Samsung's latest Micro RGB technology advertises enhanced local dimming capabilities, despite technically being an LCD panel with a backlight.
In the world of high-end displays, Samsung's latest innovation—Micro RGB technology—is generating buzz. This new technology, while not an OLED or true MicroLED panel, presents an interesting value-oriented alternative.
Samsung's Micro RGB technology employs an LCD panel combined with an advanced backlight containing very small RGB LEDs. This setup allows for better color fidelity and more precise local dimming compared to traditional mini-LED LCDs. However, unlike OLED and true MicroLED displays, where each pixel is self-emissive, the Micro RGB setup still relies on a backlight illuminating the LCD layer.
The Micro RGB backlight shines RGB light directly behind the LCD pixels, potentially providing more accurate and vibrant colors than conventional white LED backlights. It aims to cover a very wide color gamut, possibly covering 95% to 100% of the BT.2020 standard, exceeding high-end OLED's 89% to 92% gamut coverage.
Micro RGB monitors boast a backlight with roughly three times as many dimming zones as typical mini-LED displays—estimates suggest up to about 6,000 zones compared to around 2,000 in top mini-LED displays. While this is far fewer than the pixel-level control found in OLED or true MicroLED displays, it still offers better local dimming precision.
However, the limitations of a monitor with a backlight resolution that's far lower than the LCD panel itself will remain. Fine image details smaller than a dimming zone can cause haloing or blooming effects, unlike OLED or true MicroLED that have pixel-level dimming.
As a bridging technology between advanced LCDs with mini-LED backlights and the fully self-emissive true MicroLED panels, Samsung's Micro RGB offers significant improvements in color brightness and local dimming precision over standard mini-LED LCDs but cannot match the perfect blacks or the pixel-level dimming granularity of OLED or true MicroLED displays.
In terms of current monitor offerings, the Alienware 34 QD-OLED has been hailed as the best budget OLED ultrawide monitor, while the MSI MPG 271QRX takes the crown for the best 1440p OLED monitor. For those looking for a dual-mode monitor, the Alienware AW2725QF is the top choice. The MSI MPG 321URX has been named the best overall monitor, and the Pixio PXC277 Advanced and AOC Gaming C27G4ZXE are standouts for budget 1440p and 1080p monitors, respectively.
Despite the potential of Micro RGB technology, brighter OLED panels still seem like the best solution in the medium term when it comes to lighting control, contrast, and HDR performance. As Samsung continues to refine its Micro RGB technology, it will be interesting to see how it evolves and competes in the ever-changing display market.
