Japanese entertainment and electronics group Sony has unveiled the first organic light-emitting device (OLED) flat screen television. The 11-inch unit is due to go into production by the end of 2006 with an initial output of around 1,000 monthly. Electronics experts believe that Sony was keen to launch the new device as soon as possible to help counter criticisms that the Japanese were slow to enter the flat screen television business a few years ago. A joint venture between Toshiba and Matsushita (Panasonic) plans to launch its own OLED television by 2009 at the latest.

Although experts are forecasting a potential market for OLED products in the billions – see Plasteurope.com Web of 12.06.2006 – market researchers forecast that the TV sector in particular will find the market very aggressive. The OLED screens compete with the LED and plasma devices which have saturated the market in recent years. Toshiba CEO Atsutoshi Nishida is not expecting OLEDs to catch up with the leading screen technology until 2015 at the earliest. High prices and the fact that the OLEDs currently have a shorter lifespan compared to the LED and plasma technology, particularly for large screens, will present further difficulties.