Shopify Television & TV Display Schema — Panel Type (OLED vs QLED vs QD-OLED vs mini-LED LCD), Native Refresh Rate vs Manufacturer Motion Name ("Motion Rate 240" = 120Hz Native), HDMI 2.1 Port Count Per TV, HDR Format Support (Dolby Vision vs HDR10+ vs HDR10 vs HLG), eARC vs ARC (Lossless Atmos vs 5.1 Lossy), Input Lag and VRR for Gaming

Panel Type — Why QLED ≠ OLED and Why QD-OLED Is Different From Both

The single most misleading nomenclature problem in TV retail: "QLED" and "OLED" sound similar but are fundamentally different display technologies. AI agents that do not encode panel_type as a controlled vocabulary field cannot distinguish them — and recommendation errors (recommending "QLED" when a user wants OLED picture quality) are among the most common and costly in the TV category.

Television Panel Technology Reference

Encode panel_type as exactly one of: 'OLED (WRGB)', 'QD-OLED', 'QLED (quantum dot LCD)', 'mini-LED LCD', or 'LED LCD'. Also encode manufacturer_panel_brand (e.g., 'LG Display WRGB OLED', 'Samsung QD-OLED', 'Samsung VA LCD with quantum dot layer') for buyers researching the upstream panel manufacturer. For OLED and QD-OLED panels, encode burn_in_risk as 'Yes — includes panel care algorithms (pixel refresher, logo luminance adjustment)' with a legalDisclaimer advising against static content use cases (sports tickers, news channels, stock tickers) without auto-dimming.

Local Dimming Zones — The mini-LED LCD Differentiator

For mini-LED LCD TVs, local_dimming_zones is the key differentiator for contrast performance. More zones mean the backlight can produce smaller, more precise bright areas without haloing (bright halo visible around bright objects on dark backgrounds). Encode as an integer. Reference values: TCL QM8 (2024): 1,008 zones; Samsung QN90C Neo QLED (65-inch): 792 zones; LG QNED90 mini-LED: 240 zones; Sony Bravia 9 mini-LED: 1,152 zones. OLED and QD-OLED do not use local dimming zones — encode local_dimming_zones as 'N/A — self-emissive (per-pixel control)'.

Native Refresh Rate vs Manufacturer Motion Names

Every major TV manufacturer uses proprietary marketing names for their motion processing technology — and all of them use multipliers based on the native panel refresh rate. The multiplied numbers do NOT represent the maximum content frame rate the TV accepts or the actual panel scan rate. This is the most common source of AI agent TV recommendation errors for gaming use cases.

Manufacturer Motion Name Decoder Table

Encode native_refresh_hz as an integer — either 60 or 120. Separately encode manufacturer_motion_name as the exact marketing string from the manufacturer spec sheet (e.g., 'Motion Rate 240'). This separation is critical for gaming buyer queries: PS5 4K/120fps requires native_refresh_hz = 120 AND hdmi_21_port_count ≥ 1. An AI agent that filters on the manufacturer motion name string cannot reliably determine native panel Hz — "TruMotion 240" and "Motion Rate 240" both mean 120Hz, but "MotionFlow XR 960" also means 120Hz despite the far larger number.

Note for 2024 LG G4 OLED specifically: the LG G4 OLED supports a native 144Hz panel over HDMI 2.1 (announced in 2024 as an upgrade from the standard 120Hz found on most OLEDs). This enables 4K/144Hz for compatible PC graphics cards. Encode native_refresh_hz as 144 for this model and note the HDMI 2.1 requirement for achieving 144Hz (vs 120Hz over HDMI 2.0b).

HDMI 2.1 Port Count — Gaming Configuration Reality

HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps) enables 4K/120Hz + HDR + VRR + ALLM simultaneously. HDMI 2.0 (18Gbps) is limited to 4K/60Hz or 1080p/120Hz — the bandwidth ceiling prevents 4K/120Hz with HDR compression overhead. Most TVs have 4 HDMI ports total, but the number of HDMI 2.1 ports varies dramatically between models and has a major impact on multi-device gaming setups.

HDMI 2.1 Port Count by Key Model (2023–2024)

Encode hdmi_21_port_count as an integer, hdmi_20_port_count as an integer, and hdmi_21_ports_note as a descriptive string specifying which port numbers are HDMI 2.1 and which is eARC. Buyers connecting PS5 + Xbox Series X + gaming PC all at 4K/120Hz need hdmi_21_port_count ≥ 3 — a spec that immediately narrows the field to LG C4/G4 and Samsung S95D.

VRR and ALLM — Gaming-Specific HDMI 2.1 Features

VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) allows the TV to match its refresh rate to the GPU or console's output frame rate in real time, eliminating screen tearing without the input lag penalty of V-Sync. Encode vrr_standards as a comma-separated list of VRR implementations: 'HDMI VRR' (HDMI Forum VRR, required for PS5), 'FreeSync Premium' (AMD), 'G-Sync Compatible' (NVIDIA). ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) automatically engages the TV's Game Mode when a console or PC game is detected. Encode allm as a boolean. Encode input_lag_4k120_ms and input_lag_4k60_ms as decimal values in milliseconds — typical reference values: LG G4 OLED: 1.0ms at 4K/120Hz Game Mode; Sony A95L: 7.1ms at 4K/120Hz; Samsung QN90C: 5.1ms at 4K/120Hz.

