It looks like new OLED TVs with much brighter output will be on the way thanks to a breakthrough in the way panels are made.
As reported by Flat panelsHD (opens in a new tab)Universal Display (UDC – one of the largest manufacturers of OLED materials), says that by the end of 2024, it intends to introduce phosphorescent blue emitters to the market, which may appear in the best 4K TVs or super detailed monitors.
To clarify exactly what this means, red, green and blue emitters are among the key components of OLED displays, with panel manufacturers currently using two types: fluorescent and phosphorescent.
Phosphorescent (PHOLED) emitters are able to achieve up to 100% internal light efficiency, while much less bright fluorescent counterparts are only able to achieve about 25% internal efficiency.
Red and green phosphorescent emitters have been used in OLED panels for some time, but until now manufacturers have been unable to create stable blue PHOLED emitters.
As a supplier to BOE, LG Display and Samsung Display, UDC has been working on the transition to blue PHOLED for many years, and now it seems that the production stage of this hotly anticipated component is approaching.
According Korean newspaper ETNews (opens in a new tab)the development was confirmed at the Global Material Parts Equipment Tech Fair earlier this week by UDC Vice President of Universal Display, Mike Hack.
Despite the announcement, it will be a long time before consumers see brighter panels using this technology, with no confirmation at this stage if blue PHOLED will be available in time for 2024 OLED TV production.
Analysis: The breakthrough shows that OLED technology has a bright future ahead
The news of UDC’s imminent switch to blue PHOLED should ensure that we’ll see OLED TVs with even more HDR pop in the coming years.
Development is on its heels The latest announcement of LG Display that it is to start using microlens technology to increase the brightness of its televisions by 20% to around 1,200 nits.
While there are still doubts about the longevity of OLED TVs due to screen burn issues, these two new manufacturing solutions should ensure that OLED TVs remain the preferred display type for videophiles.
If you don’t want to wait for these ultra-bright OLEDs to hit the market and want to buy a new TV before the holiday season proper, check out our list of the best 4K TV deals currently available wherever you are.