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OLED (organic light-emitting diode) televisions are due out this year. Here's why you should be excited.
(Credit:
LG)
By now you've probably heard about OLED, or organic
light-emitting diodes. LG and Samsung both revealed potential models at
this year's
CES, with the LG winning CNET's Best of CES Award.
Make no mistake, this is the most important advancement in TV
technology in more than a decade, and a vast improvement over both LCD
and plasma.
Here's why. The what
You only need red, green, and blue light to create a TV image. OLEDs
work by putting electricity through certain materials that glow these
specific colors. No other TV technology creates light directly like
this. LCDs use color filters and light-blocking liquid crystals above a
light-creating backlight. Plasmas use UV light created by igniting
pockets of gas to excite red, green, and blue phosphors. The why
What does this mean? Well, OLED TVs will be thinner, lighter, more
efficient, and better performing than any current television technology.
Each pixel can be shut off, for an absolute black (no other tech can do
this, save CRT), meaning an actual infinite contrast ratio, not just marketing hype.
For example, LG's 55-inch OLED unveiled at CES weighs 16.5 pounds and is about as deep as a pencil (3/16 of an inch).
It's hard not to be excited about OLED, as it ticks all the boxes of a
dream television: incredible contrast, impossibly thin, extremely
energy efficient. LED vs. OLED
As we've discussed before, current televisions marketed as "LED TVs" aren't actually
LED TVs.
They're LCD TVs that use LEDs for the backlight. While LED LCDs are
energy efficient compared with "regular" LCDs and plasmas, they're still
not as energy efficient as OLED. As far as the difference between LEDs
and OLEDs, the latter uses materials that include carbon ("organic") to
create light when supplied a current. In an extremely oversimplified and
generalized explanation, LEDs are like tiny light bulbs, while OLEDs
are light-emitting areas or surfaces.
The only real "LED TV," as in a TV that used LEDs for the image itself, was Sony's Crystal LED prototype it showed at CES. If this technology moves past the prototype stage, we'll report on it more fully. RGB OLED vs. 'white' OLED
The current OLED TV technology can be split in two camps: RGB OLED and
"White" OLED. RGB OLED is similar to how plasma TVs work, with separate
red, green, and blue OLED subpixels.
White OLED is rather different, and a bit confusing at first. Red,
green, and blue OLED materials are sandwiched together. When powered,
these create a white light. This white light passes through a color
filter, to create the red, green, and blue subpixels.
by Geoffrey Morrison
In this television technology trifecta, which comes out on top? The
subject of countless debates and diatribes, the better question is:
which works best? Or more precisely, which works best for you?
When you cut through the hype and the fanboys, each tech has
different benefits and costs. So to help you figure out which TV is
right for your house, let's take a look at each one.
First, a BIGdisclaimer: any article of this type is, by necessity, going to
contain a lot of generalizations. In most of the categories below, there
are likely one or two exceptions to each rule. It's great to find an
outlier, but that's just what it is, an outlier. The "average" product
featuring these technologies is going to perform as listed.
Second, some terminology.
Plasma
TVs, made by Panasonic, Samsung, and LG, range in size from 42 inches
to roughly 65 inches. There are some larger models (notably Panasonic's
150-inch), but for most people, they max out at 65 inches.
LCD TVs range in size from a couple of inches, to 80 inches, and
everywhere in-between. They're made by everybody. All "LED TVs" are
actually LCD TVs, they just use LEDs as their light source, instead of
the traditional CCFLs. As they tend to perform a little differently, and
are marketed way differently, we'll address them separately. LED models
also tend to be the higher-end models from a particular company, so
often their performance advantage can have to do with this more than the
inherent technology.
You might ask yourself, at this point, why only three companies for
plasma? When electronics companies started building their manufacturing
plants for TVs, they faced a choice: make big "cheap" flat panels that
can't go much below 42-inches (plasma), or build a more expensive
factory that can make a wide variety of sizes, even though the bigger
sizes will be more expensive (LCD). As production has increased, the
larger LCD sizes have become more price competitive, so that distinction
has disappeared. As such, you don't see a lot of companies investing in new plasma
TVs. Not when an LCD factory can make everything from cell phone screens
to 80-inch HDTVs (an over simplification, but you get the point).
