Samsung Introduces RGB MicroLED TVs: Potential Threat to OLED Manufacturers?

Samsung Introduces RGB MicroLED TVs: Potential Threat to OLED Manufacturers?

Samsung has made strides in the TV market with its RGB Micro-LED technology, showcasing potential future developments at CES 2025. However, it's important to understand the differences between Samsung's Micro RGB TVs and the true Micro-LED TVs that promise pixel-level lighting control.

Samsung’s Micro RGB TVs feature ultra-small red, green, and blue micro-LEDs (each under 100 micrometers) in the backlight, providing more precise control of color and brightness than traditional LED backlights. The main image is still formed by an LCD layer that modulates this backlight, creating the picture on screen [1][2][4][5].

In contrast, true Micro-LED TVs have individual pixels made of red, green, and blue micro-LEDs that self-emit light directly without requiring an LCD layer. This one-to-one pixel-to-light source relationship enables pixel-level control, resulting in superior contrast, perfect blacks, and no haloing or uniformity issues typically seen in LCD-based TVs [2][4].

| Feature | Samsung Micro RGB TV | True Micro-LED TV | |-----------------------------|------------------------------------|---------------------------------------| | Light source | Micro RGB LED backlight behind LCD | Self-emissive RGB micro-LED pixels | | Pixel control | Indirect (backlight pixels vs. LCD pixels) | Direct one-to-one pixel lighting | | Black level & contrast | Improved but limited by LCD layer | True blacks and perfect contrast | | Picture artifacts | Potential haloing, dirty screen effect | Minimal to none | | Color accuracy & brightness | Very high due to RGB micro-LED backlight and AI processing | Also very high due to direct pixel control |

Samsung's Micro RGB TVs aim to significantly improve LCD TV performance, with better local dimming and ultra-precise color control. However, they are not yet the fully self-emissive Micro-LED TVs that promise pixel-level lighting control like OLEDs or future true Micro-LED displays [1][2][4].

True Micro-LED TVs, with self-emitting pixels with RGB sub-pixels, are extremely expensive and mostly used in corporate installations. They likely won't be widely available for consumers for some time, and when they do, they'll be exorbitant in pricing.

Hisense TVs with a similar number of zones as Samsung's RGB Micro-LED TVs could be available in the next year or two. Hisense and TCL have been quick to adopt new LED technologies, with Hisense showing off RGB Mini-LED TVs at CES earlier this year.

The future of the TV market will depend on the development and availability of true Micro-LED and advanced OLED technologies. LG's new four-stack OLED panels could change the TV market in 2026. The introduction of Micro-LED TVs could potentially "kill off" OLED TVs, but LG won't let its preferred panel types go down without a fight.

Samsung's RGB "MicroLED" TVs will sit slightly below Samsung's best TVs, replacing the QN90F Neo QLED but not the Samsung S95F and S90F OLED. Pricing for Samsung's RGB Micro-LED TVs is likely to be higher than that of Samsung's Neo QLED TVs.

Micro-LED technology is a significant advancement in LED technology, offering pixel-level control similar to OLED panels without the burn-in risk and with higher peak brightness. This technology could revolutionise the TV market in the coming years, providing consumers with a new level of picture quality and performance.

[1] Samsung's Micro-LED TV: What You Need to Know

[2] Micro-LED vs OLED: What's the Difference?

[4] Samsung's Micro-LED TVs: A New Era of Display Technology

[5] Samsung's Micro-LED TVs: A Breakthrough in Display Technology

1. The TV market is experiencing advancements with Samsung's RGB Micro-LED technology, as demonstrated at CES 2025.
2. In Samsung's Micro RGB TVs, micro-LEDs (around 100 micrometers) in the backlight provide more precise color and brightness control than traditional LED backlights.
3. The main image on Samsung's Micro RGB TVs is still formed by an LCD layer that modulates the backlight.
4. True Micro-LED TVs have self-emitting RGB micro-LED pixels, enabling pixel-level control for superior contrast, perfect blacks, and minimal artifacts.
5. Samsung's Micro RGB TVs strive to enhance LCD TV performance but do not offer the pixel-level lighting control found in OLEDs or future true Micro-LED displays yet.
6. True Micro-LED TVs, with their self-emitting RGB sub-pixels, are primarily used in corporate installations and remain expensive and unavailable for most consumers.
7. Hisense and TCL are adopting new LED technologies, with Hisense potentially releasing RGB Mini-LED TVs soon.
8. The development and availability of true Micro-LED and advanced OLED technologies will shape the future of the TV market.
9. LG's new four-stack OLED panels may revolutionize the TV market in 2026.
10. Consumers can expect a new level of picture quality and performance from Micro-LED technology in the coming years.
11. Samsung's RGB Micro-LED TVs will be priced slightly higher than the Neo QLED TVs but below the Samsung S95F and S90F OLED models.
12. Finance professionals and investors should closely follow the progress of Micro-LED technology in the industry.
13. Energy efficiency improvements in Micro-LED TVs could lead to reduced electricity bills for consumers in their personal-finance budgets.
14. Samsung's advancements in Micro-LED technology could impact the real-estate industry by enabling larger and thinner TVs, creating new design opportunities for buildings.
15. Smart-home-device manufacturers may incorporate Micro-LED technology to improve the display quality of their gadgets, such as digital photo frames or security cameras.
16. The lifestyle sector, focusing on food and drink, luxury goods, and home-and-garden products, could utilize Micro-LED displays for advertising and marketing purposes.
17. Micro-LED technology has potential applications in travel, such as airport or train station signage for improved legibility in bright environments.
18. Book publishers and e-reader manufacturers may explore using Micro-LED technology to enhance the reading experience through more vivid and immersive e-paper displays.
19. Sports fans following baseball, football, basketball, hockey, golf, racing, premier-league, tennis, champions-league, MLS, European leagues and mixed-martial-arts could benefit from Micro-LED TVs' superior picture quality for more engaging sports analysis.

Read also: