OLEDs
are made by placing thin films of organic (carbon based) materials
between two conductors. When electrical current is applied, a bright
light is emitted. The OLED materials emit light and do not require a
backlight (unlike LCDs). Each pixel is a small light-emitting diode, in
fact. OLED TV panels offers several advantages over LCDs:
- Faster refresh rate, better contrast and better color reproduction
- Thin and light: LG's 55" EM9700 for example is just 4mm thick and weighs just 3.5 Kg. Some OLED panel prototypes are merely 0.3 mm thick!
- Better viewing angle - almost 180 degrees
- Greener: OLEDs draw less power, and contain no toxic metals (some OLED materials use a tiny amount of Iridium, a non-toxic heavy metal)
- OLED panels can potentially be made flexible and/or transparent...
Samsung's LED TVs
In August 2013, Samsung launched their first OLED TV, the KN55S9C
- a 55" curved Full-HD set. The curved panel means that the distance
from the viewer to the TV screen is the same from almost any angle -
which makes for a better experience according to Samsung (but most
people actually prefer flat panels).
Samsung's
OLED TV features Multi-view (where two users can watch two different 2D
programs using active-shutter 3D glasses) and it's also compatible with
the company's Evolution Kit, ensuring that the TV is future-proofed.
The TV weighs 27 Kg and is 5.3 inches deep. It is now shipping in the US for $8999, and in South Korea for 9.9 million Won (about $8,900).
Samsung
also developed a flat 55" OLED TV, but it seems that these won't be
released as commercial products any time soon. First branded as "Super OLED TV", Samsung now calls them "Real OLED TVs"
- to note the fact that Samsung are using 'True OLED' RGB subpixels, as
opposed to LG's WRGB architecture, and also to differentiate its OLED
TVs from LED TVs. The model number of Samsung's TV will be F9500.
LG's 55" OLED TVs
In December 2011 LG officially announced their first commercial OLED TV, the 55" 55EM9700. In January 2013 LG announced that the TV is now on offer in Korea (for the small price of 11 million Won, or about $10,000) and in the UK.
This is a Full-HD panel that features 100,000,000:1 contrast ratio and
fast response time (1,000 times faster than LCD according to LG). The
panel is only 4mm thick, and weighs just 3.5 Kg. LG considers OLED to be
the "ultimate display technology".
LG said they expect to launch the flat OLED TV soon in the US, India and Israel, but in the mean time, like Samsung, the company is more focused on their curved OLED TV - the 55EA9800. LG's curved TV is shipping in Korea and in the US for $8,999.
LG's TV
is based on LG Display's Oxide-TFT white-OLED with color filters
(WOLED, or WRGB, more on this below) OLED panel. LG are quite excited of
this new TV - they call it calling it the "Ultimate Display" and they
say that this is the "most transformational moment" in the TV industry
since the introduction of the color TV 60 years ago.
Older OLED TVs
Actually LG's 55" OLED TV won't be the first OLED TV on the market. Back in December 2007 Sony started to offer the XEL-1 - which was more of a technology prototype than a commercial set - a small TV (11"), expensive (around 2,500$) OLED TV that was only produced in small quantities. LG Themselves also used to offer the 1.7 mm thick 15" EL9500
OLED TV, which was also more of a technology demonstration, as the
price was very high for a 15" display (around $2600 in Korea and €1,999 in Europe).
Direct Emission vs WRGB
The
basic OLED TV design uses 3 color OLED sub-pixels (RGB: Red, Green and
Blue) to create each 'pixel'. This is referred to as a direct emission
OLED (or SBS, side-by-side), and is the design Samsung uses in their
small displays and in their upcoming Super OLED TVs.
Some companies are using a different architecture, called WRGB (or
WOLED-CF) which uses four white OLED subpixels with color filters on top
(RBG and W).
The WRGB technology was developed by Kodak (and the IP is now owned by LG Display), and it should make the OLED panel easier to make. However it will also be less efficient. LG Display's OLED TVs which will be released in 2013 will be based on this design, and indeed LGD managed to produce these panels before Samsung.
OLED TV status
- Both Samsung and LG are offering 55" curved OLED TVs. Production capacity is low and prices are still very high. Samsung's KN55S9C for example costs $8,997 while LG's 55EA9800 is even more expensive at $9,999. Both panels are 55" in size and offer Full-HD resolution. Reviews of those TVs have been spectacular, with all reviewers saying that OLED TVs offer the best picture quality ever!
- LG are offering several kinds of flat 55" OLED TV, both using the same WRGB Full-HD panel. The Gallery OLED TV is shipping in Europe for €8,999 while the 55EM9700 ships in many countries, including in the US.
- In September 2013, LG unveiled a 77" curved UHD (4K) OLED TV prototype, the largest OLED panel ever shown.
- Sony and Panasonic are collaborating on OLED TV technology. Both companies unveiled beatiful 56" 4K OLED prototypes at CES. Panasonic is set to convert its LCD fab to OLED.
- AU Optronics has an active OLED TV program with plans to start producing samples soon. Sony's 56" 4K OLED prototype at CES was produced at AUO.
- Seiko Epson are working on inkjet printable OLED TV panels, but we do not know the state of that research either.
- DuPont announced that a leading OLED maker has licensed their nozzle-printing technology in an effort to make cheaper, printable OLED TV panels.
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