Samsung is Taking its Super OLED to IFA

[TheDickWard]

Hopefully we'll get a little more information on the impressive new set.

http://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Sa...pearance.shtml

[reidw]

Help me here. I'm having a bit of problem understanding why OLED is really superior to plasma, LED etc. Is it because the set is so thin? So what? Other TVs are thin enough already. At some point thinness is just going to make the case easier to damage, dent or crack especially if you've got kids. What does OLED offer that really would separate it from other TV technologies? I remember hearing that previous models lost their brightness and sharp colours after too few hours of use to be acceptable. Any input would be appreciated or is this just the latest new flavour?

[AV_Integrated]

The promise of OLED is black levels which rival that of the Pioneer Elite and match what CRT was able to deliver while maintaining the new thin display tech.

If you aren't an afficinado of the high-end flat panel, then it may be of little interest, but for those who worshipped the Pioneer plasmas, then OLED promises to deliver higher quality than they were able to.

The concept with OLED is that it is an emissive technology, while LCD, including LED/LCD is a passive technology. That has always hurt the black levels of LCD displays. Plasmas aren't able to get as bright, and while they have black levels which are superior to LCD, they aren't perfect.

OLED has promised black levels similar to CRT displays, which is something we haven't seen in years.

Of course, getting pricing to a point where consumers can generally afford it will be the tough part. There is also some talk that the way OLED is being implemented is more of a cheat which may not deliver the full quality which OLED is capable of, but just the use of the technology should help to bring pricing down to sane levels.

I really like the concept, but all new TV tech at this point seems like it will be a very difficult sell since plasma and LCD have matured so far, and look as good as they do for a very reasonable price.

[reidw]

Thanks for the information re: OLED. Based on what you've said, it seems to me that OLED will be a tough sell. Even if it's better than plasma I can't see it making much of dent in the overall market. What I think the TV manufacturers have not taken into account is that people have traditionally kept their TVs for a 10 years or even more. They have never been an impulse purchase. Most have gotten their new sets when their old set has become too expensive to repair, become worn out, or when there has been a clearly discernable change in the technology (colour, HD, switch to Digital Broadcasting). Yes there are always early adopters and techno-geeks who seem to buy the latest as soon as it comes out but they're a minority. There has to be something really different before the majority are willing to buy their next set. For OLED that means its got to offer a WOW factor that overcomes its high price. Improved black levels and better contrast is unlikely to do it. Even now one could argue that HD has not become mainstream. There's tons of viewers with HD sets who still don't have any HD sources attached and are perfectly satisified with an SD picture.

At least that's how I see it.