In 2021, Apple introduced Mini LED displays to its iPad Pro and 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro. Now, TV manufacturers are embracing the tech, too, with models launching from LG, Samsung, Sony and more. But what is Mini LED and what benefits could it bring to your next tech purchase?

Is it different to the MicroLED TV tech also used by Samsung?

We explain all right here.

What is Mini LED?

Like MicroLED, the term "Mini LED" or "mini-LED" has popped up a lot in recent times. However, unlike that technology, "Mini LED" relates to the backlighting rather than a display's pixels.

It utilises tens of thousands of miniature LED bulbs that sit behind the LCD substrate in a display. They combine with local dimming zones to provide more precise lighting in bright areas and better black levels in darker regions of a picture.

The difference between Mini LED and other direct backlighting technologies is that, because each LED is much smaller, the lighting bleeds less (ie. when light encroaches on adjacent pixels) and local dimming zones can be smaller and more accurate.

Usually, LED TVs adopt either larger LEDs behind the LCD substrate (and therefore are more prone to light bleed and less precise) or are edge-lit - where the LEDs are housed around the edge of the screen and shine across the panel. It is much harder to gain deep, involving black levels with each type of lighting - often resulting in a grey tone in darker areas. And black levels have a direct impact on accurate colour representation in standard and HDR images.

Mini LED panels are closer to OLED in black levels. And, one extra benefit is that brightness can be greater too.

How does Mini LED display technology work?

As we explain above, the Mini LED backlight sits behind the LCD substrate in a panel (and any other substrates included to enhance colours or picture quality) and houses thousands of tiny LEDs that are switched on or off depending on the image. They are generally grouped into zones for responsiveness, to sync the backlight to the main image perfectly, and the fact there are so many of them allows the TV to be more accurate in terms of which areas of the screen it lights.

What is Mini LED? The display technology explained photo 1
LG

The local dimming zones run at a similar refresh rate to the LCD substrate, and when a zone is off or barely lit, the area on the screen will seem darker or even completely black. When on, that area of the screen will be brighter. The brightness of the LEDs depends on the colour and what is required from the on-screen action.

LG's 2021 QNED Mini LED TVs, for example, use up to 30,000 Mini LEDs in almost 2,500 local dimming "blocks" (on its 8K 86-inch flagship) as the backlight.

This, claims LG, provides a 1 million to 1 contrast ratio. And, while it isn't quite as accurate as self-lighting technologies, such as OLED, which can switch each pixel on and off where desired, it is as close as you can get with LCD.

Is Mini LED the same as MicroLED?

Mini LED and MicroLED are two very different TV technologies. MicroLED, used by Samsung for its The Wall TV system, is a technology that features self-illuminating pixels - much like OLED - whereby each pixel can switch on or off depending on the picture.

Mini LED still requires an LCD pixel substrate. A Mini LED TV is, therefore, cheaper to manufacture and that means its price is much more attractive.

What is the main benefit of Mini LED?

The main benefit of Mini LED over conventional LED TVs (which also use LED backlighting with an LCD panel) is that the LED backlights are so much smaller, and there are so many more of them. This means they can be much more precise and, therefore, ensure that pictures are bolder in colour, deeper in black levels, and brighter for HDR.

Mini LED TVs won't be quite as accurate as OLED, but are a lot closer than existing LED sets, with the side benefit of being more affordable than the best OLED TVs.

In addition, as good as the recent OLED TVs are, the technology is still prone to image retention - even permanent screen burn in the most extreme cases. Mini LED TVs are not.

When can I buy a Mini LED TV or display?

Mini LED tech has been in development for several years but has only really broken in to the mass market in the past couple of years. But that means it is out there and easily available for you to get your hands on - in various ways and through various brands.

In the TV market, TCL and Samsung were among the earliest adopters, and the tech now powers Samsung's high-end Neo QLED range - including 2022's flagship QN95B.

LG's Mini LED range is called QNED, and it sits alongside its popular OLED offering. It first launched 10 Mini LED TVs in different screen sizes in 2021, but it has extended that in 2022 with both 4K and 8K options. Sony also uses the technology to power a number of its high-end sets, including the Master Series Z9K and the X95K.

And while it hasn't invested quite as heavily as some, Philips has still dipped its toe into the water, with two models launched in 2021 and another at IFA 2022 - of course, including its stand-out Ambilight technology.

Away from TVs, and as we mentioned at the start, Apple introduced Mini LED displays on its iPad Pro and 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro, and we're expecting more models to follow, including a rumoured Mini LED monitor in 2023.