CES 2012 wrapped up mid-January and the buzz can still be heard about the OLED TV’s from Samsung and LG. These are the TV’s that are leading the way to the future in terms of amazing picture quality and interactive technology. So if you are planning a TV purchase in 2012 – wait until fall to truly get the best of the best.
“These TV’s are the way of the future, well, the immediate future. The picture quality is amazing,” said Bill Maronet, President and CEO of ETC. “It is the one product that you do not have to see a side-by-side comparison to notice the difference. When you see it, you will know. It is that much better.”
Both companies won “Best of CES 2012,” and for good reason. They were not only the most talked about technology at CES, but the innovations in TV technology will truly change the way we use them in our home.
Samsung 55" OLED HDTV
The Samsung Super OLED HDTV 55” supports active-shutter 3D and has smart interaction technology that allows control via remote, voice, motion, and even face recognition. There are no confirmed release dates, but Samsung expects them to go to market by summer 2012.
If you can’t see the video click here.
LG 55 inch OLED HDTV
The LG Display OLED 55” HDTV doesn’t include all the smart technology but received raves about its design, including an incredibly thin body of 4 mm thick and a total weight of 16 pounds. The release date has been set for July 2012. The price is unknown, although DisplaySearch estimates the initial cost at $8,000 and dropping to $4,000 in 2013.
Why OLED?
OLED means Organic Light Emitting Diode. This is new TV technology that doesn’t need backlighting to produce a picture, so the screens can be super thin. This could lead to screens in the future that can roll up – that thin. But what this new technology really means to you the consumer is improved picture quality of 1,000,000:1 contrast. This means the contrast colors are more vivid – the whites are whiter and the black is blacker. Because OLED doesn’t use backlighting like LCD or LED TV’s, the black levels can be higher, more similar to what you experience at a movie theater. There is also improved color pop and viewing angles are increased.
The drawbacks are that this is a new technology and the life span of the TV is expected to be a few years less than a LCD or LED TV (10 years of viewing 4 hours a day, everyday versus 20 years of viewing 4 hours a day). This technology will improve over time, but early adopters may experience some minor challenges.
