JAPAN: Sony launches 25in OLED screen, but for pro use only
Sony launched a 25in OLED screen in Japan yesterday, and it goes on sale at the beginning of May.
But before we all get too excited about the future of TV having arrived, a couple of facts about the TriMaster EL BVM-250: it's aimed at the broadcast and professional TV production industry, and will sell for Y2.4m.
Or about £19,300.
The new screen, which will be joined in July by a 17in model (at Y1.3m/about £10,500) delivers 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and is said to have an extremely wide colour gamut, excellent response and greatly reduced image lag when compared to conventional LCD monitors.
Those at the launch at Sony's Tokyo HQ were treated to side-by-side demonstrations of the new screens and Sony's existing LCD monitors, and report richer colours and true blacks, especially noticeable when the screens were on, but not showing an image.
Aimed at use in editing suites, broadcast control rooms and mobile satellite trucks – of which Japanese broadcaster NHK, for example, has an impressive fleet – the screens actually only cost about 10% more than Sony's equivalent LCD reference monitors.
However, that level of pricing suggests affordable OLED TVs in larger sizes are still a long way off, and Sony made no announcement of any plans to extend the technology into the consumer arena.
Follow whathifi.com on Twitter
Join whathifi.com on Facebook
Comments
Saw one of these in action today at a broadcast trade show, and it was truly spectacular. When put side by side with an existing LCD production monitor, the colour gamut and black levels were phenomenal. Along with Dolby's new reference monitor (which may also have been oled, not sure) there's some really exciting stuff which we hopefully might see trickle down to the consumer level one day soon. The guy I spoke to at the Sony display suggested 'no immediate consumer plans', but seemed to suggest when it gets cheap enough its something they might consider
Don't hold your breath on OLED, looks like it will take years and maybe more years to get the price down specially for a small OLED to be selling at around �19,300!
LCD, LED and Plasma TV will be around for a while to come as affordability is the key.