Redakcja Choose TV
RGB LED is a new form of backlighting for LCD televisions that is increasingly appearing in the offerings of the largest manufacturers. The technology uses separate red, green and blue LEDs instead of traditional backlighting based mainly on blue LEDs. As a result, televisions can achieve a wider colour gamut and better colour reproduction, particularly when displaying HDR content. RGB LED is not, however, a completely new panel type and it is still an LCD television. It is also worth noting that the mere presence of RGB LED does not automatically guarantee better picture quality than every Mini LED television.
How RGB LED works and why it improves colours
In conventional LCD TVs the light is produced by a backlight positioned behind the panel, because the LCD pixels do not emit light themselves. In the case of RGB LED the manufacturer uses red, green and blue diodes that can be controlled independently. This approach allows colours closer to the BT.2020 colour space, which underpins modern HDR standards. In practice this can mean more natural reds, more accurate shades of sky blue and more realistic greens. The differences are particularly noticeable when watching films, TV series, sports broadcasts and playing HDR-enabled games. RGB LED can also potentially reduce power consumption, as the individual colour channels can be controlled independently depending on the scene being displayed. However, it is important to remember that RGB LED still requires an LCD panel, which sits in front of the backlight. The diodes therefore do not create the image on their own, unlike Micro LED technology. The number of local dimming zones also plays an important role, because these are what control the light in different parts of the screen. A larger number of zones generally allows more precise control of the backlight and better contrast. That is why the number of dimming zones can matter more for picture quality than the mere use of RGB LED. Combining a high number of zones with a coloured backlight, however, can deliver very good results.
RGB LED also has limitations. These TVs use this technology
RGB LED is not without drawbacks and currently remains a more expensive solution than classic Mini LED. One potential issue is so-called colour crosstalk, that is the leakage of light between neighbouring colours. Independent control of the red, green and blue LEDs can also cause shifts in colour saturation depending on the content of a particular scene. Another limitation is that it is harder to increase the number of dimming zones compared with Mini LED. Moreover, RGB LED does not necessarily use local dimming. A manufacturer can employ edge-lit backlighting, where the LEDs are located at the edges of the screen. That approach does not deliver the level of picture quality associated with the best LCD TVs, because contrast is then largely limited by the capabilities of the panel itself. RGB LED also does not change the fundamental characteristics of the LCD panel, such as viewing angles or pixel response time. RGB LED should not be confused with Micro LED, as they are two completely different technologies. In Micro LED the individual red, green and blue diodes act as independent pixels, whereas RGB LED functions as the backlight for an LCD panel. By 2026 RGB LED is already used by, among others, Sony, Samsung, LG, TCL, Philips and Hisense. Models include, among others, the Sony Bravia 9 II and Bravia 7 II, the TCL RM9L and RM7L, the Samsung R95H and R85H, the LG MRGB95B, MRGB9M and MRGB85B, and the Hisense UR9S and UR8S. The technology is therefore becoming more widely available, but before buying it is worth checking not only the type of backlighting but also the number of dimming zones and the exact panel used in the TV.
RGB LED is an evolution of LCD backlighting technology, not a competing method to LCD for producing images. Its greatest advantage is the ability to achieve a wider palette and more natural colours thanks to independent red, green and blue LEDs. That does not mean, however, that every RGB LED television will be better than a good Mini LED. The number of dimming zones, the type of panel and the quality of image processing also remain crucial.
source: flatpanelshd
