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DuPont crafts ultra longevous OLED materials, which likely won't be affordable

by Darren Murph, posted May 31st 2009 at 7:19AM


DuPont's been dabbling in OLED advancement for years now, and while the world waits for the introduction of market-ready big-screen OLED HDTVs, engineers at the miracle-working company are toiling away to make sure those very sets last quite some time. For anyone following the OLED TV scene, you'll know that luminance longevity has been a nagging issue, but if new developments pan out, stamina will be the least of our worries. In fact, the firm has crafted a green light-emitting material that can purportedly push onward for over a hundred years... continuously. Furthermore, the same scientists have engineered a new blue light-emitting material with a luminance half-life of 38,000 hours along with a red light-emitting material with a life of 62,000 hours. Unfortunately for the laypeople out there, we can't imagine this stuff being even marginally affordable -- but hey, it's great news for the sybarites!

Seiko Epson's inkjet tech brings big-screen OLED TVs closer to reality

by Darren Murph, posted May 26th 2009 at 10:34AM


We know it's been burning on your mind everyday since December 6th, 2007: "What on Earth are those guys and gals over at Seiko Epson doing now that they've killed production of RPTVs?" At long last, we've located an answer. According to a prideful new release from the outfit, it has developed a new inkjet technology that will enable the "uniform deposition of organic material in the production of large-screen OLED TVs." For what seems like years now, manufacturers have teased us with 37-inch OLED HDTVs, but they've skirted around questions relating to "price" and "release." Now, the last remaining excuse seems to have been vaporized, so if we don't see a market-ready big-screen OLED at CES 2010... well, let's just say the knee-capping club is dying for a reason to reunite.

[Via Akihabara News]

New cuttlefish-inspired display tech can change color, eat your pet guppy

by Tim Stevens, posted May 15th 2009 at 8:18AM

New cuttlefish-inspired display tech can change color, eat your pet guppy
Cuttlefish are one of the most intelligent creatures in the sea, able to change their shape and color to escape predators -- but, they aren't smart enough to escape us, and they taste good, so they also go great with risotto. Scientists at MIT, however, decided not to eat their cuttlefish, instead using them to inspire the tech inside a new type of highly-efficient display. The screen is just one micron thick and contains a layer of poly-2 vinyl. Left alone it's clear but, when exposed to an electrical charge, its thickness and reflectivity can be controlled to create color. Just a few volts are required to form an image but, like e-ink, its design means backlighting is not an option. Viewing angles are also quite poor at this point, so this is one display tech that may take a long time to belly up at retail. Master of disguise video after the break.

Continue reading New cuttlefish-inspired display tech can change color, eat your pet guppy

Samsung flip-flops, says mainstream OLED TVs still 5 years out

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 27th 2009 at 5:53PM


Hey, wait just a cotton-pickin' minute here! Last April, we caught Samsung asserting that it figured affordable medium-to-large size OLED TVs would be available in 2009 / 2010. Now, we've got Samsung Europe's new President and CEO telling us that "mainstream" OLED sets are still five years out. Believe it or not, said bigwig was quoted as saying that "when it comes to OLED, we have several issues to overcome in terms of technology and production cost," and that it would be "at least four to five years before we see OLED in the market place." Of course, such a quip is to be expected given the quantity of dollars Sammy has poured into LCD, but we're still a bit dismayed by the news. Hear that, entrepreneurs of the world? The time's about right for an OLED-only startup to beat every last one of these traditional powerhouses to the punch.

Poll: Do you prefer plasma or LCD?

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 17th 2009 at 12:00PM


The conversation already got going on our Plasma vs. LCD post yesterday, but now we're straight-up putting it out there. If you had to choose (and you do), would you opt for an LCD or PDP? Oh, and why? It's time to let your true fanboyism shine though, so don't stop with just dropping your vote below -- hit us up in comments with your supporting arguments.

Do you prefer plasma or LCD?

