Samsung Unveils 31-inch OLED Screen

Samsung 31-inch OLED screen prototype to be displayed at CES 2008

OLED panels are the next big thing when it comes to TVs and other consumer electronics from cameras to cell phones. The OLED screen promises more compact dimensions, less power consumption and brighter images.

Small OLED screens are currently found on some cell phones and LCD TV makers are looking for larger OLED screens to use in HDTVs. Reuters reports that Samsung recently unveiled a 31-inch active-matrix OLED screen. Samsung says it will have a 31-inch OLED prototype TV on display at CES 2008 in January.

Samsung declined to comment on the commercial availability of TVs using the 31-inch OLED panel stating that the panel being available for retail purchase would depend on TV makers’ plans. With the very high cost of the Sony XEL-1, the first commercially available OLED TV retailing for over $1,700 USD, the price for a 31-inch Samsung panel equipped OLED TV is a frightening thought for many. Samsung didn’t comment on potential pricing for TVs using its 31-inch OLED panel.

Samsung says its new 31-inch OLED panel is only 4.3mm thick and uses less than half the power required of a typical 32-inch TV. The panel’s lifespan is 35,000 hours, which is the best lifespan of existing AM-OLED panels.

Exactly how many of the panels Samsung will be able to produce is unknown. Sony is limited to 2,000 of its XEL-1 11-inch OLED TVs per month because of production limits for the OLED panels.

Toshiba announced in December of 2007 that it would not be bringing its similarly sized OLED panel to market citing production cost concerns.