Light output (brightness)
Winner: LED LCD
Loser: Plasma
Runner-Up: CCFL LCD
Without question, LED LCDs are the
brightest TVs you can buy. Some models are capable of well over 100
footlamberts. To put that in perspective, in a movie theater you're
lucky if you get 5. CCFL LCDs are a close second.
Plasmas just aren't that bright. It's all relative, though, as
plasmas are still likely way brighter than old-school CRT tube TVs. So
plasmas aren't "dim," but they aren't nearly as bright as LCDs.
The question is, do you need that light output? In a dark room, 100
footlamberts will be searingly bright. In a bright room
(daytime/sunlight) a plasma might be hard to see.
Another aspect
to consider is any antireflective or antiglare material on each screen. A
plasma with a really good antireflective coating may be better to watch
with room lighting than a glossy-screen LCD with no such coating (and
vice versa). Black level
Winner: Plasma
Loser: CCFL LCD
Runner-up: LED LCD
This is getting a lot closer, but plasmas
still offer the best black levels. Yes, LED LCDs can sometimes have an
absolute black (by turning off their LEDs), but when you're watching a
movie, plasmas are going to seem darker. This relates to contrast
ratio... Contrast ratio
Winner: Plasma
Loser: CCFL LCD
Runner-up: LED LCD
Contrast ratio, or the ratio between the darkest part of the
image and the brightest, is one of the most important factors in overall
picture quality. A display with a high contrast ratio is going to seem more realistic, and have more virtual "depth." I highly recommend reading this article: Contrast ratio (or how every TV manufacturer lies to you).
There is one exception. The new Elite LED LCD (made by Sharp)
has an advanced local dimming backlight, which gives it a plasmalike
contrast ratio... for a price. A big price. One good LED LCD doesn't
make them all good, nor does it herald a new generation of better LED
LCDs. The Sharp/Elite doesn't do anything new. It's a local dimming LED
LCD. We've actually seen fewer and fewer of this types of displays for
the reason this TV makes quite obvious: price. Local dimming LED LCDs
are more expensive than edge-lit models (and typically more expensive
than plasmas, at the same size), and these days, expensive TVs aren't
big sellers.
Do a few other local dimming models come close
to the better plasmas (or exceed the lesser ones)? Yes, but again these
are the exceptions, not the rule.
There are some technologies coming down the pike in a few years that
may offer even better contrast ratios for LCDs. We'll probably hear more
about them at
CES, and if so, look forward to hearing all about it here on CNET.
So, on average, plasmas have a better contrast ratio (with notable exception noted). Viewing angle
Winner: Plasma
Loser: CCFL LCD/LED LCD
Runner-up: IPS LCD (see text)
How big is your room? Do you or loved ones sit off to the side,
viewing the TV at an angle? If so, it's important to note that LCDs of
both flavors lose picture quality when viewed "off axis," as in not
directly in front of the screen.
Small room, small couch, mother-in-law Barcalounger off to the side? Don't worry about it.
Somewhere in the middle are in-plane switching LCDs, which offer a
better viewing angle at the expense of overall contrast ratio and black
level. Check out my article Myths, Marketing, and Misdirection for more info. Energy consumption
Winner: LED LCD
Loser: Plasma
Runner-up: CCFL LCD
No question, LED LCDs have the lowest energy consumption,
especially when you turn down the backlight. Prius drivers, this is the
TV for you. CCFL LCDs are a close second, with the same addendum.
Plasmas, especially when you turn up the contrast control (which you
need to for them to look their best), just aren't as energy efficient.
They are, however, far better than they were a few years ago.
If you want to go green, get an LED LCD. As I mentioned in the Myths article, though, it won't save you money. Because LED LCDs are more expensive than other TVs, it will take you years to make up that difference in energy
savings (if ever). We're talking a few dollars difference in a year
here. Check out HDGuru's article HDTV energy guide labels explained.
Price
Winner: CCFL LCD
Loser: LED LCD
Runner-up: Plasma
Because they tend to be at the lower-end of a company's TV offerings, CCFL LCDs are the cheapest TVs you can buy.
As mentioned earlier, LEDs are the technology behind many company's high-end offerings.
The cheapest "doorbuster" TVs will almost always be CCFL TVs. Plasmas tend to have the best size/price ratio.
