Click here to view the embedded video.

Today I have an interview with Erich Strasser from OLED Web-Company. His company owns and operates the leading OLED technology websites. He just got back from CES 2010 and I thought I’d ask him about his trip.

Admin: Can you please introduce yourself and tell us about your websites?
Erich: Our websites http://www.oled.at (german) and http://www.oled-display.net are the leading OLED information websites. Our goal is to inform our visitors about the newest products, findings, forecasts about and with OLED Display technology.

Admin:  How long have you been involved in OLED TV technology?

Erich: We started www.oled.at and www.oled-display.net about 7 years ago.

Admin:  Do you think OLED TV will eventually take over from plasma and LCD technology?

Erich: Yes I am sure about this. OLED is the future in the HDTV technology. OLED TV promises Superior picture Quality, High Efficiency, very thin and in future also cost effective. The first OLED TV XEL-1 and the LG 15 inch hitting the market today are very expensive, but those prices will fall dramatically as the technology matures and volume ramps up. OLEDs will prove more cost effective because they require fewer materials and fewer processing steps than LCD and Plasma Tvs.

Admin:  What are your thoughts on the emergence of LED backlit TV? Can OLED compete against it anytime soon?

Erich: Not soon because the companies must build more OLED fabrication labs.

Admin:  Can you please tell us what impressed you most at CES 2010?

Erich: Sonys 24.5 inch 3D OLED, and the 14 inch transparent AMOLED Notebook from Samsung mobile Display.

Admin: Who, in your opinion, will first produce a consumer ready OLED TV with a decent screen size?

Erich: Sony is in some financial troubles, LG Display introduced the 15 inch AMOLED TV and have big plans. Samsung wants to bring out larger Displays only if they compete with LCD and Plasma at the price segment. So my opinion is LG Display will be the first with larger sizes.

Thanks to Erich for this interview on the latest OLED TV news. You can see more at his site, just click on this link: OLED Television

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks to my friend Erik for posting these CES videos. His site is http://www.oled-display.net/

Click here to view the embedded video.

More important though is will they have anything available to consumers? It’s been 2 years since the Sony XEL-1 was released to the public. It’s understood that Sony may be losing money on each XEL-1 OLED TV as the price is far too high to interest the general public and production costs are steep as well.

What we may see at CES are the following:

Sony OLED TV

Samsung OLED TV

LG OLED TV

Speaking of LG OLED technology, here’s some news from Kodak:

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Dec. 30 — Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE:EK) announced today that it has completed the previously announced sale of its OLED (organic light-emitting diode) business to an entity set up by a group of LG companies.

This move will tighten Kodak’s investment focus and strengthen its financial position. Financial details were not disclosed.

“As we said earlier this year, OLED is one of the businesses we wanted to reposition to maximize Kodak’s competitive advantage at the intersection of materials and imaging science,” said Laura G. Quatela, Kodak’s Chief Intellectual Property Officer and manager of the company’s OLED business. “This action is consistent with that strategy. Our OLED intellectual property portfolio is fundamental; however, realizing the full value of this business would have required significant investment.”

Be sure to visit in the coming weeks for OLED TV reviews from CES 2010

LED edge-lit and LED back-lit LCD TVs will ship in ever increasing volumes.

“Keynote speaker Bruce Berkoff, chairman of the LCD TV Association, claimed that analysts are significantly underestimating the demand both for LCD TVs in general and specifically for LED-based, edge-lit, LCD TVs. Berkoff quipped, “In the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and Vista (Vietnam, Indonesia, South Africa, Turkey and Argentina) countries, people will buy LCD TVs before they buy indoor plumbing.”

LCD TVs are becoming a commodity and LED backlighting allows manufacturers to charge a higher price.

“While the speakers shared a positive outlook on LEDs in LCD TVs, they also expressed doubts about the viability of OLED TV. Shin, Jacobs and Berkoff all believe that enhancements are coming so fast to LCD TVs that the OLED market will be stymied. Berkoff stated, “The best technologies don’t always win.”"

If you’ve followed the sagas of the Sony Beta VCR or the Canon SED TV at all, you’ll know that line is accurate.

It remains to be seen how successful OLED TV will be with increased competition from LED backlit LCD TVs.

Read the full story at: eetasia.com

Here’s Jan Ergen, a Sony Australia product manager:

“It’s technically feasible [making large screen OLEDs], the problem is the cost of production. There’s no point making a large screen OLED that nobody can afford.

“So that’s where development needs to be put into the technology, which is happening behind the scenes, to reduce the cost of production to bring it down to an achievable level for consumers.”

Ergen was clear to point out, however, that his desire for large screen OLEDs in time for the World Cup will not be enough to make it happen. What he does know is that OLED is set to be big for Sony.

“The picture quality is stunning…It’s a big part of the future, whether or not we can see new models in the next 12 months. I just don’t know.”

Full story at current.com.au