Sony to Introduce First OLED TV in U.S.
Regular contributer Michael D is in the market for a flat screen TV and has been doing the requisite due diligence. In the process, he came across an article in c/net about Sony’s OLED technology, shown earlier this month in Las Vegas at CES, and graciously passed it on for IM readers’ perusal.
OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) promises better picture quality, smaller size (the XEL-1 measures just 3mm thick!) and more efficient operation. Sony claims a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, indicating amazingly deep black levels. Since OLED can turn the light emitted from the diodes on and off quickly, Sony also claims rapid response times for “smooth, natural reproduction of fast-moving content.”
The XEL-1 is supposedly 40 percent more efficient than traditional LCD panels in terms of power consumption, and unlike other LCDs, its manufacturing process doesn’t require the use of harmful mercury.
It’s the same concept utilized in Apple’s new MacBook Air introduced earlier this week at San Francisco’s Macworld which uses LEDs to backlight the notebook computer’s screen, provide “instant on” when the lid is opened, and uses no mercury in its manufacture. Clearly a sign of greener things to come.
Although Sony already introduced its 11-inch OLED HDTV in Japan, the company’s big splash announcement at the 2008 CES is that the model, dubbed XEL-1, is now available in the U.S. for the cool price of $2,500. While the relatively tiny, exorbitantly expensive HDTV itself won’t attract many buyers, it represents an important milestone by shepherding in the latest flat-panel TV technology, which may eventually replace plasma and traditional LCD.
Doug
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Reader Comments (8)
Geesh! $2500 for an 11-inch TV? A full size would cost as much as a car! A NICE car!
In five years this will be available in a 60" for the price of a plasma today and we will wonder how we ever had to watch that old, blurry plasma!
Aren't LEDs inherently short lived?
No, they are a proven technology now and barring unforeseen problem with production, should be affordable in popular sizes in just a few years.
11 inches? What's the point?
You ARE seeing the future here and Willard has it right. OLED is the future. Size issues will be overcome shortly. They had to start somewhere. While some DLP may survive and certainly some LCD displays may linger, you're seeing the quick demise of Plasma and it's inherent problems with this innovation. Besides, everyone knows it's not the size, it's the quality...right???
LOL!
Uh uh! Size does matter!
While OLED seems to be, on the surface, the perfect display technology, there are some problems. First, even though the red and green LEDs have long lifetimes of 10,000 to 40,000 hours, the blue component suffers high failure rates after about 3,000 – 5,000 hours. Hopefully, with refinements in manufacturing technology, this limitation can be overcome, but the entire screen's life is currently limited to that of the blue LEDs'.
Also, the OLED matrix is easily damaged by water. Without some way to seal the display in a waterproof outer covering, a spilled soft drink could spell curtains for the display.
Although Samsung has announced the first 40" OLED TV based on this technology, it is still unclear when OLED technology will be in mass production and when it will become price competitive with existing technologies. Let's hope sooner than later.