You’ve got to be a seriously dedicated early adopter to want to stump up the cash for one of Sony’s XEL-1 OLED TVs.
Recently made available in Japan, and destined to stay there, these TVs still have a distinctly "I’m still a prototype" feel to them, but are still being unleashed on the US public this month.
While launching an OLED TV may indeed be "one of the most important industry landmarks" (so says Randy Waynick, senior VP of Sony Electronics’ Home Products Division, most consumers are going to see this as a step backwards, aren’t they?
After all, most consumers want a decent-sized flat screen telly, and while Sony’s offering is definitely flat (around 3mm thin) it’s not large.
It will be available in limited supplies from Sony retailers, priced at around $2,500. Pretty hefty for such a small display. Buyers may well be heralding a whole new style of technology, but better wait a few years until OLED is truly mainstream and can deliver large displays at lower cost.
