Last December Sony launched its first TV using OLED technology, the XEL-1. Having seen it first hand both Riyad and I agree that it is something truly special, but judging by OLED panels shown off at Display 2008 in Japan, we haven’t seen anything yet.
The party piece was the next-generation XEL-1, which boasts the same 11in screen size, but has a thickness of a mere 0.3mm (0.01in). As with the previous model this is due to the actual ‘TV’ parts being kept in a separate control box, but nonetheless it’s a staggering feat.
Add to that the same 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, which is actually believable, and 940 x 540 resolution and you have arguably the most desirable kitchen or bedroom TV ever created. Hopefully this won’t be a Japan and America-only product like the first XEL-1.
On the prototype front there was an even thinner, 0.2mm (0.007in!) thin, 3.5in, 320 x 220 panel on display (pun not intended). While this isn’t planned for incorporation into any device quite yet, the idea of a Walkman phone or MP3 player packing such a screen is definitely tempting to say the least.
Last but by no means least, the 27in, 1,920 x 1,080 resolution OLED TV which has already been demoed at CEATEC and various other trade shows. Some small changes to the casing have been made, but given that this isn’t going to be a retail product any time soon, it’s a bit of a moot point really – not that I want one any less for that.
