Talk about Sony A1 and Samsung Q8C: OLED and Quantum Dots

Sony OLED TV A1

Samsung Quantum Dot TV Q8C

If these two flagship models are placed side by side for comparison, what kind of performance would they showcase?

One on the left, one on the right

The design of the Sony A1 and Samsung Q8C could not be more different.

The Sony A1 looks like a large picture frame, with a black panel and a backboard support. It’s simple, low-key, and calm. Whether placed on a low TV cabinet, mounted on the wall, or even on the carpet, it easily blends into its surroundings. In contrast, the Q8C features a curved screen with a silver frame, a back panel, and a more vibrant, eye-catching design that fits well on a TV stand or wall.

Sony OLED TV A1 back

Samsung QD TV Q8C back

No matter how you rotate the A1, the front only shows an ultra-narrow OLED panel with a border. Even the logo, which is usually hard to miss, is barely visible. This is especially noticeable when placed on a carpet. It has a built-in support at the back, reducing space in the panel section, making the A1 slightly thicker than an iPhone 6.

Sony OLED TV A1 thickness

Samsung QD TV Q8C thickness

Samsung Quantum TV Q8C Stand

The Q8C with a traditional stand is better suited for placement on a TV cabinet or wall. Its curved surface is thicker than the A1. However, it uses an external host design, requiring a special fiber optic cable to connect the TV. This cable needs to be handled carefully, as it can become messy, bent, or damaged if not properly managed.

Samsung QD TV Q8C External Host and Cable

Personally, I prefer the clean and simple design of the Sony A1. Its baseless structure blends well with home environments, while the curved Samsung Q8C feels a bit less refined.

An essential part of the audio-visual experience

In fact, Sony didn’t equip the A1 with conventional speakers. Instead, it designed the entire screen panel as a special speaker. Behind the back panel, there’s a “beam” that hides the secret, with special sound units at both ends that cause the OLED panel to resonate, allowing sound to be emitted from the panel without reflection before reaching the audience. Sony calls this technology Acoustic Surface.

The supporting backboard also includes a corresponding woofer, and the low frequency is reflected off the wall to reach the audience in front of the TV. Combined with the OLED panel that "sounds," the acoustics of the A1 are richer, and the sound merges seamlessly with the image — Sony calls this "the unity of sound and picture."

Of course, because the low frequency of A1 is transmitted through reflection, the actual bass heard depends on the reflective material. Testing the bass in front of ordinary cement walls, glass walls, and curtains, it was found that the bass performance on glass walls is weak, while the best results were achieved in front of curtains.

Overall, the sound effects of A1 are balanced and don't emphasize any specific frequency. Its bass is powerful but not overdone. The mid and high frequencies are precise without being harsh, and they don't feel pretentious. Listening for a long time doesn't lead to fatigue.

The Samsung Q8C uses a relatively common bottom-mounted speaker. The left and right sides have full-range speakers and a speaker mainly responsible for low frequencies. The sound is emitted at a 45° angle downward, and the sound actually reaches the audience is refracted at least once.

Using Xie Anqi’s “We Have All Been Forgotten” for a simple comparison, A1 can convey the sense of space in the prelude thunder and rain, while Q8C's rain is not as natural. As the song builds up, the gap between Q8C and A1 becomes more apparent — the overall sound of Q8C is thinner, and the violin sound that can be heard in A1 during the chorus is not prominent. The overall sound field is also narrower. My personal advice is to pair the Q8C with a SoundBar for a significant improvement in audio and video quality.

Image quality competition goes beyond the difference between quantum dot and OLED panels

The Samsung Q8C uses a 4K resolution QD display panel, while the Sony A1 uses a 4K resolution OLED display panel. There are fundamental differences in their display principles.

The Q8C's quantum dot display panel is essentially a backlight-enhanced LCD using quantum dots. Compared to traditional LED-backlit panels, quantum dot panels can significantly reduce blue light and improve color gamut and accuracy.

The OLED panel used by A1 is self-emissive, using phosphor color layers to produce light of different colors, and individually controlled organic light-emitting diodes to achieve the display effect. In theory, OLEDs offer more accurate color performance and a wider color gamut.

This is also one of the reasons why the curved Q8C panel still shows water ripples when squeezed by hand, while the rigid OLED of A1 does not.

Both models are top-tier in the current market. Their visual impact is impressive; however, comparing them reveals distinct differences in display styles. To ensure fairness, I restored both TVs to factory settings before testing.

Due to the limited brightness of OLEDs, the actual brightness of A1 is lower than that of Q8C with a QD panel. In terms of color performance, Q8C has improved compared to previous Samsung TVs, but its refresh rate is still low. When using a camera to capture the TV screen, higher shutter speeds tend to create horizontal stripes due to the refresh rate. I adjusted the shutter speed to 1/60s. A1 inherits the features of OLED and uses Triluminos technology, making the wide color gamut appear more pleasing and eye-friendly.

The difference between OLED and quantum dot displays is more evident in black depth and contrast. Because OLEDs emit light themselves, A1 has more accurate local dimming and deeper blacks than Q8C. The contrast on the screen makes the overall image of A1 purer and sharper.

