Samsung, LG OLED TVs may be delayed till 2013

The year 2012 saw LG and Samsung display their OLED TV line-ups and these announcements by the brand could spark the revolution from LED, LCD televisions to OLED TV sets. However, it may be some more time before these televisions become commercially available as a report by The Korea Times has claimed that these televisions will be delayed due to problems related to the manufacturing process.

The report had stated that analysts at DisplaySearch had informed The Korea Times that manufacturing problems were the cause for OLED TVs from Samsung and LG to be delayed. An anonymous DisplaySearch analyst, who had been contacted by The Korea Times stated, “Samsung and LG recently scrapped their plans to mass-produce 55-inch OLED televisions this year as the companies are having serious difficulties in improving manufacturing yield. Samsung and LG planned to start selling OLED TVs at major outlets worldwide during the London Olympics. But mass-produced OLED TVs will be available from late next year, not this year.”

The sign of things to come

As per a later report published by Cnet, the website had contacted LG and an official had stated that the information was baseless and that plans to launch these 55-inch OLED televisions by late 2012 remain unchanged. The LG official went on to state that there would not be many units available for purchase initially.

The report by Cnet went on to state, “Neither company confirmed or denied the report to The Korea Times, although Samsung Electronics CEO Kwon Oh-hyun admitted to "high prices and lower manufacturing yield are problems." CNET also spoke to a Samsung representative but the company had no additional comment to provide.

Earlier this year, LG Electronics (LG) had unveiled the world's largest and slimmest 55-inch OLED TV. Based on the WRGB technology, this new offering by LG aims at delivering unrivalled picture quality, along with a slim and gorgeous design. The TV was unveiled in front of an audience of 400 dealers, journalists, along with special guest, F1 champion Sebastian Vettel. LG officials vowed to bring these TVs to European consumers in the second half of the year. "In the history of television, there have been very few innovations as impactful as the coming of OLED TV," said Havis Kwon, President and CEO of LG's Home Entertainment Company. "We say the ultimate display because LG OLED TV is truly above all expectations and beyond everyone's imagination with uncompromising picture quality and beautiful design. This year, we plan to make OLED synonymous with LG."

May possibly see this launched by the year's end

Samsung, too have announced a 55-inch television. The brand, in an announcement claimed that this television is a masterpiece and will be acclaimed by home entertainment and design enthusiasts, alike. Like LG, Samsung, too threw a little light on what this technology beholds. This OLED TV will be produced from a single pane of glass and will use Samsung’s Super OLED technology, which eliminates the need for a colour filter. This is done as the OLED pixel unit comprises of self-emitting RGB sub-pixels laid directly on the display panel, each emitting its own light.

Samsung claims that the OLED TV marks a new era in minimalistic design. They state that with OLED technology, one can view vivid picture quality in both 2D and 3D, as compared with traditional LED TVs. Samsung states, “Since light output on the Super OLED is controlled on a pixel-to-pixel basis, the truest blacks and purest whites can be achieved.”