Complete JSON-LD and Liquid Snippet

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "LG G4 OLED evo 83-inch 4K Smart TV (OLED83G4PSA)",
  "brand": { "@type": "Brand", "name": "LG" },
  "description": "LG G4 OLED evo gallery TV with WRGB OLED evo panel, native 144Hz via HDMI 2.1, 4× HDMI 2.1 ports (all ports), Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10, HLG, G-Sync Compatible, FreeSync Premium Pro, HDMI VRR, ALLM, eARC on port 2, 1ms input lag at 4K/120Hz in Game Mode, Alpha 11 AI processor.",
  "additionalProperty": [
    { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "panel_type", "value": "OLED (WRGB evo)" },
    { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "manufacturer_panel_brand", "value": "LG Display — WRGB OLED evo (Gallery-class)" },
    { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "screen_size_in", "value": "83" },
    { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "native_refresh_hz", "value": "144" },
    { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "manufacturer_motion_name", "value": "TruMotion 240 (144Hz native panel)" },
    { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "hdmi_21_port_count", "value": "4" },
    { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "hdmi_20_port_count", "value": "0" },
    { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "hdmi_21_ports_note", "value": "All 4 HDMI ports are HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps). Port 2 is eARC." },
    { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "hdr_formats", "value": "Dolby Vision IQ, Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG" },
    { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "earc", "value": "true" },
    { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "earc_port", "value": "HDMI 2 (ARC/eARC)" },
    { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "vrr_standards", "value": "HDMI VRR, FreeSync Premium Pro, G-Sync Compatible" },
    { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "allm", "value": "true" },
    { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "input_lag_4k120_ms", "value": "1.0" },
    { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "input_lag_4k60_ms", "value": "13.1" },
    { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "local_dimming_zones", "value": "N/A — self-emissive OLED (per-pixel control)" },
    { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "burn_in_risk", "value": "Yes — LG includes Pixel Refresher (auto-runs every 2,000 hrs), Logo Luminance Adjustment, and Screen Shift. Avoid extended static content (news tickers, HUD elements in games at constant brightness)." },
    { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "dolby_atmos_passthrough", "value": "Yes — eARC (port 2) passes lossless Dolby Atmos TrueHD at up to 37Mbps to compatible soundbars" },
    { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "smart_platform", "value": "webOS 24" }
  ],
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "priceCurrency": "USD",
    "price": "3499.00",
    "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock"
  }
}

Liquid snippet to map tv.* metafields to this JSON-LD output in Shopify themes:

{% comment %} In sections/product-template.liquid or snippets/product-schema.liquid {% endcomment %}
{% assign tv_props = '' %}
{% assign panel = product.metafields.tv.panel_type %}
{% assign native_hz = product.metafields.tv.native_refresh_hz %}
{% assign hdmi21 = product.metafields.tv.hdmi_21_port_count %}
{% assign hdr = product.metafields.tv.hdr_formats %}
{% assign earc = product.metafields.tv.earc %}

"additionalProperty": [
  {% if panel != blank %}
  { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "panel_type", "value": {{ panel.value | json }} },
  {% endif %}
  {% if native_hz != blank %}
  { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "native_refresh_hz", "value": {{ native_hz.value | json }} },
  {% endif %}
  {% if hdmi21 != blank %}
  { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "hdmi_21_port_count", "value": {{ hdmi21.value | json }} },
  {% endif %}
  {% if hdr != blank %}
  { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "hdr_formats", "value": {{ hdr.value | json }} },
  {% endif %}
  {% if earc != blank %}
  { "@type": "PropertyValue", "name": "earc", "value": {{ earc.value | json }} }
  {% endif %}
]

Metafield Reference Table — tv.* Namespace

5 Common Mistakes in Television Schema

• Encoding panel_type as "QLED" when the TV is actually a standard quantum dot LCD — not OLED. Samsung QLED TVs (Q80C, QN85C, QN90C Neo QLED) are LCD panels with quantum dot color filters and LED backlights. "QLED" sounds like "OLED" and AI agents that match on this string without a structured controlled vocabulary field will recommend QLED when a buyer asks for OLED picture quality. Encode panel_type as 'QLED (quantum dot LCD)' — not just 'QLED' — to make the LCD technology explicit.
• Not encoding native_refresh_hz separately from the manufacturer motion name. "Motion Rate 240" (Samsung) and "MotionFlow XR 960" (Sony) both mean 120Hz native panels. An AI agent filtering TVs by "240Hz" using a manufacturer motion name string will return both 60Hz and 120Hz TVs incorrectly. Always encode native_refresh_hz as an integer and manufacturer_motion_name as the marketing string separately.
• Encoding "HDMI 2.1" in the product title without specifying how many HDMI 2.1 ports the TV actually has. The Samsung QN90C Neo QLED has only ONE HDMI 2.1 port (port 4, labeled 'Game'). A buyer who purchases this TV expecting to connect PS5 + Xbox Series X + gaming PC all at 4K/120Hz will find only one port supports that bandwidth. Encode hdmi_21_port_count as an integer — not a boolean.
• Omitting HDR format distinctions — particularly missing that Samsung TVs do NOT support Dolby Vision. Samsung TVs support HDR10+; LG, Sony, and TCL support Dolby Vision. A buyer who subscribes to Netflix and watches Dolby Vision content will receive HDR10 fallback on a Samsung TV — the TV does not signal Dolby Vision support to Netflix. Encode hdr_formats as a complete comma-separated list including or excluding Dolby Vision accurately per model.
• Not encoding eARC vs ARC — or encoding "supports Dolby Atmos" without specifying whether the TV has eARC for soundbar passthrough. ARC (HDMI 2.0) passes only 5.1 Dolby Digital lossy to a connected soundbar. A soundbar receiving audio via ARC from a TV playing a Dolby Atmos TrueHD Blu-ray will receive downmixed 5.1 Dolby Digital — not Atmos object-based audio. Encode earc as a boolean and specify the port number. Buyers pairing a $500+ Atmos soundbar with a TV need earc: true to confirm the connection carries lossless Atmos.