Samsung to Begin Production of 55-Inch OLED TVs

Samsung Electronics kicked off a new era in TV technology by introducing a 55-inch organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TV that’s slated to go into mass production within the next few weeks.

OLEDs allow displays of images at a level of clarity and brightness unmatched by current generation LCDs and LEDs, and are expected to become the new standard in TV and display technology within two years.

“Because the pixels on OLED displays organically emit light, they have better color reproduction than LED TVs and offer more vibrant images when watching sports, computer games or 3D movies,” said a Samsung spokesperson at the unveiling.

The prototype unveiled Thursday represents an improvement over the one rolled out early this year at the Consumer Electronics Show. As updated, with an improved interface and more options for optimal viewing, Samsung’s 55-inch OLED TV will retail for around W11 million ($9,500), about twice the price of the most expensive LED TVs currently on the market.

One of the OLED TV’s new features is a dual-viewing option that lets users watch two channels simultaneously.

Samsungh’s domestic rival LG Electronics announced plans to release a 55-inch 3D OLED TV in S. Korea in the second half of this year.