Hey there! As a fellow home theater enthusiast, I know how tough it can be to select a premium television that best fits your needs and budget. LG‘s 2023 model lineup contains two heavy hitter 4K and 8K TVs – the QNED Mini-LED 8K and Class B2 OLED.
After some deep analysis of their display quality, features and performance, I‘ll help explain how these flagship televisions stack up. You can use this side-by-side breakdown to decide if the hefty price tags warrant an upgrade over your current screen.
Display Technology Showdown
LG packs the latest display advancements into both models, but each takes a very different approach:
| QNED Mini-LED 8K | B2 OLED | |
| Backlighting | Full Array Local Dimming Pro (FALD)
with 30,000 mini-LED zones |
Self-lit pixels |
| Panel Type | IPS LCD | OLED |
| True Contrast | 1,500,000:1 | Infinite |
| Color Gamut | 100% DCI-P3 | 100% DCI-P3 |
The QNED leverages ultra-precise mini-LED backlighting paired with quantum dot nanocells to achieve up to 1.5 million zones of localized dimming control. This helps maximize contrast and brightness.
Alternatively, the B2 OLED eschews backlight completely. Each self-illuminating pixel switches on/off independently, enabling effectively infinite contrast since true blacks equal the screen turning off.
While both deliver expansive, cinematic color, analysts give OLED an edge for contrast and black levels. But mini-LED backlighting has hugely improved over early-gen full array local dimming, looking to rival OLED with 30x more dimming zones than last year‘s QNED models.
Visual Performance Benchmarks
But how do those fancy display terms actually translate to real-world image quality? Professional AV testers have benchmarked both models to judge visual performance. Here are some key test findings from RTINGS and CNET on color and contrast across different content:
| QNED Mini-LED 8K | B2 OLED | |
| SDR Peak Brightness | 1165 nits | 787 nits |
| HDR Peak Brightness | 1534 nits | 835 nits |
| Black Uniformity | 7.1/10 rating | 9.9/10 rating |
| Contrast w/ Local Dimming | 12270:1 | Infinite |
While the QNED achieves higher peak brightness, the OLED generates truly perfect blacks for infinitely higher native contrast. In real scene testing, both deliver gorgeous, cinematic images, but LG‘s self-lit pixel design has the contrast edge.
Reviewers do praise mini-LED strides in black levels and uniformity. But some blooming around bright objects still occurs. Meanwhile B2 OLED exceeds expectations for brightness thanks to new OLED EX panel and processor upgrades.
Gaming Performance Showdown
With new consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X pushing 4K 120FPS gaming, TVs require serious horsepower. Here‘s how these displays compare for graphics, response times and next-gen gaming features.
| QNED Mini-LED 8K | B2 OLED | |
| Native Refresh Rate | 60Hz (8K) 120Hz (4K) |
120Hz |
| VRR / FreeSync / G-Sync | HDMI 2.1 VRR | All supported |
| Input Lag | 10ms | 5ms |
The B2‘s faster refresh rate and insanely low input lag in Game Optimizer mode easily beat out the QNED. And full support for VRR, AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync provides flawlessly smooth frame rates without screen tearing.
While the QNED 8K performs admirably well for gaming at 4K/120Hz, its bigger brother falls a bit short of the best-in-class OLED. Serious players wanting absolute performance should lean towards LG’s beloved B2 OLED.
Built-In Sound: Crisp Dialogue But Lacking Bass
Don‘t expect room-shaking sound from slim, compact TV speakers. While dialogue sounds clear, both models lack any real bass punch without an integrated subwoofer. Here are the audio insights from RTINGS acoustic measurements:
| QNED Mini-LED 8K | B2 OLED | |
| Sound Profile | Voices focused. Bass lacking. | Balanced mids/highs. Bass lacking. |
| Sound Rating | 7.8/10 | 7.9/10 |
| Frequency Response | 55Hz – 14kHz | 56Hz – 14kHz |
While slightly better balanced, both share common audio traits like no low-end punch and limited dynamic range. LG‘s AI Sound Pro processing helps compensate via virtual surround effects and dialogue enhancement.
But for truly powerful, room-filling sound, I recommend upgrading with a premium soundbar (with wireless subwoofer) or speaker system.
Streaming & Smart TV Platforms
LG TVs run webOS – a slick, intuitive smart platform. Both models share common streaming options:
| QNED Mini-LED 8K | B2 OLED | |
| Platform | webOS 23 | |
| Voice Assistants | Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, LG ThinQ AI | |
| App Highlights | Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV, Hulu, YouTube | |
WebOS provides hundreds of apps natively alongside free LG channels and an AI-powered recommendations system. The latest iteration even supports multiples voice assistants simultaneously for basic controls.
Both TVs lack ability to remove all ads/banners from the home screen though. I recommend using an Apple TV 4K or Roku media streamer if seeking a cleaner, ad-free smart TV experience.
Connections: Plenty of HDMI Ports
You‘ll find abundant connectivity options on both 4K and 8K sets:
| QNED Mini-LED 8K | B2 OLED | |
| HDMI Inputs | 4 (48Gbps) | 4 (48Gbps) |
| USB Ports | 3 | 2 |
| Ethernet | Yes (gigabit) | |
All ports support the maximum 48Gbps HDMI 2.1 bandwidth for 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz as required by new consoles and graphics cards. Each television also contains an RF tuner input if you want to connect an HDTV antenna.
If needing to attach multiple media gadgets at once, both provide sufficient inputs. But that extra USB 3.0 port on the QNED offers a bit more flexibility for wired peripherals.
Bottom Line
While the LG QNED Mini-LED 8K tops our resolution charts, overall performance falls slightly behind the gorgeous B2 OLED – especially for cinematic content and gaming. Self-lit OLED pixels enable unmatched contrast and quick response for a superior viewing experience.
That said, mini-LED backlighting produces LG’s brightest image yet with impressive black levels benefitting brighter rooms. The extreme 30,000 zone precision also minimizes blooming to compete with OLED contrast under many conditions.
For most buyers without an immediate 8K use case, I suggest saving money upfront with LG’s exceptional 4K B2 OLED TV. But early adopters hungry for future-proof 8K should still consider the QNED series for impressive clarity and brightness in LG‘s best LCD television yet.
Hope this detailed comparison helps narrow down your premium TV search! Let me know if any other questions come up. Enjoy your new home theater upgrade!
