What is Quantum HDR, Neo Quantum HDR, and Quantum HDR 12x to 64x

The world of television technology is full of terms that often blend genuine advances with marketing jargon. One example is “Quantum HDR,” a term that sounds like a groundbreaking technology but is actually a marketing strategy by Samsung to highlight the color quality of its displays.

Samsung uses several names for HDR technologies in its TVs, including Quantum HDR, Quantum HDR 12x, Quantum HDR 64x, Neo Quantum HDR, and Neo Quantum HDR+. These names can be misleading because they are not separate HDR standards. They are Samsung’s proprietary designations for different levels and implementations of HDR image processing technology.

The meaning of these terms has also changed over time. Older Samsung TVs used numerical designations for Quantum HDR, such as 12x, 24x, 32x, and 64x, whereas newer models typically use names such as Neo Quantum HDR and Neo Quantum HDR+.

What is Quantum HDR?

Quantum HDR is the brand name Samsung uses to refer to the HDR capabilities in its QLED and Neo QLED TVs. HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology allows the TV to display a wider range of brightness and contrast compared to standard SDR content.

HDR preserves more detail in both very bright and very dark parts of the image. For example, bright sunlight, reflections, and light sources can appear more intense, while shadows retain more visible detail.

Samsung uses the HDR10+ standard in many of its TVs. HDR10+ uses dynamic metadata, which allows the brightness and tone of HDR content to be adjusted based on the specific scene. Thus, Quantum HDR is not a new HDR format, such as HDR10 or HDR10+. It is a marketing term used by Samsung.

What do the designations Quantum HDR 12x, 16x, 24x, 32x, 40x, and 64x mean?

Previously, Samsung used numbers such as 12x, 16x, 24x, 32x, 40x, and 64x in combination with the name Quantum HDR. These numbers were intended to indicate a higher level of HDR performance within Samsung’s product lineup. Higher numbers were generally associated with top-of-the-line TVs. However, these numbers should not be interpreted as a direct measurement of peak brightness in nits.

For example, “Quantum HDR 64x” does not officially mean that the TV delivers 6,400 nits of brightness. Samsung describes the Quantum HDR brightness range as based on its internal testing standards and notes that it may vary depending on viewing conditions and the TV’s technical specifications. Simply put, it largely depends on the quality of the display used in the TV.

Why did Samsung use numbers with an “x”? This numbering system allowed Samsung to distinguish between different levels of HDR performance across its TV lineup. For example, the flagship QN900B Neo QLED 8K model was marketed as a TV with Quantum HDR 64x. Samsung used this designation to highlight the TV’s ability to reproduce details in both bright and dark areas of HDR scenes.

The problem was that these numbers looked like technical specifications. A buyer could easily assume that “64x” referred to a specific brightness level, even though it wasn’t actually a standardized value in nits.

That is why this number should be viewed as a product classification rather than a precise technical specification.

What are Neo Quantum HDR and Neo Quantum HDR+

Later, Samsung introduced the name Neo Quantum HDR for its Neo QLED TVs. Neo QLED TVs use Mini LED backlighting and more precise light control behind the screen. This allows the TV to reproduce brighter highlights while maintaining better control over the dark areas of the image.

Depending on the TV model, Samsung uses different versions of Neo Quantum HDR (NQ HDR). For example, some models are listed as featuring Neo Quantum HDR, while higher-end models use Neo Quantum HDR+. Neo Quantum HDR+ is an enhanced version of the Neo Quantum HDR system, according to Samsung’s classification.

Samsung describes Neo Quantum HDR+ as a technology that delivers higher brightness and a wider dynamic range. For some of its latest models, Samsung claims that the brightness of Neo Quantum HDR+ can be twice that of Neo Quantum HDR. However, we do not know under what conditions the comparison was made, and the company has not disclosed any details.

Quantum HDR vs. Neo Quantum HDR

The main difference is the type of Samsung TV and the generation of the technology.

Samsung name	Where it is used	Meaning
Quantum HDR	QLED and some other Samsung TVs	Samsung’s HDR performance designation
Quantum HDR 12x–64x	Older Samsung models	Numerical Samsung HDR classification
Neo Quantum HDR	Neo QLED models	HDR system used on Neo QLED TVs
Neo Quantum HDR+	Higher-level Neo QLED models	Enhanced HDR performance with higher brightness and dynamic range

These names should not be confused with HDR standards such as HDR10, HDR10+, or HLG.