Samsung's Amorphous Oxide TFT should make OLED production cheaper

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 25th 2008 at 10:40AM


Samsung's charging ahead in the wide open world of OLEDs, and its latest development could make things better for everyone. Reportedly, the outfit has conjured up a so-called Amorphous Oxide TFT, which is the proper successor of the Amorphous Silicon TFT that's currently used to tell pixels in OLED displays which colors to switch in order to create images. There are two big boons to all of this -- first off, the newfangled tech is cheaper to mass produce, and secondly, it can be retrofitted into current production lines. No telling when Sammy will be able to get this stuff into shipping products, but we're cautiously crossing our fingers for some positive updates in Vegas.

[Via TechRadar]

Researchers achieve new efficiency record of blue OLEDs

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 23rd 2008 at 3:55PM

Ever since Sony's XEL-1 hit the market, pundits have pointed to the (comparatively) short-lived blue OLED material as its biggest hamstring. Researchers have been toiling around the clock in order to bring the blue lifepsan in line with its green and red siblings, and now it seems like a team of Gators are that much closer to the promise land. Reportedly, a gaggle of whiz-kids from the University of Florida have "achieved a new record in efficiency of blue organic light-emitting diodes, and because blue is essential to white light, the advance helps overcome a hurdle to lighting that is much more efficient than compact fluorescents." Franky So (pictured) and his diligent crew were able to reach a peak blue OLED efficiency of 50 lumens per watt, which is halfway to his goal of at least 100 lumens per watt. Hurry it up, folks -- CES is just around the corner.

[Via Physorg]

Samsung SDI to back away from PMOLED, focus efforts on AMOLED

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 16th 2008 at 7:40AM

Unbeknownst to most, there are actually quite a few flavors of OLED out there. We've got passive-matrix (PM), active-matrix (AM) and transparent, and evidently Samsung SDI isn't really feeling the former anymore. Reportedly, the outfit will begin to phase out of the PMOLED business, and it will begin looking for ways to alter its existing PMOLED production line for "other uses." The plug is being pulled (at least partially) as decreasing panel prices and a small bucket of buyers have reduced profitability, leaving it little option but to readjust its focus on the more promising AMOLED. The move isn't entirely surprising -- after all, LG Display suspended its entire PMOLED business last year, and while there is a slight possibility that the firm keeps a small bit of PMOLED production going, it'll be minor (if there's any at all). Our take? We're stoked. It's the AMOLEDs that'll end up in that mythical 40 inch (and beyond) OLED HDTV, so we're all about giving more attention to that baby's commercialization date.

NEC's fancy new wiring technology could lead to slimmer LCD HDTVs

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 30th 2008 at 9:41AM


While it's pretty much a given that HDTVs are going to slim down from one CES / CEDIA to another, you probably wouldn't think that wiring schemes would be the catalyst for making it happen. NEC Electronics has just revealed a "next-generation connection technology for the circuitry in large LCDs" that will enable big screens to get all the more thinner. Essentially, the tech is "specific to the wiring used to transfer signals from the image processing board to the driver chips that are fitted to the periphery of the LCD panel and control the pixels." Currently, a Full HD 37-inch LCD TV requires right around 21 wires to make the magic happen; with NEC's approach, just 8 would be needed. The company expects to have a "practical version" ready to roll sometime in 2009, so we're totally expecting credit card-thin LCDs in January 2010.

Matsushita sets goals for itself: 40-inch OLED TV by 2011

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 29th 2008 at 7:55AM

A bit earlier this year we heard that Panasonic (Matsushita's red-headed stepchild) was vying for a little recognition in the OLED TV game, but outside of that, details were scarce. Now, however, we're being told that the outfit is planning to start selling 40-inch OEL (organic electroluminescent, better known as OLED 'round these parts) televisions "as early as 2011." Reportedly, it will be investing "several billion yen" to construct a prototype production line for OEL panels "20-inches and larger" that will go into service next spring. We'd be pretty stoked if the final product were within sight, but make sure to ring us early on next decade to make sure we haven't completely forgotten about this here promise.

