better brightness controls. Neo QLED TVs use mini LED technology and they are even more comparable to QNED TVs than your typical QLED TV, as they can reach the same or very similar brightness levels. As powerful TVs in their own right, QLED TVs and Neo-QLED TVs are definitely worth considering as well if you're in the market for a QNED TV.
QNED vs OLED
Comparing QNED TVs and OLED TVs is like comparing a V4 and a V8 engine: The V8 definitely packs a bigger punch than the V4, but they're both still incredibly effective at what they do. OLED TVs function fundamentally differently from QNED TVs, and any LED TV in general, since they use self-lighting pixels. This eliminates the need for backlighting and also allows the TV to achieve impossibly realistic brightness and contrast levels, not to mention incredibly deep blacks since each pixel can individually turn itself on or off when needed. Of course, OLED TVs will often also have some form of color filtering technology to make their images look even better. OLED TVs are seriously impressive, there is no doubt there, but even with all of this incredible technology, QNED TVs are still worth noting when it comes to display quality. With so many different technologies at play in a QNED TV, they come with phenomenal color correction and black levels. Despite the fact they don't quite match up against OLED TVs, QNED TVs have many desirable features, and they tend to be more budget-friendly.
QNED TVs offer incredible display technology at a reasonable price. With so many powerful technologies working together, these TVs can take your movie or TV show viewing to the next level. To experience pure entertainment bliss, consider getting your hands on a QNED TV.