The students from Lama did not visit the show factory this year, including the production of CRT kinescopes. As for Sharp’s Kameyama and Kyodo, LGD’s Paju, Taiwanese companies in mainland China, several low-generation lines, and TCL’s Huaxing Optoelectronics, they are all set to proceed. In reality, the display industry is highly technical. As a coder, I can only grasp some basic concepts or understand their pros and cons. However, with the release of the iPhone X and the surge in OLED TV sales during the National Day to Double 11 period, there has been a noticeable rise in interest in OLED technology. Recently, I’ve received many questions, so I decided to write a QA-style post, aiming to provide an objective overview. (All questions are original.)
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**1. Is an OLED TV really better than other display technologies?**
The term "better" is always subjective, so it's hard to give a simple yes or no. However, OLED is a revolutionary technology in the TV industry, offering unique advantages. From image quality, OLEDs deliver perfect black levels, nearly infinite contrast, wide viewing angles, and fast response times—key features of a high-quality TV. Additionally, since OLED is flexible, it allows for curved or even uniquely shaped TVs. Because of its self-illuminating structure, OLED TVs are much thinner than LCDs, enabling innovations like "wallpaper TVs" and advanced technologies such as CSO (screen sound). The emergence of OLED has greatly expanded the possibilities in TV design, and the future potential is still vast.
In addition to OLED, the mainstream display technology is LCD, and current Quantum-dot TVs are just improvements on LCD. Some aspects like stability and color purity of quantum dots are even better than OLEDs. However, these are mainly used to enhance color gamut and accuracy, and their lifespan is longer. But fundamentally, LCD TVs haven't changed much.
Overall, OLED is a completely different and advanced display technology compared to LCD. The main challenges today are high cost and limited production, which prevent it from becoming mainstream yet. However, its unique features have already attracted a growing number of consumers, and OLED is increasingly being used in high-end products.
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**2. Will the sale of the iPhone X really drive the OLED TV market? Are there differences between mobile phone OLED and TV OLED?**
This is a great question. While I don’t think the iPhone will significantly impact the TV market, it has definitely increased public attention to OLED technology. The OLED panels used in phones and TVs are indeed different.
Apple doesn’t use OLED in its smartphones. Many devices do, and in the mobile industry, it's called AMOLED. It's not more advanced than TV OLED but rather a classification. AMOLED stands for Active Matrix OLED, and both smartphones and OLED TVs use this type. So when you hear "AMOLED," it's not necessarily a more advanced version of OLED.
However, even though both are AMOLED, the small-sized panels used in mobile devices and large-sized panels used in TVs are two very different implementations. The main manufacturer of small panels is Samsung, which uses the RGB method. Unlike LCDs, which arrange sub-pixels horizontally, Samsung uses a Pentile layout, which is why you often see non-human words. This is the best solution based on cost, sub-pixel lifetime, and light uniformity. However, the downside is that resolution at the same level is lower.
TVs, on the other hand, use WRGB arrangement, also known as white OLED. The reason for this is based on yield, cost, energy efficiency, and brightness output. With four sub-pixels per pixel, the image appears more detailed.
While no solution is perfect, OLED is still a relatively new technology, and its progress is significant. Both LCD and OLED have their own challenges, and OLED continues to evolve.
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**3. Apple said that OLED screen burn-in is normal. Does this apply to OLED TVs too? Is OLED immature?**
Burn-in first appeared on PDP (Plasma) TVs and is a common issue with self-illuminating technologies. It's considered normal, as it's determined by the way the technology works. Whether it's for mobile devices or TVs, OLED screens may experience burn-in under certain conditions. However, manufacturers have developed solutions to minimize this, such as timing refresh and brightness monitoring techniques.
LG Display, a leading manufacturer of OLED TV panels, has already started addressing this issue. I once saw a test machine in a closed lab at LGD headquarters that ran for over two years without any visible burn-in. The exact methods aren't public, but it's likely a combination of software and hardware solutions.
From another perspective, OLED is still a relatively new technology and is constantly improving. Early LCDs had issues like narrow color gamut and slow response time, which were later resolved. OLED faces similar challenges, but ongoing advancements suggest that the situation will continue to improve.
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**4. Why are OLED TVs so expensive?**
Currently, the annual output of OLED TV panels is only around 1.7 million units, less than 1% of the global 230 million TV sales. OLED TVs are still mainly high-end products, and new technologies often come with higher prices. The reasons for the high cost include limited manufacturing scale, underdeveloped supply chains, and key materials and equipment controlled by a few companies.
However, as the market grows, economies of scale will reduce costs. LGD plans to launch a new OLED production line in Guangzhou and expand its Paju plant, aiming for 6.5 million units by 2020. At that point, the price of 55-inch 2K panels is expected to drop below $1,000.
From a manufacturing perspective, OLED requires fewer materials and has a simpler structure than LCD. If mass production reaches LCD levels, OLED should be cheaper. So, while OLED is currently expensive, waiting might lead to better prices and even newer technologies like printed QLED.
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**5. Is LG the only company producing OLED TVs? What's the global landscape?**
If the question is whether LG is the only one producing OLED TVs, the answer is yes. Currently, LG Display is the only company mass-producing large OLED panels. Most OLED TVs sold in China use LGD panels. However, other companies like BOE are also working on it.
From a brand perspective, there are now 13 OLED TV brands globally, including LG, Sony, Philips, Skyworth, Changhong, and Konka. In China, you can find OLED TVs from these brands.
Looking at the global supply chain, LGD is expected to maintain dominance in the long run. However, as the market expands, more brands are likely to enter the OLED space, even those that previously showed little interest in the technology.
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