Researchers developing OLEDs as cheap as newspapers?
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted August 31st 2009 1:26PM
posted August 31st 2009 1:26PM
Sure, it'll probably be a good while before you get your hands on an OLED TV, but don't lose heart, young gadget-head! Techno-wizards at the RIKEN center in Japan have concocted a new way to fashion OLEDs that eschews the standard spin-coated films for something called electrospray-deposited polymer films, incorporating "a novel dual-solvent concept" that makes the 'em "smoother than before, thereby enabling [...] superior devices." We'll skip a few details that don't mean anything to those of us who aren't Advanced Materials subscribers (hit the read link for more info) and get to the good stuff: Yutaka Yamagata, the guy who developed this technique, says it will lead to displays "manufactured as inexpensively as printing newspapers." Is that a promise, Yutaka? If so, we're holding you to it.
[Via OLED-Info]
[Via OLED-Info]
Assuming there will still be newspapers then. They'll be called OLEDpapers.
or newsoleds
...sure. Cheap for them to make then they'll charge a 1000% markup for us to place it in our homes!
So, then about $10 for a 65" OLED screen and the rest of the set (light engine, tuners, ports, etc) will cost $5000 I guess.
OLED is such a hard word to say. Was trying to explain it to my dad the other day... was such a tongue twister.
what makes it difficult to say?
what. really?
you know its pronounced OH EL EE DEE
OH-led
That's how I read it...
I say it "oh-led" as well. I don't understand what is so difficult about that, unless you lack a tongue. In which case, yes, it would be difficult.
Or you could say organic light emitting diode display :)
I say 'oh led' too though.
The author is so wrong about Plasma's power consumption! Sound & Vision magazine says in their April/May 2009 issue that Plasma is the most energy efficient TVs on the market.
Crutchfield reports that Panasonic Plasmas draw the least amount of power:
http://www.crutchfield.com/Learn/learningcenter/home/TV-power.html?page=2#results
Sshh! They're not supposed to know it's cheap to make these things.
If you'd like to learn more about the science behind the story, you don't have to be an Advanced Materials subscriber----you can access the original paper free at http://ow.ly/nzaw.
Dave Flanagan, Deputy Editor, Advanced Materials
Sorry about that, bad link in previous post. Read the paper here for free: http://ow.ly/nBVp