Lifespan
Tie
Multiple studies by a variety of sources have found flat
panel TVs to be extremely reliable. Internet forums are always populated
by the angry, so invariably you're going to read more "well mine
broke!" posts than "I've had mine for 5 years and it's great." Burn-in
Tie
Gotcha! All TVs can burn in. It's unlike you'll abuse
them enough for this to happen (think airport arrival/departure
displays). Plasmas can have image persistence, which has the outward
appearance of burn-in, but isn't permanent. For more on this, check out
my article Is plasma burn-in a problem?
The short version? You're going to notice image persistence long before it will become a problem. Uniformity
Winner: Plasma
Loser: CCFL LCD/LED LCD
Uniformity, or a consistent brightness to the image, doesn't bother me a lot. It bugs David a bunch, though. Check out my article Is LCD and LED LCD HDTV uniformity a problem?
Plasma can have issues in this regard as well, though they're far
less frequent or noticeable. Edge-lit LED LCDs are the worst offenders,
though cheap CCFL LCDs have their own issues. In many cases, the
uniformity will vary per sample. So your TV might be fine, but your brother-in-law hates the one he bought of the same model. And the winner is...
If you want to count wins and losses from the list above, have at it.
The thing is, these items don't have equal weight. That's the point.
For one person, absolute light output is absolute, for another, black
level is above all else. These two performance aspects are, for now
mutually exclusive.
So don't listen to those who say, "well, its brightest, it's best" or
"LCD's black level is terrible, so they blow." Reading through this
list I'm positive you mentally weighted certain factors above others,
even if you didn't notice it at first. Go with your gut. If you watch a
lot of TV during the day, or have a room with lots of windows, LED LCD
is probably best. If you watch at night, and want the TV to disappear
into the background, plasma is probably best.
Want to know the best part, and the dirty little secret of the TV
world? If you're buying a name-brand TV, its picture quality is going to
be really, really good. You are seriously picking from good, gooder,
and goodly goodest here. Compared with flat panel TVs from just a few
years ago, new HDTVs are thinner, brighter, bigger, better-performing,
and cheaper than ever before. So have at it. Your new TV is going to be
awesome for years to come.
We ‘Heart’ Home for Sleep – so Why Aren’t We Sleeping Better?
April 3, 2012
When it comes to sleep, there really is no place like home, according to the National Sleep Foundation’s 2012 Bedroom Poll. This is the only National Sleep Foundation poll to ask how fundamental elements of the bedroom contribute to sleep, and the results may surprise you.
Even though we are a traditionally sleep-deprived nation, the majority of poll respondents report sleeping well at least a few nights during the week. On average, respondents are sleeping between 6 1/2 – 7 1/2 hours each night. Plus, the majority of respondents take their bedroom environment seriously, with more than 60% viewing it as essential to a good night’s sleep and more than 90% considering their mattress an important part of the sleep experience.
The poll is filled with some great information, from how respondents make their bedroom purchase decisions to what impacts a “romantic” sleep environment. All in all, the poll indicates that we are a nation taking our bedroom environment seriously while placing a premium on the quality of sleep. Check it out by clicking HERE. Even with these promising poll results, many Americans still report having difficulty sleeping several times each week. So, what’s the catch?
We all know that sleep is fundamental to our health and well-being. After all, parents were preaching this to us as children, and our doctors (and the media) are still preaching this to us today. We know that a good 8 hours sleep will result in a more productive day at work and a more enjoyable evening at home. Even with our beautiful bedrooms, carefully decorated to provide rest and retreat at the end of a long day, we are still waking up feeling cheated of a good night’s rest and suffering as a result.
It’s pretty clear that having the right attitude towards our bedroom is just the first step towards better sleep. The next step is developing the right attitude about sleep overall. Most of us live hour to hour and feel lucky if we are able to accomplish only half of the things on our ‘To Do’ lists every day. This leaves us very little time to stop, relax and take care of our bodies and minds in the hours before bedtime. In other words, we are a nation that isn’t very good at “shutting down”!
The effects of poor sleep extend beyond your basic sleepiness. For instance, the NSF recently reported that sleep deprivation may cause increased calorie consumption, leading to weight gain and fatigue. This, in turn, impacts the quality of sleep, creating a vicious cycle.
So, in closing, we are grateful to our friends that the NSF for encouraging us to love our bedrooms and create the right environment for sleep. Whether or not we choose to use our bedrooms for better sleep – well, that’s totally up to us.
