Samsung and LG both demoed their upcoming OLED HDTV sets at CES 2012 earlier this year, and it’s a safe bet that we’ll see several OLED sets hitting the market before the year is up. What remains to be seen is how the entry of OLED TVs into the market will affect things.

What is OLED?

OLED screens combine the picture quality benefits of plasma with the space and power saving technology of LED. To better understand how an OLED screen works, let’s take a look at how traditional displays technology works.

TVs today use some sort of a backlight in order to illuminate an image on the screen. LCD screens have a CCFL (cold-cathode fluorescent lamp) in the edge of the display; edge-lit LED displays work similarly but use LED lights instead of the CCFLs. Backlit LED displays use a grid of LED lights directly behind the display, allowing it to adjust the brightness in specific sections. In a plasma display, ever pixel is made up of several champers of phosphorus gas that illuminates when charged; in other words, each pixel gives off its own light, with no need for a backlight, which is what allows for those deep blacks.

OLED displays work in the same sense as a plasma screen, in that each pixel is capable of emitting its own light. Alternatively, OLEDs are much more power-efficient and smaller than the plasma gas chambers needed for a plasma display. The end result is a super slim display with stunning color quality and perfect black levels that’s even energy efficient.

How Will OLEDs Affect Plasmas

Because the focus of new OLED displays will be picture quality, the high-end plasmas that videophiles flock to will be most affected. The most expensive plasma screens might see some price drops in order to compete with the superior OLED displays, but the entry and mid-range plasmas, like our current top-rated Panasonic TX-P VT30, should be fairly unaffected, at least for a year or two.

What about LED TVs?

Large LED TVs will also see some heavy competition from OLEDs since it’s expected that the first OLED sets to hit the market will be in the 55- to 70-inch range. Price will be the big deciding factor here. OLEDs will best traditional LED TVs in basically all categories, but they will be considerably more expensive. Samsung’s ES8000 series, Sony’s Bravia XBR series, and other “premium” models might see some considerable price drops when OLED TVs hit the market. Smaller, less feature-packed sets, like Sony’s KDL EX720 line, will be less affected.

And the LCD TVs?

LCD screens will remain the go-to flat panel TVs for anyone on a budget. It won’t be until a few years from now when OLED sets start challenging the prices of similarly sized LED TVs that we see the LCD sets start to fade from the market.

Conclusions about OLED TVs?

OLED TVs are a great advancement to HDTV technology, and they really will outperform any display currently on the market. If you’re in the market for a new TV today, is it work waiting for an OLED model to hit the market? Definitely! But only if you’re planning on spending upwards of $5,000 on something truly top-end.

While buying an LED, you must consider a few important factors. Make sure to check the kind of technology employed in the LED. As was mentioned in the last post, there are different kinds of backlighting techniques- edge lighting, direct lighting and local dimming. Amongst the three, the latter is the most effective as the color contrast can be managed and thus the picture quality is considerably better than the other two. Besides this, also consider the thickness of the LED and quite obviously, the cost.

Combining all these factors, we have put together a list of the best LED TVs in the market.

1. The Sony Bravia XBR-HX929- This Sony Bravia LED TV is an impeccable blend of technology and design. It employs the local dimming LED backlighting and produces deeper black levels than most other LED’s in the market. The detailing is excessively sharp and the color contrast is excellent. The 3D viewing is not as impressive because the image is not constant at different angles. The price is also a little steep, but if you are willing to spend money, this Sony Bravia won’t disappoint you.

2. Samsung UND8000 Series- Every good LED has to excel in both of these departments- performance and appearance. An LED is not just about amazing picture quality, it is also about flawless design. The Samsung UND8000 series has made to this list primarily because of its state-of-art looks and features. Having said that, there is no denying the fact that it delivers on the quality front as well, but the design sets it apart from all others. The frame around the screen is kept to a basic minimum giving the LED a clean and classy look. Add to this the excellent black levels and great picture quality and you have an LED to die for.

3. LG Infinia LW5600 Series- The LG LW5600 Series has excellent picture quality and color contrast for an LED which relies on edge lighting technique. This LED is relatively cheaper than the others which feature on this list. While it might not be as impressive as the other two in terms of performance, it offers complete value for money and that is its USP.

4. Sharp LC-LE640U series- This LED series also features in the more affordable range of LEDs. It offers many options for picture control and the picture quality is decently impressive. The simplicity of the design becomes its USP and the matte screen is ideal for bright rooms. This has all the makings of a great LED, one that will never disappoint the common man out there.

A visit to an electronic shop can be a particularly harrowing experience. You are surrounded by hundreds of electronic gadgets of all shapes, sizes, brands and prices and in the middle of all this, you are expected to make an informed choice. For example, you go to the nearest electronic store to buy a new television set for your home. Once you get there, you are introduced to the different kinds of TVs- plasma, LCD, LED etc. On top of that, a number of technical terms like HDD, CCFL will be thrown at you randomly until you find yourself completely lost. Well, it is not as bad as it sounds. We will take you through the very basics of the world of television, so that the next time you want to buy a television set, you are equipped with all the necessary details.

Let’s begin with the biggies- Plasma, LCD and LED. What exactly is the difference between them? When Hi-Definition TV or HDTV as it is commonly known was introduced, plasmas had just arrived on the market. These were backed by flat panel technology which produced top notch picture quality. It created quite a rage in the electronic market, after which it gave way to the world of LCDs. As of now, LCDs and LEDs are the two major players in this field.

True to its name, LCD or Liquid Crystal Display works through a liquid which is enclosed between two plates. This liquid becomes dynamic when it receives current in some form, and hence the picture is formed. While black and white LCDs have been around for quite some time, color LCDs is a relatively recent phenomenon. Now, the liquid used in this technology does not illuminate by itself and thus, an external source of light is needed. This is where LEDs come into the picture, quite literally.

If one was to go by strictly technical standards, the term LED would come across as a misnomer. LEDs are actually just specialized versions of LCDs. The basic technology has remained the same, only the source of lighting has changed from the traditional CCFLs (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lighting) to LEDs or Light Emitting Diodes.

LEDs offer many advantages due to the different types of back lighting available- edge lighting, direct lighting and local dimming. In the former case, LEDs are positioned along the edge of the panel and this facilitates the production of extremely thin screens as the LEDs are not placed behind the screen, which is precisely the case in direct lighting. Direct Lighting has its own advantages, the biggest of them being that the color contrast can be enhanced by turning some LEDs off. Local dimming, which is a very recent phenomenon, attempts to combine these two types. Under this technology, there are banks of LEDs which are positioned behind the panel, and thus, the contrasts can be regulated. At the same time, due to the presence of specialised banks of LEDs, it is possible to have a thin screen depth.

Due to such developments in technology, LEDs have added a new dimension to the world of television. The quality of color accuracy, contrast levels and viewing angles have improved by leaps and bounds, thus re-defining the whole experience of watching television.