Sony's 0.3mm OLED gets all bent at CEATEC

The last time we saw Sony's 0.3mm OLED prototype, it was encased in lasers and protected by deathbots in an underground prison of doom. This time around, Sony is showing off the razor-thin display for all at CEATEC to see, and they went all bendy on us. The new prototype has a curve to it, perhaps foretelling some curious plans for the technology in its expensive years ahead. Despite the curve, the picture remains as sharp and contrast-heavy as one would expect from OLED. Pictures and proof of the curved madness below.

Gallery: Sony 0.3mm curved OLED

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[gad get @ Sep 30th 2008 4:14AM]

You could cut yourself on that!

[siva @ Sep 30th 2008 5:10AM]

that's called cutting edge technology!!

[Blackstar @ Sep 30th 2008 5:48AM]

Too bad they can't bend the price towards 'affordable'.

[Totalfixation @ Sep 30th 2008 6:10AM]

I wouldn't call it cutting edge, i say its beyond cutting edge, bleeding edge technology!

[Precurse @ Sep 30th 2008 9:42AM]

I'm sure in time that this will cut the cake for everyone!

[miko34 @ Sep 30th 2008 4:21AM]

Wait, so we are returning to the old-timey curved displays of years past?
So long flat screens, it's been nice knowing ya...

;)

[LondonConsultant @ Sep 30th 2008 4:31AM]

Glue that screen on a CRT and fake your own Sony Trinitron. Just need to find a couple of thin wires...

[Kyran @ Sep 30th 2008 4:57AM]

@LondonConsultant: LOL, I wonder how many people are actually going to get that joke.

Trinitrons were nice, but those two wires...

[Ayman @ Sep 30th 2008 6:55AM]

I think they're going for the New Coke, Classic Coke strategy

or want to make your mug a TV

[BigD145 @ Sep 30th 2008 11:46AM]

Don't you mean the New Slurm and Slurm Classic strategy? Your avatar say Groening, but your comment doesn't.

[sr @ Sep 30th 2008 11:59AM]

The two wires. Trust me anyone who owned one knows about it.

[Ayman @ Sep 30th 2008 12:42PM]

My Avatar is Simpsonian Not Futuramian

[Marko @ Sep 30th 2008 4:25AM]

Yes, I can see retro deep boxes with curved screens in the years ahead. Enough with thin and flat!

[xcise @ Sep 30th 2008 4:29AM]

the future is here already ? :)

[thazlett @ Sep 30th 2008 4:35AM]

Red planet comes to mind with those handhelds with a bendy screen that rolled out the side.

[StephenD @ Sep 30th 2008 4:38AM]

Could a Japanese reader translate the text in picture 4 for us?

[rs @ Sep 30th 2008 8:04AM]

here
translate: Even if bending uses thin glass substrate, high-resolution performance of the organic electroluminescence is shown.

[StephenD @ Sep 30th 2008 11:38AM]

Thank you rs!

[Rickard @ Sep 30th 2008 4:57AM]

Wow, 0.3 cm is thin, but 0.3 mm.... Wow!

[Shinigami @ Sep 30th 2008 10:06AM]

0.3mm screen that needs a 0.5m case...

[maveric101 @ Sep 30th 2008 12:08PM]

that's still as thin as the lead i'm using to do my multivar. holy crap.

[ahdok @ Sep 30th 2008 5:07AM]

Possibly it distorted during transport, and they decided to show it anyway :)

[Wwhat @ Sep 30th 2008 5:16AM]

Laugh, the cabinet/base got even larger, and dull grey, stylish.
And the curve is clever too, it ensures that no matter where you sit you'll have glare on the screen.

[Viaono @ Sep 30th 2008 5:41AM]

No point! If we had to keep it in the thick 'n bold glass cube.

[rajcellv @ Sep 30th 2008 5:58AM]

Is this similar to the transparent TV that Sony was pushing for?

[Scott @ Sep 30th 2008 6:03AM]

The curve is actually to provide rigidity. If they kept the thing flat, it would buckle (or they would need to hang it). Thin is great, but it is sort of pointless, since the frame to support it will be thicker. Still, looks nice. Now if they could just ship the thing for something mildly approaching a decent price...

[HDG Mansur-LLC @ Sep 30th 2008 7:30AM]

The curve is soo sexy though....isn't it?

[Ogo @ Sep 30th 2008 8:29AM]

They have been torturing us with the prospects of OLED for years!!!

Please actually start releasing products that have an OLED larger than 3-7"!
As far as I know the only one larger is the 11" Sony TV.

OLED monitors, laptop screens 15-25" TVs.... something... please!

[farfisa @ Sep 30th 2008 8:56AM]

A curved TV! What will they think of next?

Tubes?

[nystagmos @ Sep 30th 2008 9:19AM]

Isn't a curved screen needed for the new style 3D movies that are coming out at the cinema?? Would be kewl to have Beowulf 3D in your living room.

[Seth @ Sep 30th 2008 11:19AM]

To all you dumb asses who think the worst of the technology. This is purely a step beyond what people have seen in years. This technology can be put on walls as wall covering, art, windows and so on. I have seen it in action and is out of this world. And only Sony can and will provide the humans with out of this world technology.

PS if you don't like what you see go to Walmart and buy your piece of crap VIZIO.

[Wwhat @ Sep 30th 2008 12:07PM]

Temper.

[Otoniel @ Sep 30th 2008 3:23PM]

here is a mistake.

it is not 0.3mm

it is 0.3 cms (centimeters) or 3 mm (milimiters)

my english is bad, but hope you get it.

Adios!

[Karn Eggie @ Sep 30th 2008 6:07PM]

if you remember last time we "saw" this screen it was flat, making it EXTREMELY hard to see in the press photos, many couldnt differentiate the screen from the glass housing. this was for press purposes, to enable the audience to see the "depth" which sony was able to achieve.

its similar to myspace angles for fat chicks. except the opposite!

[Valicore @ Sep 30th 2008 11:00PM]

buahahahaha exactly.

[Karn Eggie @ Sep 30th 2008 6:09PM]

its .3 mm as in one millionth of a meter. you dont speak english but im sure you can read numbers.

[wamesly @ Oct 1st 2008 10:48AM]

Karn, .3mm is one ten thousanth of a meter.
you aren't helping our little math lesson much!

[ChrisTheFeral @ Oct 4th 2008 9:02PM]

I'm confused, can you actually bend the screen to the way you want or is it set by sony??
Why are we going backwards? We just got away from curved screens, a curved 3D oLED 5-8 years from now will look weird and distorted.

Although the curve is nice in a way, it distorts the picture.


Anybody know? Can you bend the screen the way you want it? To me it looks as if it's set to a certain bend.