Contrast Comparison Group 1: Sony OLED TV A1

Contrast Comparison Group 1: Samsung QD TV Q8C

Contrast Comparison Group 2: Sony OLED TV A1

Contrast Comparison Group 2: Samsung QD TV Q8C

The principle of OLED self-luminescence means that black pixels do not emit light, resulting in deep, pure black images on the A1. In contrast, the quantum dot panel controls light by adjusting the polarization direction, but it cannot completely block the backlight, so the black on the Q8C is not as deep. The night scene appears slightly hazy.

Equipped with the X1 advanced 4K HDR image processing chip and the sharp image processing engine PRO digital signal processing system, the A1 enhances screen brightness and darkness, resulting in a clearer overall picture. While high contrast offers a more pleasing visual experience, it may slightly reduce the texture of dark or light details.

For television, viewing angle is also crucial. The smaller the loss of brightness, contrast, and chromaticity when watching from an angle, the better the overall experience. The OLED screen of the A1 behaves like tiny pixel lights arranged on the panel, so color performance remains unaffected by viewing angles. In contrast, the Q8C's quantum dot screen, which continues the LCD liquid crystal molecular flow blocking backlight optical effect, has a small distance between the backlight, liquid crystal layer, and polarizer, and uses a unilaterally-introduced backlight, leading to white screens when viewed from the side and curved screens showing similar issues.

Samsung QD TV Q8C side view

Sony OLED TV A1 side view angle

Should energy consumption be "variable" or "flexible"?

Apart from differences in screen views, these two display technologies also perform differently in actual power consumption.

Looking at the characteristics of the quantum dot display panel and OLED display panel used in the Q8C and A1, the quantum dot screen's liquid crystal backlight is a full block, while the OLED is only bright in non-black areas. Therefore, the quantum dot panel's power consumption is relatively stable, while the OLED's real-time power varies. The brighter the screen, the higher the power consumption, and vice versa. TV energy consumption is mainly determined by the display panel. In other words, the panel largely dictates the TV's energy use.

I used a power tester to conduct simple real-time power tests on the Q8C and A1. The Q8C maintained around 180W after turning on, and even when playing a 4K movie, the power did not increase.

The power of A1 fluctuated between 70W and 290W when switching from 60W on to the same 4K movie.

From a numerical standpoint, the Q8C's power consumption seems lower than the A1. However, the fluctuating power of the A1 is the result of each pixel lighting and extinguishing on the OLED panel. When the screen is dark, the power can drop to 70W; when the entire scene is bright, it can reach 290W.

From this perspective, the power consumption of the Q8C and A1 isn't optimal, and no absolute conclusion can be drawn. The Q8C performs better than the A1 in scenarios where the screen is brightly displayed for extended periods. However, when playing the same movie for a long time, the A1's flexible power consumption advantage generally makes it more energy-efficient.

Should the "smart" feature of a TV be concise or comprehensive?

Both the Samsung Q8C and the Sony A1 are smart TVs equipped with Android operating systems, but they have completely different interface styles.

The A1's interface is dark-themed, which matches the light-emitting characteristics of OLED and also saves power. The Q8C has a bright interface design that suits the quantum dot panel.

The Q8C remote control is very minimalistic, with only 12 buttons, making it easy to use. Compared to Sony's remote, it is more traditional and even retains digital buttons. Although it gives a calm feeling, its usability is weaker.

Corresponding to their respective remote controls, the system operation logic of the Q8C and A1 has distinctive features. The Q8C has fewer interface layers, and the bottom-out side-by-side homepage is easier to operate and responds faster. The A1 system homepage uses a classified waterfall flow design, and its content and functions are more comprehensive.

The Samsung Q8C and Sony A1 can be considered the best options in the 30,000 yuan price range, representing quantum dot backlight panels and OLED panels, respectively. In general, these two types of display technologies have their own advantages and disadvantages. The former has higher brightness and more controllable costs, while the latter offers broader color performance, wider viewing angles, and more flexible light control. The former is an improved version of the LED-backlit LCD, while the latter is a new technology that differs from liquid crystal displays. Although it is not yet widely adopted, it is promising.

In terms of system experience, the two have different styles. Sony A1 focuses on comprehensiveness, while Samsung Q8C emphasizes simplicity and ease of use. On the TV stereo, the actual performance of the Sony A1's screen sound field is impressive, while the Samsung Q8C with a simpler sound structure requires a SoundBar to achieve better results.

Controller

The DMX console is the central controller for controlling all stage lights and special effects equipment. Almost all equipment needs to be connected to it, and users use it to issue control commands to all equipment. It can be controlled in real time, or the device can be programmed to display specific effects at a fixed time. Even with the stage equipment, the DMX console is also essential, just like there are more soldiers, the commander still needs to give orders to them. There are also many different types controllers to work for different quantity Stage Lights.

DMX Controller, DMX Consule

Guangzhou Cheng Wen Photoelectric Technology Co., Ltd. , https://www.cwdisplay.com