[PCWorld]

Post your comments for How TVs Will Get Much, Much Flatter here

[mpheadley]

The prettiest picture in the world means didleysquat if it doesn't last very long! How will companies go from Sony's XEL-1, which "has a short useful-life span" to "outlast(ing) plasma and LCD sets"? LCD screens are supposed to last tens of thousands of hours of usage, correct? Since these OLED screens are using organic (living?) material, don't organic things eventually decompose?! It will be fascinating to learn more about this as time goes by!

[JazzGuyy]

They still haven't solved the OLED problem of blue only lasting half as long as red and green. That problem has to be solved before OLED can be truly successful.

[LJ56]

"OLEDs are coming--not quickly"... what part of 'not quickly' do folks not understand?

It means that existing problems (decomposition and color duration for two) have to be solved/resolved let alone address problems not yet encountered (mass production and "real world" use for two) before OLED is viable.

Peace.

[Maclag]

The "O" of OLED stands for organic. Organic means based on atoms C, H, etc.

OLED are not more living than any plastic made device (plastic are actually organic materials, as well as... petroleum! Petroleum is quite stable in time...)

Also, OLED have been around for years. The real new thing is to use them for large scale display systems. I would bet that the current limited lifetime is more due to electrical sollicitations (quite a high power needs to flow through them to get a bright light, this means temperature stress and other degradation effects) than decomposition...

So don't worry too much about the lifetime of these devices. It's a question of materials optimization, and Sony just tried to sell kind of a prototype.

The best is to come!

[ormond1]

In the early 1970's I was an Entertainer and my PA eqipment was maintained for me by a guy who worked at Bush TV (Television Manufacturers) and he told me at that time that the technology to produce Flat TV's(i.e. no vacuum tube) was available but would not be put on the market until the TV companies had recouped their investment on the existing technology.He also predicted that it would not take too long for it to be possible for a whole or part of a wall to be the actual TV Screen!! At the time I thought that he was BSing but time has proved him right!!

[madmilker]

my black and white RCA is 47 years old and I have only replace 2 tubes in tat time........works great !

[Adama]

ormond1 said:

In the early 1970's I was an Entertainer and my PA eqipment was maintained for me by a guy who worked at Bush TV (Television Manufacturers) and he told me at that time that the technology to produce Flat TV's(i.e. no vacuum tube) was available but would not be put on the market until the TV companies had recouped their investment on the existing technology.He also predicted that it would not take too long for it to be possible for a whole or part of a wall to be the actual TV Screen!! At the time I thought that he was BSing but time has proved him right!!

Hi Ormond,

Did you happen to watch THX 1138? It was George Lucas' 1st feature film and it was a magnificent movie!

There, the main character watched Television on the wall of his home!

How amazing is that...! Years ago George lucas had the insight to see right into the future... and it has actually come true...

Just like your friend predicted, too.

[mcbarker]

I predict that within 25 to 30 years, we'll be able to watch holographic TV, and that within 50 years, we'll have the technology to make TV interactive.
(Star Trek, here we come). !http://forums.pcworld.com/legacyimages/
1!

[Adama]

LOL If we ever make it that far, McB. ;

[madmilker]

sad tat you young people didn't get a chance to know Dick Tracy.....really sad.