Sony is working on revolutionary RGB LED technology – is this the end of Sony's OLEDs?

Sony is preparing something completely new for fans of the highest quality image. The Japanese giant has just revealed details about its new screen backlighting technology that uses RGB LED. What exactly is behind this name and what changes could it bring to the television market?

What exactly is RGB LED?

The RGB LED technology is an advanced screen backlighting system that uses LEDs in three primary colors: red, green, and blue (RGB – red, green, blue). With the ability to independently control each LED, it is possible to achieve significantly more precise color reproduction and higher contrast than in traditional LED televisions. This means more realistic, intense, and visually appealing experiences.

Brightness

Sony promises impressive peak brightness of 3000 nits (approximately 3000 cd/m²), placing these screens close to professional studio monitors. As a result, the new TVs should provide extraordinary HDR effects. The prototype shown at the conference featured as many as 32,000 individual RGB diodes and 4000 local dimming zones.

Contrast

Sony declares that the new technology will be based on an advanced version of the XR Master Backlight Drive system, known from previous models like the Sony Bravia 9. This is expected to ensure excellent contrast control; however, it's worth noting that even the best Mini-LED backlit TVs are not completely free from the so-called halo effect (blooming). Sony explains, however, that in RGB LED technology, this effect will take on a more 'natural' form, as instead of a traditional white halo around bright points, it will appear in the color of the object on the screen.

To illustrate this better, let's imagine driving a car at night – when we look at traffic lights, there is a gentle glow around the lamp in the color of the light itself. The same will be true for TVs with RGB LED, where, in contrast to traditional LCD TVs with local dimming, this effect would take on blue or gray colors. Unfortunately, at this moment we cannot verify this in practice, as Sony did not allow any tests or recordings during the presentation.

Color Representation

The greatest advantage of RGB LED technology according to Sony is the ability to precisely represent colors. The manufacturer promises coverage of the DCI-P3 color space at over 99% and about 90% BT.2020. The new screens are expected to perform better with colors of medium brightness and saturation, which may provide an advantage over OLED screens.

Viewing Angles

At the moment, Sony has not provided detailed information regarding the viewing angles in the new RGB LED televisions. However, due to the characteristics of this technology, it can be assumed that they will be wide and will allow for comfortable viewing of the image from various positions, with minimal loss of quality, similar to OLED televisions.

When is the premiere?

Unfortunately, we will have to wait until 2026 for the first RGB LED TVs from Sony. The manufacturer has not revealed which models will be presented in 2025, but everything indicates that they will continue last year's line of devices. Will Sony permanently abandon OLED technology in its flagship models? And if so, do you think it's a good move on the part of the Japanese? Let us know!

Source: Sony