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Sony Stops Selling OLED TVs in Japan
Pulls plug due to sluggish demand, dealing a blow to the energy-efficient technology.
This Sony XEL-1 OLED TV debuted at CES 2008 for $2,500.
Future TV Technologies
OLED seems to be thought of as the future of TVs. Panasonic certainly thinks OLED is the way to go when it comes to developing future TV technologies. Panasonic plans on… View this discussion thread.
OLED seems to be thought of as the future of TVs. Panasonic certainly thinks OLED is the way to go when it comes to developing future TV technologies. Panasonic plans on… View this discussion thread.
With all the momentum 3D TV has created, something in the display industry had to fall through the cracks.
For Sony, it looks like that will be OLED.
Sony has halted production and sales of its XEL-1 OLED in its home country of Japan, according to Reuters. Sony will continue to sell the model in other countries, but this can't be a good sign for the energy-efficient technology.
It also made for a pretty expensive one. The XEL-1 cost $2,500. While we can think of worse overpricing crimes perpetrated on consumers, that much for a flat-panel TV only 11 diagonal inches had to make for a tough sell, especially when you can buy a high-def projector and 100-inch screen for that amount.
The XEL-1 set debuted amid buzz at CES 2008, with jaw-dropping specs like 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and 3mm depth.
"As flat panel TVs are getting bigger and cheaper, hurdles for OLED models have become higher, at least in the short term," Hisakazu Torii, vice president of Japanese TV market research at DisplaySearch, told Reuters.
The XEL-1 will be available in Japan until inventory runs out, Sony says. Research and development in North America and other overseas markets will continue.
Shortly after debuting the XEL-1, Sony announced it was putting more than $200 million into R&D, with an eye toward larger OLED sets, but we forecast that it would be many years before those larger OLED displays actually appeared.
With all the display manufacturers hot on the 3D TV trail, we certainly won't be holding our breath in anticipation for 50-inch OLED TVs coming our way, especially at prices that would sway anyone but early adopters to grab one.
But if you really want OLED and live in Japan, better grab one while they're still around.
For Sony, it looks like that will be OLED.
Sony has halted production and sales of its XEL-1 OLED in its home country of Japan, according to Reuters. Sony will continue to sell the model in other countries, but this can't be a good sign for the energy-efficient technology.
It also made for a pretty expensive one. The XEL-1 cost $2,500. While we can think of worse overpricing crimes perpetrated on consumers, that much for a flat-panel TV only 11 diagonal inches had to make for a tough sell, especially when you can buy a high-def projector and 100-inch screen for that amount.
The XEL-1 set debuted amid buzz at CES 2008, with jaw-dropping specs like 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and 3mm depth.
"As flat panel TVs are getting bigger and cheaper, hurdles for OLED models have become higher, at least in the short term," Hisakazu Torii, vice president of Japanese TV market research at DisplaySearch, told Reuters.
The XEL-1 will be available in Japan until inventory runs out, Sony says. Research and development in North America and other overseas markets will continue.
Shortly after debuting the XEL-1, Sony announced it was putting more than $200 million into R&D, with an eye toward larger OLED sets, but we forecast that it would be many years before those larger OLED displays actually appeared.
With all the display manufacturers hot on the 3D TV trail, we certainly won't be holding our breath in anticipation for 50-inch OLED TVs coming our way, especially at prices that would sway anyone but early adopters to grab one.
But if you really want OLED and live in Japan, better grab one while they're still around.
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About the Author
Arlen Schweiger is managing editor of CE Pro and Commercial Integrator magazines. Arlen contributes installation features, business profiles, manufacturer news and product reviews.
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