Did you buy another OLED TV? Given the rush of people buying a good TV during Black Friday and Cyber Monday – as well as the host of excellent OLED screens released this year – you may have finally chosen to put this example of TV technology in your home bring.
OLED has always had potential, even if it was difficult to see at first. The Sony XEL-1, the first OLED TV in the world, was launched in 2007, and in the years that followed, many television manufacturers tried to try it out, in and out several times.
Only in 2010 do we see LG take the fight, with a 15-inch screen that will pave the way for the generations of incredible OLED televisions, up to this year’s BX and CX OLED models. And while Samsung has not worked on the technology for long – preferring to develop its own LCD-based QLED technology, others have certainly done so, with Panasonic and Sony both benefiting from OLED’s particular image benefits.
Just last year, we saw the disastrous Hisense O8B OLED, with TechRadar first sending a faulty unit to review and then finding a replacement that was plagued by issues, despite the beautiful panel on which LG worked. Much of the low price was made before the release, but what could have been a truly affordable OLED has become a warning not to spoil premium technologies with sloppy processing.
Persistent fears about image retention (also known as ‘burn-in’, when an OLED panel is permanently characterized by repetitive images or logos) also continued, and by all accounts, it was uncertain how OLED would fare in 2020.
Course correction
However, 2020 has seen a very different story for OLED TVs. Despite early uncertainty over production issues and factories that took months longer than expected to get underway, this year’s overwhelming impression is that OLED is better than ever before.
There is a new 48-inch OLED TV size for smaller living rooms or bedrooms, offering more flexibility than standard size 55-, 65- and 77-inch sizes, as well as a drastic price drop for access. level OLEDs.
The new Vizio OLED H1 fetched an astonishing price of less than $ 1,000 in Black Friday sales, while British buyers were able to take home the Philips OLED 754 for just £ 989. LG’s BX OLED is also now only $ 1,299 / £ 1,099.
In particular, the 48-inch models have ensured that the flagship OLED sets can reach those with smaller budgets (and living rooms), and show that OLED production is starting to become more ambitious.
There’s nothing to know about what’s coming, but we’ll not rule out any more size options, whether it’s smaller models or something that even offers the 88 ‘inch sizes offered by the LG ZX OLED or Beovision Harmony . A 93 inch? 37 inches? 61.5 inches?
The only thing that is certain is that OLED is starting to make its own norms, rather than simply conforming to predetermined conventions.
See the light
However, one of the most important OLED developments in 2020 was dealing with light. It’s no secret that OLEDs have a lower peak brightness than their counterparts on LCD or QLED – and although this is largely offset by the improved contrast of light and dark on OLED screens (meaning that bright objects look even brighter than they are compared), it is still a point of contention for many.
However, it was the year in which light sensors were introduced on Panasonic and LG TVs. These sensors are designed to measure the amount of ambient light in your living room – or wherever you look – and automatically change the brightness of the screen to keep photos vivid and visible. Although designed primarily for Dolby Vision HDR – hence the name ‘Dolby Vision IQ’ which carries the technology, the wider applications are clear.
Few of us really look at pitch black test conditions, and some element of automation means we know we are getting the best brightness for our environment. If OLED can not be brighter than QLED, it might get away with smarter about brightness in general.
Although burn-in is still a folly for OLEDs, TV manufacturers are also tackling this problem. For the first time, LG has created a Screen Shift feature that adjusts the image placement at regular intervals so slightly as to ensure that no individual pixel sits in the same environment for hours on end (via LG). Although this issue has always been limited to extreme cases, or sets used to run promotional videos in retail exhibitions, any insurance is still very welcome.
The way forward
With the onset of 2021, it’s clear that OLED is set for a roaring 20s, and the future looks bright for the technology to confirm its place as the premium TV panel technology of the moment.
There will, of course, be a threat to that domination. LCD sales are still much higher than those of OLED, and the QLED panels used in new Samsung TVs are getting brighter and more dynamic each year – with the potential to turn into something of a hybrid between the two technologies .
The real threat may lie in even more popular technologies such as MicroLED, or MiniLED, which we are starting to see on one-off premium screens – Samsung’s The Wall (pictured below) for the former, or TCL’s 8-series TV for the latter.
OLED TV manufacturers will really have to address the remaining weaknesses and lower prices before another player enters the field. This means that the handling of brightness or brightness needs to improve, and we will need more screen sizes to ensure that OLED is a technology that appeals to a broad spectrum of buyers.
However, lower price tags can be a double-edged sword. If OLED continues to get cheaper and starts acting for suboptimal performance – something we have seen the dangers with the Hisense O8B – there will be little reason to opt for one of these inexpensive organic LED sets over a budget LCD with similar compromises .
If LG, Sony and Panasonic can use smaller screen sizes as a way to lower prices, rather than take further processing, these TV manufacturers may well be able to make OLED the success it deserves.