Sony executive claims OLED has an edge in high-resolution 3D televisions

Dan Rogers - 20 Jul 2010

3D television could become an important market for OLED display manufacturers, as broadcasters seek higher resolution content, says Sony's senior vice president of solutions engineering in the US Pete Ludé.

While Sony has released LED-backlit LCD televisions as its first 3D-ready products in 2010, Ludé says that changes in the broadcast content could call for a change in display technology.

He comments: 'Obviously LCD with LED backlights has proven to be effective, but if the refresh rate demanded by broadcasters becomes 720p, or 1080p - which many broadcasters would already like to see - then that could be a challenge for LCD displays.

'If you go to real time, or 60fps, then that requires 120fps to be truly real time. In 3D that means 240fps or faster and, at that rate, OLEDs would be easier to use.'

Companies currently marketing 3D televisions, such as Sony and Panasonic, are in the process of making 3D content more widely used by broadcasters.

Support for broadcasters

In April 2010, Panasonic announced its sponsorship of the Entertainment Technology Centre at the University of South Carolina, a consortium of executives from entertainment technology and services firms. Other members include Disney, Warner Bros and Sony Pictures.

'3D will be successful because 3D entertainment is popular: it will only be driven on the assumption that there is compelling content,' adds Ludé.

This drive will make 3D more appealing as a medium for entertainment, persuading people to install the latest 3D technology in their homes. However, another possible outcome is that broadcasters will continue demanding higher resolution displays to host 3D content

Ho-Kyoon Chung, advisor to Samsung Mobile Display (http://www.samsungsmd.com/kor/main.html) (SMD), raised his concerns over the limitations of LCD as a high-performance technology for 3D, in a recent interview with +Plastic Electronics.

As SMD has noted that OLEDs do not suffer the same limitations, it is possible that they will fill in as the premium device for home entertainment.

3D and OLED

Sony, which released the original, commercially available OLED television in 2007 - the XEL-1 - has yet to commit to a particular technology as the ideal, long-term host for 3D displays though.

Ludé notes: 'We still have enthusiasm for OLED, and we are committed to the right product, with the right performance, at the right price. OLED is definitely something we're looking at.

'All these [3D display] technologies are adequate, but they all also have their shortcomings.'

A special feature on 3D and OLED displays will appear in the next issue of +Plastic Electronics magazine, including a full interview with Pete Ludé of Sony and Ho-Kyoon Chung of Samsung Mobile Display. To subscribe in time for the next issue, email publications@pira-international.com, or visit our subscriptions page.