There are a number of advantages which make OLED technology ideal for HDTV:

1.     Brightness – OLED TV is brighter than any of the back lit passive technology used in HDTV

2.     Fast refresh – OLED TVs reacts faster to changes in signals than plasma or LCD TVs which make them ideal for full motion video

3.     Light weight – Due to not needed backlighting, OLED TVs are much lighter in weight

4.     Good durability – Because a flexible substrate can be used OLED TVs are able to handle shock and torsional forces much better than LCD or Plasma TV’s

5.     Temperature tolerant – OLED TVs can operate in a large range of temperatures which makes them great for use in hostile environments

6.     Low Power Usage – Due to not needing backlights OLED TV uses less power than plasma and LCD TVs

How does OLED Technology Work?

LED or Light-Emitting Diode was the first solid state light producing device which emits a bright light when current is passed through it and it is long lasting as it has no filament. These were used in many items such as car dashboards and watches. Sony then used LEDs in screens for large stadiums but couldn’t translate that into a home use product that was practical due to the large power consumption and size.

LCD then came to the forefront for home use and office products as it used small amounts of electricity but it doesn’t emit light, so it needed a light source behind it to see the images. Unfortunately the need for a back light behind the screen then make the power usage increase greatly for the finished product, so you don’t really end up saving money on power usage.

OLED meets the requirements of having the pixels which an LCD screen has, but also produces a bright light. It has the colours red, blue and green which are produced when an electric current passes through a series of thin organic films between two electrodes. Each pixel can be controlled individually by using semiconductor technology which then produces the picture on the screen. The process is called electrophosphorescence which is also seen in nature in the form of fireflies. OLED panels are extremely thin (like a piece of paper) and are flexible with a wide viewing angle of 170 degrees. As they produce their own light they do not need backlighting like an LCD and therefore need very little power to operate.