According to the Korean news site etnews.co.kr, Samsung is currently planning a 55 inch OLED-TV. It will not be a mass-produced OLED-TV, but instead a very limited product that shall provide Samsung with important knowledge about the future OLED market. The TV will be manufactured at an upcoming 8G (eighth generation) OLED test production line that should be ready in 2011 or 2012.

Samsung 55 inch OLED TV
Today it’s impossible to mass produce large OLED-TVs, simply because the manufacturing lines are not ready. Samsung is planning to change that and in May 2011 Samsung has a 5.5G (5.5. generation) OLED factory ready. Shortly after Samsung intends to test run an 8G (eighth generation) pilot OLED production line.


8G substrate. From this eight 46-inch panels can be cut

An 8G production line will give Samsung the option to create larger OLED panels because of the larger mother panel size (2200x2500mm) from which smaller panels are cut. Today most 40-55 inch LCD-TVs are manufactured on 8G LCD production lines.

This 8G production line allow Samsung to create 55-inch OLED-TVs and that is what Samsung intends to do, according etnews.co.kr. The 55-inch model will be manufactured in a very limited quantity of 4000 per month and will hit the market in 2011 or 2012. Obviously this also means a high price tag.


5.5G OLED-substrate that can be cut into smaller panels

Samsung intends to use the pilot 8G production line to gather important experience with OLED-TV sizes, and Samsung also wants to verify that their long term plans with OLED are marketable. If this project turns out to be a success, Samsung could increase capacity further in 2012, the sources say.

It’s also mentioned that OLED panel lifetime will be increases to over 100,000 hours in the near future and that power consumption will be cut in half.

If etnews’ sources are right we could see the first 55-inch OLED-TV in 2011/2012. Samsung’s 5.5G OLED factory will increase capacity of small panels for handheld devices when it’s ready for mass production in May 2011. The 8G pilot project should be ready for mass production later in 2011 or 2012.

To learn more, see this Google Translate translation

Source: oled-info.com & etnews.co.kr