Cnet’s David Katzmaier posted his review of the most affordable 55″ OLED HDTV to date and apparently, it sports the best picture quality ever.
I was reminded of the many benefits and shortcomings of OLEDs through this review. Thin profiles, lower power consumption and superb picture quality are the high points but some of the shortcomings and potential issues with the technology gives me pause.
Like plasma TVs, it is susceptible to burn-in and as someone who watches sports and plays video games, this could be a deal breaker. Technologies like “pixel shifting” can help with this shortcoming but I am still weary of this.
There are also concerns about the screen’s brightness later down the road and the longevity of certain colored pixels.
The final negative is the curved screen. OLED panels can be easily manipulated but it doesn’t mean they should. Reviewers have mentioned the artifacts that are produced by curving these screens, so why do manufacturers continue to do this? Because they can market it. I just hope they get over this phase by the next round of OLED HDTVs.
I’ve always wanted an OLED. I’ve been waiting for affordable OLED screens for over 5 years. The technology sounded so promising and now we’re finally within striking range. $3000 is a lot of money for a 55″ 1080p HDTV these days but come next year, we could see them debut at $2500 or less and then I’ll consider getting my hands on one.
I just hope they make enough advancements to address the longevity and image retention issues.
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