7.6-inch OLED displays go mass production, next stop UMPCs and Kodak photo frames?
By Thomas Ricker 
posted August 22nd 2008 1:49AM
posted August 22nd 2008 1:49AM
Sometime shortly after Philips introduced it first digital photo frame -- let's call it CES, January 2006 -- something happened to the industry: it went to crap. Instead of focusing on quality displays vendors started tossing in gimmicks to sell their goods. This might change now that 7.6-inch OLEDs are going mass production. Already, Kodak is rumored to have placed an order for the medium-sized panels set to roll off the lines in September at CMO's Chi Mei EL (CMEL) factory. That should mean incredibly vibrant, thin, high-contrast frames with 16.7 million colors spread across 800 x 480 pixels just in time for the holidays. While dropping these pricey displays into low-cost netbooks would be a stretch, we wouldn't be surprised to see a few of those 7-inch UMPCs make the move to OLED as well.
[Via OLED-info]
Read -- Kodak rumor
Read -- CMEL 7.6-inch specs
Cool. Gotta love a new screen.
would be prefect on a netbook.
Except the short lifespan of OLED is a problem. The so-called breakthrough to double the lifespan comes at a major cost:
"The result is the same picture quality with half the brightness and a doubling of the screens expected life.:
Wow, half the brightness but double the life. What a breakthrough. If I eat half as fast, my sandwich will last twice as long! Call the patent office!
Sadly, today's patent office would award that.
... um, theres a little more to it than just that.
Like watt consumption and thickness (NOT SIZE) of the screen
Now we gonna pimp our electric cars... low watt style.... yeah
Aren't OLEDs supposed to be cheaper than traditional LED screens? Need more production lines!
I'm trying to come up with a smart-ass condescending comment here, but I can't think of one, so I'm just going to say: I think you mean LCD, not LED.
At least you tried... Yeah, I meant to say LCD.
I am still waiting for a digiframe that supports most file formats (and cards), effectively plays video (in DivX format), has some motion/light sensors for power savings, has a built in battery for easy wall mounting, and a good screen with good standard resolution/size. Made by some 'known' company - Kodak, LG, Philips, etc.