Could we see ultra widescreen HDTVs in the future?

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 25th 2008 at 8:02AM


C'mon, who hasn't had an inexperienced movie goer over that politely asks why black bars still show up on a widescreen HDTV? Have you ever wondered if a set would be produced to harmonize with those films shot and presented in 2.35:1? Sound & Vision sat down with a number of industry experts and asked them that very question, and while many believe that the same technology that has become commonplace in custom projector installs is feasible for TVs, it's not apt to happen anytime soon. Essentially, there's just not a large enough market for ultra widescreen displays; the hardcore among us that would spring for one are in the minority. Richard F. Doherty, research director of The Envisioneering Group on Long Island, was one fellow who seemed to have more faith than anyone else, even going so far as to suggest that we may see at least a prototype of one such set at CES 2009. Mark our words, we'll be keeping an eye out -- after all, it shouldn't be too hard to spot in the sea of 16:9 units.

Holograms hoping to make HDTV look lame

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 22nd 2008 at 5:12PM

Hologram technology has been secretly inching closer and closer to our living rooms for quite some time, though few have actually been paying attention to it as a bona fide display technology. A team from the University of Arizona is hoping to change that mindset, as they have developed a technology that "allows holograms to be rewritable for the first time." Essentially, this enables "allows 3D images to be changed many times per second, just like the frames in a movie," and you don't have to have the most vivid of imaginations to understand how incredible this could be. As of now, the tech isn't suitable for 3D movies, but team member Nasser Peyghambarian is hopeful that they "will be able to get to that capability." Better-than-3D visuals without the glasses? Consider us pre-sold.

Field Emission Technologies to produce 60-inch FED panels?

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 2nd 2008 at 3:14PM

I
t's been a hot minute since we've heard anything from Field Emission Technologies, but apparently the Sony spin-off is gearing up to make some serious noise in the industry. Field emission display (FED) still remains a relatively unknown panel technology, but FET is hoping to change all that by introducing a 60-inch display that will be "more energy efficient and sharper than [an] LCD." Analysts assert that FED will actually be a suitable alternative to OLED, and while Sony's own XEL-1 is fine and dandy, that 11-inch screen sort of renders it useless for home theater use. Reportedly, FET is "in negotiation with Pioneer regarding mass-production of field emission displays," and while the first batch of 60-inchers will likely hit hospital wards and TV studios first, you better believe the general public will be next in line.

[Via OLED-Display]

PureDepth's Multi-Layer Display technology to ship soon

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 28th 2008 at 5:17PM


If you're vaguely remembering a mention of MLD, you're not crazy. Around this time last year, PureDepth announced that it was teaming up with Samsung to crank out a 46-inch Multi-Layer Display LCD. Fast forward to now, and we're hearing that the first MLD wares should be hitting the streets relatively soon. The technology itself consists of building displays that are in fact two or more layers of LCD panel that share a common back-light source, thus creating a depth effect when viewing material. As it stands, the outfit has signed agreements with Samsung (obviously) for development of displays in mobile handsets and Sanyo for mobiles, gaming solutions and automotive electronics (including in-car navigation). Interestingly enough, Q1 2008 saw quite the surge in support for the 3D sector, making the launch of MLD that much more applicable to the apparent desires of content viewers. Check out a few sample images and product prototypes in the gallery below.

Poll: What will your next display be?

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 26th 2008 at 12:00PM


With OLED nabbing a whole slew of backers over the past few weeks, it looks like it's got all the steam it needs to really have an impact on the home theater crowd in just a few years. For those content with their current RPTV / LCD / plasma, holding off until 2010 - 2012 in order to snag a large-size OLED may be the perfect choice, but we've all ideas there's a few of you out there dying to trade your set in for a projector. So, for those who have their lives all planned out, what's your next display going to be? A 1080p DLP beamer? A 32-inch OLED? Or maybe a 150-inch plasma (if they ever go mass market, that is), right? Let us know what's on your radar!

Poll: What will your next display be?





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