Sony & Panasonic Sign OLED Agreement

[Josh]

In a bid to steal a march on Korean rivals introducing new ultrathin televisions, Sony Corp. and Panasonic Corp. agreed to cooperate on developing a new production technology for large-screen organic light-emitting diode display panels.

Sony and Panasonic said they plan to establish a mass-production method sometime in 2013. The two companies said they are still considering whether to take the next step and collaborate in the mass production of OLED panels and modules. However, both companies said they plan to make their own TVs regardless of their alliance.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...086118534.html

[Arkadin]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47946377.../#.T-iEoo4-CXU

[ZoetMB]

Here's the article from TWICE:

Sony, Panasonic Officially Team On OLED TV
By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 6/25/2012


Tokyo - Sony and Panasonic officially revealed Monday plans to collaborate on the production of next-generation OLED HDTV technology, with mass production slated to begin in 2013.

The companies said the arrangement will allow them to share each other's core and printing techniques for use in the mass production of HDTV-sized OLED panels, while each company develops and commercialize "its own competitive, high-performance, next-generation OLED televisions and large-sized displays."

The companies said they plan to jointly develop printing method-based OLED technology, which will be suitable for low-cost mass production of large, high-resolution OLED panels and modules.

Sony launched the first commercially distributed OLED TV in 2007 with an 11-inch model, and added a 25-inch professional OLED monitor in 2011, and continued to develop products and mass-produce OLED displays utilizing deposition technologies.

Sony said it has actively promoted the research and development of next-generation OLED technologies such as hybrid OLED element devices and processing (manufacturing) technologies that combine deposition and printing methods, thin film transistor (TFT) drivers such as oxide TFTs, and flexible organic TFTs, and has presented its development results at academic conferences.

Panasonic has been developing large-sized screen, high-resolution OLED panels using an "all printing method," and other approaches, which have are said to be competitive for producing large-sized screens at a lower cost.

Panasonic said it owns the unique production and equipment technologies which enable the production of OLED panels through this method.

The company added that it is also pursuing the future possibility of OLED panels, and is carrying out research and development of advancements in flexible OLED panels and aiming to develop large-sized, high-quality sheet-type displays.

In parallel with the joint development of the next-generation technologies of the OLED panels and modules, Sony and Panasonic plan to continue to study collaboration in the mass production of OLED panels and modules.

[NARMAK]

The Japanese firms were being battered by two South Korean firms, so the two Japanese firms teamed up? Sounds good

I think the agreement will be good for speeding up OLED introduction to the market place. TBH, expecting OLED pricing to be like current LCDs is a pie in the sky thought. Not happening but what i do find really great is the fact they won't seem to launch at the same price points of >$10k that Plasma seemed to. Makes it easier for OLED to begin reducing much quicker in the long term and it's a superior tech.

[Brightstar]

I hope it will come with 4k too

[TM2-Megatron]

Anything that brings the costs of OLED down is good in my books, although at the end of the day I doubt I'll ever buy a Sony model, lol.

These should put both Plasma and LCD to shame, and hopefully finally end the bickering between between proponents of one or the other. I don't really care if they make OLED TVs any thinner than the thinnest models available today; I just want to see excellent picture quality.

[steve1971]

Good for both Sony and Panasonic. Two great companies working together spells good things for the future of HT entertainment and OLED is one of them.

[ImStylinOnYaBro]

will oled be better than plasma?

[kristoffer]

I prefer the Japanese giants to the South Korean giants so I say bring it!

[steve1971]

Originally Posted by kristoffer

I prefer the Japanese giants to the South Korean giants so I say bring it!

+1 !!!!!!