Quantum Dot (QD) technology will dominate this year's CES 2015 show but it essentially remains an upgraded version of an LCD display technology meaning it carries the disadvantages of LCD. Both LG and Samsung are expected to have on display QD TVs at next month's CES show in Las Vegas. LG Electronics, and specifically its subsidiary LG Display, has invested in the superior OLED display technology, but will also offer QD TV models in order to offer a complete product lineup and a affordable alternative to OLED TVs.

Quantum Dot is a nanocrystal sphere made of semiconductor materials. With electricity, it emits light or releases light by absorbing light. Depending on the size of the dot, the wavelengths of the absorbed light vary. For instance, a quantum dot with a size of 2nm absorbs a red light that has a longer wavelength (780nm) and emits blue light, and an 8nm quantum dot absorbs blue light to emit red light.

Since LCD cannot emit light itself, it needs a light source such as the backlight. LCD with LED backlight used RGB colors - Red, Green, and Blue - to produce white. However, recently, LED LCD uses blue LEDs, coated with a yellow phosphor, to create white light.

QD TV is an improved version of this. Instead of using blue LED with yellow phosphor, it uses QD particles to create white. Quantum Dot absorbs blue light and transfers it to red and green to create white color. Through this process, it can produce accurate colors.

OLED (Organic Light-emitting Diode) display is a display comprised of organic compound which emits light in response to an electric current. Each pixel can emit light itself, so it does not have a problem of light from the backlight leaking through the display. Hence, OLED is very different from QD.

The crucial difference between LCD based QD TV and OLED TV is whether or not a TV needs a backlight. While QD TV enhances the backlight of the LCD TV, OLED TV is structured with a TFT substrate and organic diodes without a backlight. As a result, OLED TV is much thinner and lighter than a QD TV.

A good definition depends on many factors such as the display size, bezel width, brightness, contrast ratio, color gamut, and response speed.

QD?s color gamut is 125%, which is greater than that of OLED TV (108%), so it may show more accurate colors. However, in low temperature environment, the color gamut may fall sharply, and in a dark environment, the color gamut is not as good as OLED?s.

Also, OLED display has a respond time that is less than 0.001 milliseconds, which is about 1,000 times faster than a LCD, eliminating the blur problems. It also has a contrast ratio that is almost 10,0000:1. Furthermore, its color gamut range is greater and more accurate than LCD, which enables expression of outstanding definition.

For LCD TV, 70% of the production cost is from the materials. On the other hand, the cost for LCD, the cost goes down because it does not need backlight unit, color filter, polarized film, etc. This is a potential advantage in terms of cost. Right now, the market for OLED is relatively small and the demand is low, so the consumer price is relatively high. Thus, QD is more competitive than OLED in terms of price. LG Display hopes that within one or two years, the consumer price for OLED will be competitive.

QD technology is LCD based, so it is a technology that can be created not just in Korean but also in Chinese and Taiwanese companies.

However, OLED is a display technology that is most suitable for creating flexible, transparent, and roll-able future displays. OLED?s processing temperature is relatively low, so it is possible to use a plastic substrate instead of a glass one, which is good for creating a flexible display. Furthermore, since it does not need a backlight, compared to other displays, it is most optimized to create a transparent display.