By Chris Nicholls

TOKYO: Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology has developed a new OLED prototype that can double the lifespan of a typical display from the current 20-30,000 hours to above 50,000.

According to a report in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, the joint venture’s 20.8-inch prototype uses a metal membrane to help deliver light from polymers in the substrate through the glass surface at twice the efficiency of current displays. As a result, brightness can be halved while maintaining the same picture quality.

A spokesperson for Toshiba Matsushita in Japan confirmed the development in an interview with Current.com.au today, but pointed out the basic technology that allowed the extended lifespan had been announced last autumn to the media.

However, neither Toshiba nor Panasonic chose to showcase the technology or the prototype at the recent CES in Las Vegas.