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This
new technology could replace every single visual presenter you see. It might even
become the new light source that will make light bulbs disappear. Most people
know about Sony’s OLED TV panels that were displayed
at the CES 2008 Convention this
year and/or have seen pictures of Samsung’s OLED TVs. Did you know that some
products already have OLED displays including some digital cameras, watches,
mp3 players, and other small screen devices. But
how many know what it can do and if it’s worth looking into? |
How does it work?
According to oled-info.com, OLED
is made by placing a series of organic films between two conductors, when an
electrical current is applied, viola, light is emitted. A quote by Kodak gives
a better example:
“OLED displays stack up
several thin layers of materials. They operate on the attraction between
positively and negatively charged particles. When voltage is applied, one layer
becomes negatively charged relative to another transparent layer. As energy
passes from the negatively charged (cathode) layer to the other (anode) layer,
it stimulates organic material between the two, which emits light visible
through an outermost layer of glass."
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And what’s nice about this, is it does not
require a back light like LCD do; which brings me to the next part or the pros
and cons of OLED.
Pros
Incredibly Thin- Sony
shows their OLED screens being 3mm thick at the thinnest point where
Samsung showed a panel 1.8mm thick at the 2006 Korea Electronics show.
Unparalleled Contrast Ratio-
currently being able to produce up to a 1,000,000:1 (that’s right 1 million to
1) contrast ratio, these OLED can produce extremely deep blacks. (I myself
haven’t found a comparing picture between the OLED TVs and Pioneer’s new Kuro TVs.)
Smooth movement- being able
to spontaneously control the light emitted from the organic material layer,
fast-moving action is said to be smoother.
High peak brightness reproduces picture
glow- Sony boasts this on their website that their Super Top
Emission technology creates light emission from the organic materials and has a
high peak of brightness which causes light flow such as sun reflection and
fireworks. Rumors around the internet show that OLED will be the new light
source. Apparently the US Department of Energy (DOE) offers up to $7.5 million
for being able to efficiently use this technology to create a more permanent
light source.
Vivid Colors-OLED can produce
high-purity colors that are more vivid than plasma and LCD TVs that are out
today. Granted news about newer technology in that field could change that.
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Low Power Consumption- this
is probably why the US DOE is offering a $7.5 million reward, but because no
back light is required, OLED can be powered at very low voltages.
Oh did I also mention that the
resolution can go up to 1920x1080 and possibly higher with further research?
And these displays can be placed on a flexible material. Just imagine putting
your TV in a mail tube when you need to move it. Plus a 178º viewing angle
means that you don’t need to rearrange your home theatre around at all. |
Cons
I can’t find any online possibly
because there is a lot of promise but I can only imagine that it will be
expensive for the first couple of years. Sony’s 11” OLED TV is going for
$2,499.99 on their website. But remember how expensive the HD Plasma was when
they first came out? Also these displays right now require a box input which
isn’t a big deal but if you are looking for just the display with an HDMI
connection you might be waiting.
Rumors
Sony boasts about a blazing fast
response time and other sights show a response time of 0.01ms but no official
timing could be found.
Also
a post on Engadget
says that researchers are adapting a spreadable,
self-powered OLED. Researchers from Sumitomo Chemical and Mitsubishi Chemical
are saying that OLED can be “painted” on almost any surface and will be able to
power itself with solar panels inside the concoction; while keeping the
thickness 100nm. They say to look for prototypes within the next 2 years.
Apparently there is enough
research that by 2013 over 2.7 million units will be sold generating almost
$1.4 billion in revenue. See
graph.
Conclusion
Now that you have some info on
OLED we would like to hear feedback from you on what you think about it. If you’re more of a
visual person, check out some of the YouTube videos as well,
just search for ‘OLED’ and a lot of videos will come up.
We hope to hear from you on our
forum soon!
Website
Sources:
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogID=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&identifier=S_BrandShowcase_OLED&SR=nav:electronics:tv_hm_ent:our_technologies:oled:ss
http://www.oled-display.net/oled-television
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6449_7-6741419-1.html
http://www.oled-info.com/introduction
http://stage.soundandvisionmag.com/features/2732/display-tech-smackdown.html
http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/15/researchers-tout-spreadable-self-powered-oleds/
http://www.cesweb.org/default.asp