Is Television Going Organic?
Just when you thought television viewing had reached its ultimate Mecca with today’s flat panels, a new crowning jewel is arriving-and in a big way. Say hello to OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) television! Did we just say organic? Yes, we did!
It might be hard to fathom that plasma and LCD could soon be yesterday’s news, but it’s true. If the prototypes demonstrated at home electronics shows in Las Vegas and elsewhere are any indication, every television on the planet could soon be old technology.
OLED televisions aren’t just marketing hype; they can do something no television in history has done before them-flex and bend. And that’s while the video is playing on the screen. There are other huge benefits to OLED:
- Does not require a backlight which equates to a marked reduction in power consumption.
- Screens are just 3mm and very lightweight-weighing ounces instead of pounds.
- Flexible, foldable, and virtually indestructible.
- Higher pixel density and handles fast-moving images better than all current technologies.
- Expected to be manufactured more efficiently resulting in lower production costs.
The transition from the television experience we know now to OLED will probably be short and sweet. Even if you’ve never seen one in person, you know you want one. After the initial shock of flat-panel TVs hitting the market a few years ago, consumers became overwhelmed and excited when the screen of their TV kept getting larger and larger. With flat-panels growing in size, they also started tipping the scales with their growth in dimensions. The next breakthrough had to be a reduction in thickness and weight – mission accomplished … enter OLED.
ACTIVE-MATRIX OLED (AMOLED)
Although store brochures and other sales literature will probably just use the acronym OLED, they are actually talking about AMOLED technology. Just like LCD televisions, OLEDs are categorized into passive-matrix and active-matrix displays. PMOLEDs (Passive-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diodes) consume more power than AMOLEDs because they have external circuitry. AMOLEDs use a thin film transistor (TFT) layer to distribute voltage to the picture elements (pixels) through a matrix.
AMOLEDs are an excellent choice for televisions of all sizes-from the smallest to the largest. As a bonus, they have refresh rates which are almost 1,000 times faster than LCDs and are capable of over 1,000,000:1 contrast ratios. Amazing, isn’t it? Catch your breath and keep reading!
This technology has several layers in a particular order spanning the complete width/length of the screen to create the area where images are displayed. The layers are (from front to back):
- Optically-clear glass substrate
- Color filter
- Cathode layer (positively charged)
- Organic molecule layers (red, green, blue)
- Anode layer (negatively charged)
- TFT (thin film transistor)
- Opaque or reflective glass substrate
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Now that all the layers are sandwiched tightly together, a controlled flow of electricity can be applied to the two conductors (cathode and anode). The result is a bright, electro-luminescent light being displayed directly from the organic layers.
Ambient light is normally an issue when it comes to current technologies in flat-panel televisions. Not so with OLED. That’s because each individual pixel is set in a micro-cavity designed to dramatically reduce ambient light interference.
The organic layer’s thickness of red, green, and blue can be adjusted to produce the strongest light for each individual color. The colors are purified and refined, sans the need for a polarizer, using a color filter. The color filter is located between the top glass substrate and the cathode layer.
HOW ARE THEY MADE?
For starters, let’s get rid of the backlighting that is required for LCD televisions. You’ve just reduced thickness, weight, and power consumption. The lighting is now coming from the pixels themselves as they emit their own light after receiving electrical activation. The liquid crystals for LCD screens have been replaced with carbon-based (organic) layers for RGB.
Currently, the screens themselves are hard to mass produce in terms of quantity and quality. The largest leap forward for the mass production of OLEDs is the development of roll-to-roll technology. In March 2008, GE announced it had successfully demonstrated a roll-to-roll manufacturing process to create multiple OLED screens quickly and efficiently. This is a key step in the process to bringing OLED televisions to the consumer.
BUY ONE TODAY
OLED screens have already been in use for smaller devices such as cell phones, digital camera screens, and digital picture frames. As for televisions though, Sony introduced the prototype XEL-1 at the 2007 CES in Las Vegas which has an 11-inch screen and a screen resolution of 940 x 540.
Just one year later, the XEL-1 went from prototype to reality but has a heart attack of a price tag set around $2,500.00. Don’t expect that price to drop much anytime soon as all the R&D and marketing hoopla involved needs to be paid in full. Plus, when you’re the first one on the block to have a product on a store shelf, it is easy and understandable to attach any price you want.
Can you run to the store and buy one today? Yes, you can! Sony’s XEL-1 is available at various online retailers and selected neighborhood brick and mortar stores. Although Sony was first, other manufacturers are sure to follow suit as several of them have already been working on their own signature version of the future of television.
DRAWBACKS
One of the few drawbacks to OLEDs is the shelf life of the screen itself. In particular, the blue OLED has an expected expiration of around 14,000 hours (eight hours a day, seven days a week for five years). If you use your TV more than an average of eight hours a day, it would last less than five years which isn’t acceptable by today’s standards.
Another reason why the OLEDS might not last as long as your LCD or plasma is because of the RGB (red, green blue) organic layer inside the screen being sensitive to moisture. Even the metallic calcium portion of the cathode layer is sensitive to any exposure to moisture. The TFT is easily attached to plastic, which is lightweight and inexpensive. But, plastic easily allows air and moisture to pass through.
OLED displays made on a glass substrate and then sealed using a second glass panel should extend the life of the screen considerably. The life of the screen can be extended even further if the edges are hermetically sealed to keep air and moisture out. Development in manufacturing and production will probably alleviate the air and moisture issues over time.
FUTURE OF OLED
While you’re trying to grasp a screen that is just 3mm thin (about the thickness of three credit cards), OLED has another surprise in store. How about thinner glass (and plastic) substrates, higher native resolutions, and larger screen sizes? Sony has also developed a method to print an organic TFT onto flexible plastic. This in turn allows the screen to display full-color moving images-even while the screen is curved and bent. Imagine the possibilities!
FINAL THOUGHTS
Manufacturers are very proud of their OLED lines and be rest assured, no matter what the rest of the competition is doing, each individual brand won’t release their line until it is ready. For now, the Sony XEL-1 is the only OLED television a consumer can actually purchase. But, the 11-inch screen will be quite the shock after enjoying your 60-inch LCD at home. And with usage tags such as kitchen, bedroom, and desk accessory, it might be a while before OLED screen get large enough for you to put a for sale sign on your current flat screen.
Stay tuned to OLED technology, especially the organic TFT, as it develops and unfolds. It will be well worth the wait and the watch.
Still have questions?-feel free to speak with an hhgregg associate. We offer the best-educated associates in the business who are smart enough to make it simple. Price and Advice Guaranteed!
