55-inch television launch in 2012 signals new OLED market

Phil Curry - 10 Jan 2012

LG's launch of a 55-inch OLED television at the CES event in Las Vegas has been cause of much media coverage - but could be a milestone for the plastic electronic display technology.

Barry Young, managing director of the OLED Association, believes that LG's launch is the start of some interesting times in the industry.

He states: 'It's a sign that the manufacturers have the capability to produce large displays ready for the market. The initial volume will be low [LG have suggested production of 10,000 units per annum] but from 2013 and beyond, it could increase to 500,000 units.'

An OLED television is not a new idea, but LG announced in July 2011 that it was preparing to manufacture larger display panels, for the purpose of creating a television to incorporate an OLED display. As the CES event neared, media outlets were rife with stories about how wonderful and different the technology is.

The LG OLED TV is just 4mm thick, and has a contrast ratio 50 times greater than that of LED/LCD display panels. It uses the company's own image driver technology to get the best colours at the best definition. It is expected to be released to market in Q3 2012.

Step-up

To many consumers, an OLED display is used in smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy. The concept of OLED television has been explored before, with Sony's XEL-1 offering an 11-inch option. But high prices for a small display meant there was never significant interest.

Young is also convinced that launching a large display, rather than a regular size monitor, is the right move at this time. 'When you start with a new technology, it will be more expensive, due to lower manufacturing numbers and higher development costs. By launching a large screen, they can justify the price, and appeal to the niche clientele with a premium product. As yield goes up, prices could come down.'

LG is not alone in looking to capture the OLED television market by manufacturing at greater dimensions. According to Young, companies such as Panasonic are already developing gen. 8.5 pilot production lines for large screen displays, while AUO is investigating gen. 6 facilities. However Sony recently announced its decision to pull out of the market, instead concentrating on LCD and LED displays.

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