TOKYO and LAS VEGAS, NEV. -- Sony announced Tuesday that it has developed “the first 4K (3840 x 2160) organic light-emitting diode televisions.” The electronics giant is displaying its 56-inch prototype at Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Sony said it achieved 4K resolution on an OLED screen by using the latest oxide semiconductor TFTs and its own Super Top Emission technologies. Here’s what else the manufacturer had to say about the set:
Up until now, in order to force light through the OLED layer, OLED TVs used low-temperature polysilicon thin-film transistors. However, there were some challenges inherent in the manufacture of large OLED displays.
“Using oxide semiconductor TFTs Sony has been able to produce this new larger display. The new OLED component’s structure also incorporates Sony’s Super Top Emission technology, which has been successfully incorporated in other products already introduced into the market. This technology has a high aperture ratio and enables light to be extracted efficiently from the structure’s OLED layer. By combining two Sony developed technologies, Sony has been able to overcome some of these challenges
“The OLED panel used in this prototype 4K OLED TV on display at the exhibition was jointly developed with Taiwanese company AU Optronics Corp.
Sony released its first OLED TV in 2007. The 11-inch 3mm XEL-1 was then priced at $2,500. The company said it was producing about 2,000 XEL-1s a month when it stopped selling the set in Japan in June of 2010 because demand had “run it course.” Sony released 17- and 25-inch professional OLED monitors in 2011. ~ Deborah D. McAdams
