What You Need To Know About OLED Televisions

By Jimmy Tyrrell

Whilst OLED televisions have been under development for some time now, it is only recently that talk of them has entered wider public awareness. There seems to be an awful lot of excitement about the developments, particularly at the increasing number of trade fairs and industry shows around the world. But is it warranted?

Firstly it is important to discuss just what OLED means. Standing for Organic Light Emitting Diode, these diodes give off their light in a different way than what has gone before. Its predecessors came in the form of LCD (liquid crystal display) and LED (Light Emitting Diode) television screens. The screen is made up of several conducting layers which emit light through an organic process; thus a backlighting function is not required.

The advantages from this point are immense. Most notable of all, (for the industry certainly), is that it finally delivers a "true" black color. That is to say that the black produced through the screen is as close to that seen in nature than anything that has gone before it. This means that all other colors have greater clarity and realism too.

The advantages to be gained continue with the slimness that can be achieved with the screens; the slimmest of which is currently just 3mm. With no need to create a casing for the lights anymore, screens can also be moulded to suit practically any shape and curve.

This naturally makes it all but damage proof. Indeed, such is the strength and malleability of the screens, it is only matter of time before we see them used in billboards, leaflets, cell phones and a whole host of other technologies.

However what the screen "lacks" in depth, it also certainly LACKS in size. Presently, the biggest screen made, (and shown to the public), is a rather small fifteen inches. However, despite this, resolution and contrast are amazing.

Then of course there is the issue with pricing. The biggest screen widely available is a mere eleven inches across the diagonal, and is priced at an eye watering two thousand five hundred dollars. Considering a nineteen inch LCD screen can be bought for little over a hundred and fifty bucks, highlights the challenge still faced in this area.

OLED televisions are also affected by a relatively short life span; and this is in direct comparison to the extended lifespan of LED TVs of course. The availability is not too widespread either; which in itself maintains the high pricing of course.

Being such a recent release to the market, perhaps these shortcomings are to be expected. We know from experience in the plasma vs. LCD war that prices are forced down by competition, demand, knowledge and viability. The three leading names in television technology are now running with this new stream, so it will be quite a rapid succession; it can be confidently predicted.

OLED televisions are a fantastic new concept, and such is the uptake by the big players in the electronics manufacturing, it is only a matter of time before the war starts between LED and OLED in earnest. I for one cannot wait; bring it on! - 29967

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