More possibilities
All the materials that make up an LCD panel can be flexible – and the components that make up OLED cells could also be applied on a flexible film – which means that it is technically possible to manufacture curved screens, and perhaps even some that can be stored in the form of rolls. It is also possible that some variant of OLED technology will serve as support for electronic paper applications. The degree of transparency of the current materials would allow to support screens embedded in windows of buildings or vehicles, and there has even been speculation about the possibility of applying displays on the surface of everyday objects. Some recent works of art have turned to printing short-lived LEDs on human skin, and the possibilities of this technology in digital signage applications are virtually limitless.
How things are going...
At the close of this edition of TVyVideo , 720p OLED screens of up to 9" with simply absurd cost levels are available on the market, prototypes of screens up to 27" have been presented and in the laboratory we work with panels of up to 40". It is expected that by the end of 2010, when more panel manufacturing plants come into operation, HDTV screens for home use will begin to appear with more reasonable prices.
At NAB 2010, TV Logic introduced 720p 15" screens based on LG AMOLED panels, which offer performance perfectly suitable for use as reference monitors for the broadcast market. The TV Logic offer includes a screen for 3D applications – which is not a great achievement because it is simply a new implementation of similar processes in Plasma and LCD devices – but it is an important offer because it allows 3D monitoring with brightness comparable to that of a high-cost projector in a very small space.
However, it is possible that one of the most important applications of OLED devices in the near future will be in conventional lighting, as a direct replacement for incandescent lamps. The objective established by the European Union for before 2020 is to be able to have OLED panels of 100x100cm that generate 100 lumens of light per watt invested, have a useful life of more than 100,000 hours and cost less than 100 euros per square meter. If this goal is achieved, sooner or later we will be talking about OLED devices for lighting in Cinema and TV – and perhaps active cycloramas with their own light: The perfect background for chroma key applications. Dreaming costs nothing... although for a couple of more years OLED screens will continue to cost a lot for normal pockets.
