Electronics Knowhow

Image : http://www.flickr.com

The OLED technology involves the use of an organic luminous diode which will emit light when an electrical field is activated. OLED or Organic Light Emitting Diode is now progressively used in television and many other systems like cell phones and PDAs. It is also used for illuminations and publicity purposes. In the television industry, the OLED is having many advantages over the conventional CRTs as well as the modern LCD or plasma technologies.

OLED applications do not suffer from environmental hazards like Plasma which is based on phosphorous burning technology. In the LCD screens florescent bulbs are to be utilized as an external source for light, whereas the OLED is having a self luminous diode. There is no need for any external source to provide light. The most remarkable feature of OLED is its energy efficiency. The system consumes about 50 percent less power than other categories.

The refresh rate of OLED is better than LCD television. It also provides wider viewing angle than LCDs. In black levels and contrast, the liquid crystal display is no match to the new OLED technology. Again, OLED is far superior in color reproduction than LCD. As for motion lag or blur, the OLED with a fast response rate do not suffer from such inherent problems like LCD or plasma. The products are thinner and therefore lighter than LCDs.

Coming to the production procedure, the Organic Light Emitting Diodes are plastic based materials and self luminous as mentioned earlier. The screens are made by spraying the material on the surface and therefore tend to be cheaper than other technologies. The products will be cheaper than LCD or plasma based television screens.

Despite having many such advantages, the OLED displays suffer from a major drawback of shorter lifespan than other categories. It is estimated that OLED displays will have a lifespan of only 14,000 hours whereas LCD will have 60,000 hours. Another disadvantage is that those who suffer from eye problems cannot use the OLED display screens. But the manufacturers are now working overtime to eliminate the drawbacks. Efforts are being made to enhance the longevity to make it competitive with LCD or Plasma.

LCD market will have to face challenges in the above scenario. But the technologies are evolving and therefore conclusions cannot be easily made on the basis of vacillating market trends. The consumer preferences depend on multifarious factors. At times a single deficiency factor may turn the fortunes of a product in the market. In view of the continuing process of research and development by all the players in the consumer electronic field, no clear-cut prediction can be made. The time tested and reliable Liquid Crystal Display technology cannot be easily dumped as obsolete.