03-21-2007, 07:04 PM
Olgo de las proximas TVs OLED
By now, everyone but the
most extreme Luddite
surely knows that flatpanel
TVs have captured
the imagination of the world.
But all is not perfect in flat-panel land.
Most displays are still 3 or 4 inches thick
and very heavy, requiring careful wall
mounting. Each of the current technologies
has its own set of drawbacks, too.
A new technology called OLED
(organic light-emitting diode) promises
to address many of these drawbacks.
It sandwiches a thin film of
special organic compounds between
sheets of electrically conductive
material—for example, a grid of
transparent electrodes embedded in
sheets of glass or plastic. When
voltage is applied to a point between
the sheets, the film at that point emits
a bright light, the color of which
depends on the compound’s specific
chemical recipe.
Because the material emits its own
light, there’s no need for a backlight as
in LCD panels, which means OLED
panels can be much thinner and
lighter than LCD and plasma TVs. Also,
the organic film can be deposited on
the conductive sheets using inkjetprinter
technology, making OLED
potentially much less expensive to
manufacture than LCD or plasma
panels. But color, brightness, depth of
black, and viewing angle are all far
superior to any available flat-panel
technology, with lower power consumption.
So why aren’t OLED displays in
stores now? The primary drawback is
the limited lifetime of the organic compounds.
In particular, OLED material
that emits blue light typically lasts about
5000 hours, though recent experiments
indicate that its life expectancy could be
extended to as much as 20,000 hours.
At this year’s CES, Sony demonstrated
a 27-inch, 1920x1080 OLED panel
less than half an inch thick—the color
and detail were stunning. Sony said it
could introduce OLED TVs in 2008, so
keep a sharp eye out. TPV
F R OM L A B T O L I V I N G R O OM
You Can Never Be Too Thin
TheLONGView
TPV | April/May 2007
w w w . n h t h i f i . c o m
n o w h e a r t h i s.
2006 NHT,Inc.
R E A D MO R E O N L I N E :
For a complete explanation of OLED
technology, click here.
By now, everyone but the
most extreme Luddite
surely knows that flatpanel
TVs have captured
the imagination of the world.
But all is not perfect in flat-panel land.
Most displays are still 3 or 4 inches thick
and very heavy, requiring careful wall
mounting. Each of the current technologies
has its own set of drawbacks, too.
A new technology called OLED
(organic light-emitting diode) promises
to address many of these drawbacks.
It sandwiches a thin film of
special organic compounds between
sheets of electrically conductive
material—for example, a grid of
transparent electrodes embedded in
sheets of glass or plastic. When
voltage is applied to a point between
the sheets, the film at that point emits
a bright light, the color of which
depends on the compound’s specific
chemical recipe.
Because the material emits its own
light, there’s no need for a backlight as
in LCD panels, which means OLED
panels can be much thinner and
lighter than LCD and plasma TVs. Also,
the organic film can be deposited on
the conductive sheets using inkjetprinter
technology, making OLED
potentially much less expensive to
manufacture than LCD or plasma
panels. But color, brightness, depth of
black, and viewing angle are all far
superior to any available flat-panel
technology, with lower power consumption.
So why aren’t OLED displays in
stores now? The primary drawback is
the limited lifetime of the organic compounds.
In particular, OLED material
that emits blue light typically lasts about
5000 hours, though recent experiments
indicate that its life expectancy could be
extended to as much as 20,000 hours.
At this year’s CES, Sony demonstrated
a 27-inch, 1920x1080 OLED panel
less than half an inch thick—the color
and detail were stunning. Sony said it
could introduce OLED TVs in 2008, so
keep a sharp eye out. TPV
F R OM L A B T O L I V I N G R O OM
You Can Never Be Too Thin
TheLONGView
TPV | April/May 2007
w w w . n h t h i f i . c o m
n o w h e a r t h i s.
2006 NHT,Inc.
R E A D MO R E O N L I N E :
For a complete explanation of OLED
technology, click here.