OLED TVs
It’s hard to believe, but my family just purchased our first high-quality ‘smart’ TV. During my husband’s hunt for our next great TV, his tech friends recommended we purchase an Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED) version because of its top picture quality. After exhaustive research, we had to see it for ourselves. So off we went on a family expedition to determine if we could live with a top-of-the-line LED-backlit Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), or if an OLED TV was worth the cost.
I was skeptical that I would be able to tell the difference between the two. Although I work in technology and run a digital agency, the joke is that I don’t see pixels, colors or depth in images. My husband and son both require high-quality viewing devices and can’t stand to watch anything that isn’t perfect. Imagine my surprise when we compared the two TVs side by side and I was able to see a dramatic difference. The OLED picture is so realistic, you feel like you’re watching a live show.
Why is OLED so much better? It starts with thin organic films placed between two electric conductors. Add an electric current, and bright light is emitted. The difference between OLED and LCD is the source of light for each pixel (an area of illumination on a display screen). LCD pixels are illuminated by an LED backlight while OLED pixels provide their own illumination. The most drastic difference is with the color black. On an LED display, black is illuminated at a low level, so it is never true black. On OLED, black has no light because it’s simply not illuminated.
What I didn’t realize is that my Samsung Galaxy S8 phone is an OLED device, and it’s used on the new iPhone X, too. Virtual Reality (VR) headsets, fitness watches, laptops, digital cameras, A/V players and lamps also use this technology. Since OLED technology is thin and light and allows for flexible displays, you will see more products with it in the future.
As you can tell, we are in love with our new TV and have watched more movies in the last few weeks then we have all year. The bonus is that it’s super easy to access your favorite streaming channels. I can’t believe it took us this long to get one, and now I don’t know how I could ever live without it!
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Sheila Burkett is an information technology expert and CEO of Spry Digital, an interactive design agency delivering smart digital solutions. Follow Spry Digital on Twitter (@sprydigital), Facebook (Facebook.com/sprydigital), Instagram (@sprydigital) or LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/spry-digital-llc).