Cheaper QD-OLED TVs and monitors may be on the way, partly thanks to Samsung’s new recycling tech

Samsung has developed a clever system to recycle a crucial part of QD-OLED panel production – and that should mean lower prices for QD-OLED TVs

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Recycling isn’t just better for the environment. It could make some of thebest OLED TVscheaper too.

That’s the news coming fromSamsung Display, which says it’s developed technology that can very efficiently recycle quantum dot ink that would be wasted in the manufacturing process. That’s a crucial component of QD-OLEDpanels, and the new tech means it can now recover and process 80% of the ink that would normally be lost during manufacturing. That should mean more affordable QD-OLED TVs, when combined with other developments.

Why Samsung is thinking ink

Making a QD-OLED display uses a lot of ink. AsSamsungexplains, the quantum dot layer is made using an inkjet printing process that sprays red and green QD ink through micrometer-sized nozzles.

Until now roughly 20% of that ink ended up stuck in the nozzles and then discarded. When you think how many panels Samsung makes, that represents an awful lot of waste and an awful lot of money. So recovering and re-using four-fifths of it means lower costs.

The new recycling process isn’t some far-future idea; it’s being used right now on Samsung’s QD-OLED production line. And according to Samsung the recycled QD ink is just as good as the original: it “undergoes advanced synthesis technology that revives its purity and optical properties”, delivering the same performance as the original QD ink.

There are more improvements to come, Samsung says: it’s focused on improving productivity and yield on the production of QD-OLED screens in general, which are key factors in panel prices on thebest TVsand thebest gaming monitors(where QD-OLED is also proving to be a huge hit). The more efficient the production, the lower the cost per panel – and the lower the cost of the TV it ends up in.

The recycling process won’t have a huge change on its own, but when combined with lots of other small changes, we could get the more budget QD-OLED we’ve been hoping for. In the meantime, if you want a cheaper QD-OLED, you’ll have to keep an eye on thebest Black Friday OLED TV deals.

Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.

Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.

You might also like

Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than a dozen books. Her memoir,Carrie Kills A Man, is on sale now and her next book, about pop music, is out in 2025. She is the singer in Glaswegian rock bandUnquiet Mind.

Leica’s small new 4K laser projector is a very cool-looking way to get up to 300 inches of movie magic

Black Friday has arrived: LG’s 65-inch C4 OLED TV gets a staggering $1,300 discount

Stormforce Pro Creator 0601 workstation review