Samsung expects affordable medium to large OLED displays in 2009 / 2010

Remember Samsung's 14- and 31-inch OLED panels on display at CES? With any luck, we'll see them hitting assembly lines sometime in the next two years. Woo-Jong Lee, VP Marketing at Samsung SDI says that medium and large size displays like monitors, laptops, and TVs will get the OLED treatment in 2009 and 2010. Nothing we haven't heard before. Still, given the group's recent distractions it's good to hear it again. Samsung is expected to achieve a production capacity of 3 million OLED panels in 2009 (double the current capacity) before hitting 6 million or so in 2010. That type of output should allow Samsung to start pushing down costs in '09 thanks to economies of scale -- good news for consumers. They'd better hurry though; we're this close to dropping $2,500 for Sony's 11-inch XEL-1. Silly, we know, but you'd understand if you've ever seen the display.

[Esat Dedezade Posted Apr 22nd 2008 5:17AM]

Ben Heck, if you can hear me can you tell me how to mod an LCD tv into an OLED?

I have 1.. no... TWO screwdrivers, some paperclips, and LCD tv and willpower at my disposal.

I eagerly await your reply Sir.

[paul34 Posted Apr 22nd 2008 5:27AM]

You'll find MacGuyer hanging out in Chuck Norris' living room.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 22nd 2008 5:36AM]

I miss Macgyver.......

[Deputy Doofus Posted Apr 22nd 2008 12:50PM]

We all miss the Golden Girls

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY Posted Apr 22nd 2008 5:11PM]

Ben Heck will be able to do that the day you can turn an apple in to an orange.

[Ghen Posted Apr 23rd 2008 9:36AM]

caps lock.... no, never mind. not worth explaining.

[Gad Get Posted Apr 22nd 2008 5:28AM]

I for one can't wait for those millimeter-thick OLED's to take the display and lighting markets by storm!

[Android Overlord Posted Apr 22nd 2008 5:59AM]

Still a long time to wait.

oh btw the ati 4800 gone into production. thought i'd post it here since engadget doesnt listen to me when i send them my brand spanking info.

[ITRanger Posted Apr 22nd 2008 6:06AM]

Never mind monitors. I have been waiting for the industry to produce it's first OLED picture display frames. Even better, a large and thin OLED that can be hung on a wall (ok, pipedream at the moment. But at least get the smaller ones out).

I am resolved not to buy a display picture frame using the current LCD technology.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 22nd 2008 6:51AM]

you can get it now for 200000yen.
just plug a USB flash drive to the back of XEL-1 and enjoy your 11 inch OLED picture display frames!!

[Liamness Posted Apr 22nd 2008 6:12AM]

I've seen it. Still makes no sense, throwing down so much money for it.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 22nd 2008 6:35AM]

I saw XEL-1 in Tokyo.
And then I moved my eye to the 70 inch LED backlight Bravia nearby...
well...couldn't even utter a word.
XEL-1 is too terrible...
bring us an 40 inch class quickly!

[Umbrian Posted Apr 22nd 2008 6:59AM]

Remind me again..... why do I need a 1mm thick display, when it stands on a 150mm wide base?

[Ryan Trevisol Posted Apr 22nd 2008 8:58AM]

Testify, brothah! I thought I was the only one who noticed the wicked huge base. This is two steps beyond useless. Do I have room for this? Yes, yes, I do. My current TUBE 30" HDTV takes up about the same footprint.

Before this becomes the killer tech it deserves to be, we need to lose the base.

Also, I want wireless HDMI tech while we're at it, so that it just floats on the wall and brings the sexy.

[Worldctzen Posted Apr 22nd 2008 12:38PM]

The form factors they're using now are to show off how thin the actual display is. Production models will probably have the electronics behind the screen like an LCD.

Consider, though, that the receiver electronics are apparently much more bulky than the display itself. With this technology, we're being shown that the display is practically a separate component.. So it's conceivable that you could buy a large screen (i.e. 30"+) OLED monitor that you could hang on the wall, which would cable to a base unit with the rest of the electronics..

[Stupidiot Posted Apr 22nd 2008 7:06AM]

Pffft... Call me when SED technology becomes available and affordable. Slim form factor with all the colour, contrast, response time and viewing angle benefits of a CRT? Yes please!

Wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface-conduction_electron-emitter_display

[DogEars Posted Apr 22nd 2008 9:45AM]

SED is all but dead at this point, unless a miracle happens.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 22nd 2008 7:15AM]

Perhaps a better picture would be more appropriate, On first glance this one seemed to show a large damaged screen.

[Snowdog Posted Apr 22nd 2008 7:51AM]

Ignore the form factor. It is is not the slimness that matters, but the image quality. OLED is a match for SED. Both are brilliant, but OLED should be much cheaper to build in the long run.

I would like a 24" OLED 1920x1200 monitor ASAP!

[Gad Get Posted Apr 23rd 2008 2:41AM]

Comin' right up!

Oh wait, were you talking to manufacturers?

[mattiescramz Posted Apr 22nd 2008 7:32AM]

wasn't there a problem with the blue led's fading much faster then the others? has that been resolved? dont' need a tv with a 2 year life span

[oled Posted Apr 22nd 2008 8:05AM]

Yeah Samsung SDI is under pressure because Sony strengthen there OLED activitys. Samsung must bring out as fast as possible a medium/large OLED application.
OLED-Infos
http://www.oled-display.net

[MaX PL Posted Apr 22nd 2008 9:55AM]

i'll be getting one of these to replace the lcd i got in 2007.

affordable medium hopefully means ~1500 for 32 inch.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 22nd 2008 12:56PM]

If only the design wasn't sooo ugly. When did designers return to making everything square

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 22nd 2008 1:26PM]

I'll be buying an OLED TV when they release a 1080p 24"~27" for $1000. And an OLED laptop too!

But large flat-panel screens don't interest me. What's the point of a 52" flat-panel screen when you can buy a projector and put together a 120" home theater for a similar cost?

[Gad Get Posted Apr 23rd 2008 2:42AM]

Style and geek appeal.

[(Unverified) Posted Apr 22nd 2008 3:49PM]

i saw the sony xel-1 at my local nebraska furniture mart....from a foot a away its pretty much better looking than life itself...but after a brief pause and two steps away i had to start squinting and thus lowering the 2500 dollars back into my jacket...hmph...

[Gad Get Posted Apr 23rd 2008 2:44AM]

Life not been too good to you, eh? Compulsive buyer, are ya?