Once again, another technology acronym – the OLED. The Organic Light-Emitting Diode. While chances are, most people have not heard of the OLED, we have all seen it being used in everyday devices like computer screens and digital cameras. The light-emitting diodes generate light as an electrical current is passed through them. The current generates energy, which causes the light to be emitted. The OLED is a flat display technology and is produced by placing several organic, thin films between two conductors. It is said that this device will soon be used in large TV. screens.
The OLED is often compared with the LCD (liquid crystal display) screen, and one of the main advantages that sets the OLED apart is that it emits light on its own. What this means, is that the OLED does not require a backlight, which takes up a lot of space. Unlike the LCD screens, OLEDs can be produced very thin and very light weight. This is also because of their use of organic, plastic materials, instead of metals or crystals like most of our screens today. Just this spring, Sony unveiled the first full-color, flexible OLED. According to Sony, this new invention will lead to the creation of “thinner, light and softer electronics”. As demonstrated in a You Tube video, this flexible OLED can be bent and twisted, all the while still displaying full-color images on its flat screen. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDuP8PtDJbE). The organic materials used in the OLED are extremely efficient, providing a brighter screen, while consuming less power. Another consumer advantage is the visibility one has when watching an OLED screen. For instance, turn on the TV in your house. Now try moving at an angle and observe how well you can still see the images on your screen- Most probably not too well. LCD screens require that a viewer be pretty much looking head-on at the screen, with visibility decreasing as your angle towards the screen increases. Because the OLED has a much larger field of view than the LCD, it delivers a much wider viewing angle and allows you to comfortably watch at almost any angle.
Now while it sounds as if OLEDs will take over and LCDs will become obsolete, there are several negative factors to consider. The main material used in OLEDs is organic and has a tendency to rot, affecting the lifespan of the device. Another issue concerning the OLEDs is that they must be built in special rooms with very little moisture, dust or dirt, all of which can greatly affect the production of the OLED, and its clear picture. The need for these special manufacturing conditions makes it very difficult to mass produce. Not only must the screen be built in a clean environment but it must also remain in one. Since most people cannot guarantee that there will be no intrusion of water or dirt into or onto their TVs, the OLEDs must be produced with very durable seals to prevent such occurrences.
I am sure that it is only a matter of time before giant TV screens and computer screens with this organic material are lining the store shelves and being mass produced. However, rather than jump on the technology band wagon and rush to buy one, I would rather wait until I am sure that all of the technology glitches in the OLED are worked out and that it really is safe and advisable to get rid of and replace my soon to be obsolete widescreen TV.
Lynch, Martin. “The Pros and Cons of OLED Displays”. The Inquirer, May 26, 2005.
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Wikipedia. “Organic Light-Emitting Diode” 2007.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OLED>
“Flexible, Full-Color OLED”. Pink Tentacle, May 24, 2007.
<http://www.pinktentacle.com/2007/05/flexible-full-color-organic-el-display/>
“What is an OLED?”. Tech-FAQ, 2007
<http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:-67dRo2PPnMJ:www.tech-faq.com/oled.shtml+what+is+an+oled&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=ca>
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