Exclusive by Patrick Avenell

SYDNEY: Sony Australia is currently using its retail roadshow to clear up the confusion regarding OLED and LED technology – and take a crack at Samsung in the process.

In Sydney on Tuesday and Wednesday night this week, Sony hosted retailers and floor staff from groups including Harvey Norman, Clive Peeters, JB Hi-Fi and Retravision. During the training session, Sony senior product specialist – AV, Craig Jackson told the captive audience that they should think twice before believing its rivals’ myths about LED technology.

In a presentation called “Mythbusting”, Sony debunks recent claims that LED represents a “New Species of television”. This is the new catchphrase of Samsung’s latest releases. Sony believes Samsung are misrepresenting the true nature of LED television, in particular, the marquee claim that LED represents new technology.

“Our concern is for the consumer, that they are being misled into thinking they are buying an OLED TV, when they are not, they are buying an LCD TV with an LED backlight,” said Sony technology communications manager Paul Colley. “There is only one OLED TV on the market, the XEL-1.”

As Jackson explained to the retailers and staff this week, and as he will continue to do in talks around the country, Sony has been releasing LED backlit TVs for five years, and is now onto its fourth generation. He believes that this sort of pedigree contradicts Samsung’s “New Species” label, and that this description confuses retailers and consumers.

“After the presentation, most of the retailers understood the difference,” said Jackson. “Before, there was confusion amongst retailers and consumers as well.”

The difference between OLED and LED, according to Jackson, is that LED is a backlighting technology for an LCD screen, whereas OLED is itself screen technology. He continued to say that whilst OLED is very new and still in the development stage, LED is well-established in backlighting use.

“You don’t define a TV by its backlight, you define it by the screen,” said Jackson.

Samsung was contacted for a response, we will publish any response in a further story.

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