OLED: New Kid on the Block
September 15, 2008

Before you can answer this question about OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology, developed by Kodak in the 1980s, you first need to understand what it is and how it might improve the HDTV viewing experience in your home.

A recent article published in the current edition of CE Vision Magazine by Murray Slovick states: "At its most basic, OLEDs are devices comprised of layers of thin organic films sandwiched between two conductors".

The basic technology is more similar to plasma technology as opposed to LCD. It can enhance your HDTV viewing via its incredible 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio (10,000:1 is good in current HDTV offerings). OLED TVs are ultra-thin, a design that consumes less power when operated, and thus "greener" from an environmental viewpoint.

Fast response time in today's plasma technology produces TVs where the human eye can not detect motion lag or blur. OLED TV response time is an order of magnitude faster (0.01 ms versus 4-8 ms for plasma), allowing used cells to be fully turned off until needed producing a deep black level. This feature is behind the tremendous improvement in contrast ratio.

This promising 80s technology is still on the shelf 25 years later because the useful life of the organic material is limited. In addtion, per Murray Slovick: "Active-matrix OLEDs (AMOLED) are both more complex and more expensive to manufacture than passive OLEDs, which also have size and resolution issues, so for now passives remain better suited for small-area display applications in handheld devices".

So should you wait a year or so for this AMOLED TV technology rather than purchase a plasma or LCD flat-panel TV now? Some reports say Samsung plans to mass produce 31-inch OLED panels in the 2009-10 timeframe. Check out reports from the upcoming 2009 International Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas in early January to see if any of the top Japanese TV manufacturers annouce OLED availability for later in 2009.

What about pricing? Of course new technology costs more until competitve mass production kicks in.
A case in point, in 2004 a Pioneer 42" Plasma Display (PDP-4280HD) retailed at $6,500, while today's improved 42" Pioneer KURO Flat Panel HDTV (PDP-4280HD) retails for $1,999.

Joining Samsung in the upcoming OLED TV market will be Sony (already sells the 11-inch XEL-1 OLED TV), Panasonic, and eventually LG Electronics, while Hitachi and Canon work on a joint development for digital cameras only.

If your looking for a state-of-the-art flat-panel TV to place above your fireplace with/without a retractable artwork cover, the coming OLED TV could be just the ticket!

CES 2009 Update

At right is the 27-inch OLED Sony had on hand during its CES press conference. This prototype is less than 10 millimeters thin and has a contrast ratio greater than 1,000,000:1.

The Full HD display also has color reproduction over 100 percent vs. NTSC. A Sony spokesman says this OLED is nowhere close to hitting the market. And if it does, the spokesman says it will probably look different than how it was displayed at CES 2009.

To view the complete CE Vision article by Murray Slovick click here.