Ever heard of OLED display? By
the time you read this, you may already have it in your hands.
Major companies like LG, Samsung
and Sony are changing the way consumers view television and cell phones with
organic light-emitting diode technology.
How OLED differs from the
standard LED, which is light-emitting diode or LCD, liquid-crystal display, is
it doesn’t require a backlight. The light it emits passes through a number of
filters and a color refiner to produce noteworthy high-definition images,
according to LG’s website.
While a majority of TVs and cell
phones still have the standard LED display, LG released a curved OLED 55-inch television
last July and a curved cell phone with OLED display, the LG G Flex was released
in early February.
John Taylor, the vice president
of LG, is involved in all aspects of the LG business, from cell phones to
televisions to home appliances. Taylor said OLED is the next big thing when it
comes to consumer electronics.
“That’s one of the new trends right
now,” he said. “I just came from the Consumers Electronics show last month
where flat screens are still dominant but the new trend is curved. It really
gives you a much more cinematic viewing experience. It’s like the iMAX in your
living room.”
OLED also changes the way TV
models are made with the curved shape. Later this year, LG is releasing five
new television models with the curved shape and OLED display, including a
77-inch. Taylor said consumers will also enjoy the slimness of their television
set.
“If you put three credit cards
together, that’s about the thickness of the 55-inch TV,” he said. “But the real
benefit (is) in terms of the picture quality. We do a lot of consumer research
at LG and throughout the whole industry and picture quality is always the top
consideration for anybody buying a new television set. With OLED, you get
limitless contrast ratio. … It’s (a) much more pleasing and realistic viewing
experience.”
OLED technology was first
introduced in 2009 when the lighting company Philips introduced the Lumiblade. The Lumiblade, according to its
website, is a large-area diffuse light source. Fred Butler, the business
development manager for Philips, said the company is only using OLED with
light, not with its consumer electronics.
Stephen Koenig, the director of
Industry Analysis for the Consumer Electronics Association, said the benefit of
OLED is its energy efficiency, brightness and exceptional color. He said at
first, OLED was being implemented in smaller displays such as smartphones and
smart watches. In recent years, manufacturers like LG, Samsung and others have
been trying to develop larger screens with OLED display but he said it’s been
quite a challenge.
“It has to do with the
manufacturing process and getting the substrate that is luminescent to get that
consistence,” Koenig said. “It’s been a suitable technology for mass production
for small screens but the challenge in recent years have been being able to find a cost-efficient
way to produce large screens.”
Taylor said OLED is the probably
the biggest change consumers have seen since the emergence of flat screens, and
the trend is only going to grow bigger.
“We’ve seen a lot of changes from
picture tubes to flat screens and then the flat screens started with plasma and
LED,” Taylor said. “(OLED is) a whole new technology that is going to
revolutionize the way we watch TV.”
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