By Matthew Henry

SYDNEY: For the first time in Australia, Sony is showing off working samples of its OLED flat panel TV at the Sony Experience More trade show, giving retailers a window into the future of the brand’s flat panel TV business.

Sony made a big splash at CES in Las Vegas earlier this year when it demonstrated two working OLED TV samples, and the company has again rolled out the cutting-edge technology to wow Australian retailers at its trade-only event being held in Sydney this week.

Sony is making no secret of its desire to see OLED one day replace LCD as its premium flat screen technology, with the brand’s prototype OLEDs already reaching 27 inches and boasting a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1.

“We consider OLED as the most powerful technology for future displays, such as TV,” said Sony Australia senior product manager – visual displays, Graham Keogh.

“Key features, such as its slimness, high contrast, high brightness level and quick response time will be fully maximised and adopted in products.”

Sony’s OLED display comprises Super Top Emission technology, which according to the company generates even better levels of brightness and high-resolution. The ultra-slim display is just 3mm thick at its slimmest part.

OLED offers significant picture quality advantages over both LCD and plasma flat panel displays, and is already being incorporated into portable devices including mobile phones and mp3 players because of its low power consumption.

According to Samsung, OLED is likely to be introduced in the PC monitor market first before making its way through to big-screen TVs.

Companies not typically associated with displays are also working on OLED, including Kodak and Hewlett Packard – such is the variety of products that will one day incorporate OLED displays.

Sony said earlier this year it plans to release the first 11-inch OLED television in Japan in the fourth quarter 2007.