OLED TV: Introduction and Industry News - Page 52

According to ETNews, Skyworth recently introduced an OLED TV that uses panels produced by BOE Display. If this is correct, then this is the first TV since 2013 that does not use an LGD OLED panel. According to the report, Skyworth will start shipping these TVs in China and Europe (under the Metz brand) in 2017.

55-inch OLED TV prototypes, BOE 2014

In the past Skyworth used LGD panels for its OLED TVs. In December 2015 the company launched its latest OLED and OLED HDR TVs , and back then Skyworth said it aims to sell 30,000 OLED TVs by the end of March 2016 (the company's FY2015) - and hopes to sell 200,000 OLED TVs by the end of March 2017. Skyworth said its main problem with those OLEDs is that LG Display cannot supply them with enough panels, especially the 65" ones - so now it seems Skyworth found its answer with BOE Display.

When the nice guys from LG's Israeli public relations office reach out and offer to send an OLED TV for a review - you say yes. Naturally, I graciously accepted and received a new 65" OLEDB6 TV. Here's my hands-on review of LG's new TV.

The OLEDB6 was launched in early 2016, and is actually LG's entry-level OLED TV for 2016, alongside the curved OLEDC6. The B6 features a flat 4K WRGB (WOLED-CF) OLED panel, LG's latest WebOS 3.0 operation system, HDR support and LG's Color Prime Pro technology. The TV does not support 3D, but strangely LG did bundle a couple of passive 3D glasses with the TV. The B6 comes in two sizes - 55" and 65".

LG apparently sent its upcoming 2017 OLED TV range to get certified by the WiFi Alliance, and the model names are now available on the website. Seems like LG is using a simple naming scheme - switching the 6 in the 2016 models to 7 for 2017: so we have the B7, C7, E7 and G7.

The only TV that seems new is the OLEDW7 series - the OLED65W7 and OLED77W7. It may mean anything, but FlatPanelHD speculates that this may be LG's Wallpaper OLED TVs. In May 2015 LG Display demonstrated those 0.97 mm thick 55" OLED panels that stick to the wall using magnets. The entire 55" OLED panel weighs only 1.9 Kg.

Samsung Display is still struggling with technical issues in its large-area OLED TV program, and SDC's TV focus switched to quantum dots enhanced LCDs a couple of years ago. These TVs use the photoluminescence of QDs to enhance the white-light produced by the LED backlights.

But quantum dots also feature electroluminescence - which means that these materials can be used to directly emit light, in a similar way to OLED materials. This technology has several challenges to overcome before it can be mass produced though, but Digitimes Research now reports that Samsung is aiming to produce so-called Q-LED TVs by 2019.

Black Friday is coming soon, and it seems that retailers are already slashing prices in early deals. Amazon.com now lists LG's entry-level 2016 OLED TVs, the flat 4K OLEDB6 and the curved 4K OLEDC6 at new low prices - the 55" models now cost $1,997 (including a bonus wall mount kit). This follows last week's price reduction from $2,599 to $1,999. The 65" model still cost $2,997.

The OLEDB6 is a series of flat-panel 4K smart OLED TVs that feature LG's webOS 3.0, Color Prime PRO technology and HDR. The TVs does not support 3D. The OLEDC6 is similar but with a curved panel.

LG's 55EG9100, launched in 2015, is a 55" curved Full-HD OLED TV - that normally ships for around $1,400. Amazon's deal of the day is the 55EG9100 for for $999. I believe this is the first time that an OLED TV is offered below $1,000.>

LG's 55EG9100 features webOS 2.0, a dual-core CPU, magic remote and passive 3D (2 glasses included). This was the entry-level OLED model for LG in 2015. The 55EG9100 is ultra-slim at 4.8 mm.

LG Electronics lowered the price of its entry-level 2016 OLED TVs, the flat 4K OLEDB6 the curved 4K OLEDC6. The 55" models now cost $1,997 (down from $2,599) while the 65" model cost $2,997 (down from $3,999).

The OLEDB6 is a series of flat-panel 4K smart OLED TVs that feature LG's webOS 3.0, Color Prime PRO technology and HDR. The TVs does not support 3D. The OLEDC6 is similar but with a curved panel.

During LG Display's financial results conference call, the company made some interesting comments on its OLED business. First of all LGD says that its OLED TV unit is now EBITDA positive (even though currency changes held harmed the profit), and as capacity and shipment increase, the company will improve its profit as well.

Regarding the small to mid-size panels, LGD sees the transition from LCD to flexible OLED accelerating. Mass production from LGD's E5 Gen-6 flexible OLED fab is expected by the first half of 2017. LGD aims to both achieve mass production stability and strengthen its business cooperation with various customers.

LG Display's OLED business unit president Yeo Sang-duk says that the company's OLED TV production capacity is currently 100,000 units per month, as the company achieved a stable yield rate of over 80%.

LGD is expanding its capacity and will be able to produce 2 million panels in 2017 and 2.5 million in 2018. Only a couple of months ago LGD said that they plan to sell 1.7 million panels in 2017 - so it seems the company is indeed more optimistic now, maybe due to the higher yields.

According to ETNews, LG Display is aiming to start pilot production of ink-jet printed large-area OLEDs during the first half of 2017. This is just an initial step, and it may take one or two years to achieve mass production following the launch of the pilot line.

LG Display's pilot line will be an 8-Gen line and the company hopes that the new production technology will be more efficient than vacuum deposition - and will also enable LGD to produce "direct emission" RGB OLED TVs - which will offer lower-cost production, higher quality and more efficient displays and less components (no need for color filters).