AUO exec: OLED TVs will not be price competitive until 2014
updated 06:10 pm EDT, Thu July 28, 2011
OLED panel yields said to be too low as of yet
An executive from Taiwan-based display panel maker AU Optronics suggests OLED panels of television size will not be commercially feasible until 2014, according to a DigiTimes report. The comments, which came from AUO executive vice president Paul Peng, suggest the production costs are too high as manufacturing yield rates have yet to reach a satisfactory level to compete with standard LCD panels.
Despite AUO's stance on OLED TVs in the current market, LG just last week announced plans to ship a 55-inch TV with an OLED panel by the middle of 2012. The latter company is said to be making a significant investment in OLED technology for larger panels, with production expected to jump from 4,000 sheets to 12,000 sheets by the end of the year.
OLEDs have been raising in popularity with smartphones, offering improvements to contrast ratio, power efficiency and color vibrance.
LG has yet to announce pricing for the 55-inch OLED TV; the company currently offers a 31-inch variant for $9,200.
