55-inch LG OLED Set Will Go on Sale this Year

If you thought the latest 3D HD was virtually the end of the road for TV and monitor technology, get ready for the big Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week. LG has said it will release “the world’s largest” OLED TV at the show, with the set going on sale later this year, possibly in the fourth quarter.

The LG set on display will be 55 inches, and pricing has yet to be announced. If the OLED, or organic light emitting diode, sets catch on, the high-end of TV and computer screens could represent a new level in high definition display beyond LCD-LED and plasma screens. Reports indicate that Samsung will also show its own, almost-ready-to-sell OLED set.


Four Color

LG’s set offers four color technology — red, green, blue, and white — instead of the standard three color RGB used in other manufacturers’ OLED. LG has added white pixels to OLED panels to create a brighter image. The company says four colors allow for “more accurate color depiction.”

LG describes the new set as having “infinite” contrast ratios, and said its manufacturing techniques now allow for less expensive large-screen sets than previously. But the sets are still expected to be pricey, with some observers estimating $5,000 each.

The technology also includes Color Refiner, an LG algorithm that provides “consistency in colors from a wider viewing angle.” The company compared this feature against other makers, who, it said, have sets with “drastic changes in hues from different viewing angles.”

The company said in a statement that LG OLED TV “generates the most natural colors of any TV set, at a much lower price point than could have been achieved using the standard manufacturing process.” It added that such “vivid colors and the smallest details” regardless of overall luminance are “technically impossible” on conventional high-definition displays.

LG’s OLED, 4 millimeters thin and weighing less than comparably-sized conventional sets, also is 1,000 times faster than LED and LCD displays, resulting in what the company calls “crystal clear motion.” OLED also allows for the display technology to be turned on and off, resulting in a lower total power consumption than what’s required for LCD and LED sets.


Lifespan Issue

In addition to the issue of screen size and price, OLEDs also have been criticized for their short lifespan, an estimated two years before the brightness significantly fades. LG has not yet discussed this issue for its new set.

Michael Gartenberg, research director with Gartner, noted that, at a time when TV sales have largely “become commodities,” manufacturers are trying to differentiate themselves.

But, he said, the question is whether the quality difference between the more expensive OLED sets is worth the price difference from conventional HD sets. Gartenberg pointed out that, at this point, consumers and retailers “don’t talk about HD anymore,” since the technology so dominates the industry.

Gartenberg, who’s seen previous OLED screens, said he found them “very, very impressive,” but “it’s up for grabs” if buyers would want to upgrade anytime soon to another generation, when many have only recently purchased HD.

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