Over the last several decades, new
technological advancements in televisions have provided for increased size,
improved clarity and designer looks. Televisions continue to remain focal points
in our rooms, but have transformed from large, 1950s bulky units on their own
legs with castors, to units which have enormous screens, ultra slim bodies and
are capable of being mounted onto our walls like picture frames.
     Although many still have them in their
homes, the older style cathode ray tube televisions are no longer being
manufactured, replaced by a range of alternatives such as Rear Projection,
Plasma, LCD and LED. Some of these have already or will become out-dated,
replaced by new technology including one of the newest technologies on offer -
OLED.
    OLED televisions are brighter,
more efficient, thinner and feature better refresh rates and contrast than
either LCD or Plasma. They even have the ability to be curved (see LG example
below). OLEDs are also used to create digital displays in devices such
as computer monitors, mobile phones and handheld games consoles.

What
is OLED TV, and how does it work?
    An OLED TV screen uses a new display
technology called OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes). An OLED is
a light-emitting diode (LED) in which includes a thin film of an
organic compound (carbon based) which emits a bright light in response to
an electric current. This layer of organic semiconductor is situated
between two electrodes. An OLED display works without a backlight (unlike
LCDs), which means it can display deep black levels and can be thinner
and lighter than a liquid crystal display (LCD). In low ambient light
conditions such as a dark room an OLED screen can achieve a higher contrast
ratio than an LCD, whether the LCD uses cold cathode fluorescent
lamps or LED backlight. It also allows for curved televisions,
which manufacturers say offer a more immersive experience.
    Keep in mind however that newer technology
can take time to be affordable for the masses, and OLED is no exception. With
only a few manufacturers releasing OLED, prices are still pretty high for now.
In time it could be common in all our homes - that is until the next
advancements.

    It’s hard enough squinting to try and see the difference between 20 different
models and sizes of televisions in the store, deciding which one you should buy,
and how long it will be until it is superseded by the next model or big jump in
technology. Now there’s a new (or not so new, really) term that has been
injected into our technological vernacular more and more. “It’s 4k”. So what! 
     What is 4k anyway, and what’s so good about it? Current 1920 x 1080 resolution
Full HD TVs give us an image of around 2 megapixels. High definition TV is
typically 720p (HD Ready) or 1080p (Full HD), both of which display increased
picture information than standard definition televisions. Essentially if you
have more pixels, you will have more detail. 4k refers to one of two higher
definition resolutions: 3840 x 2160 pixels or 4096 x 2160 pixels. 4k is four
times the high definition resolution of 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels) giving us an
image of around 8 megapixels. What does this mean to your regular viewing? Well,
the higher the pixel count the larger the screen can go before you will notice
them begin to break up.

    Now officially dubbed “Ultra HD”, a television, display or projector must
display a minimum resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels (2160p) and at least 16x9
aspect ratio, to be able to boast the Ultra HD title. It must also have at least
one digital video input (such as an upgraded HDMI, PC or newly created digital
input protocol) that is capable of receiving a native 4k resolution video source
signal without the need for up scaling.
    Many current movie cameras are already filming above 4k resolution, thousands
of cinemas worldwide are screening in 4k and film houses are consistently
re-mastering older movies at minimum 4k, to ensure content will be increasingly
available as the technology is adopted on a higher volume.
    Initially touted by manufacturers such as Sony, Panasonic, Samsung and
Toshiba in enormous 84” screens, the Home Theatre market is also now beginning
to adopt Ultra HD at a faster pace with a push to include Ultra HD in smaller
screens of about 55” (the most popular large screen size commercially at the
moment), to allow it to be more affordable for the “average” enthusiast.
    At the recent CES 2013 (Consumer Electronics Show) held in Las Vegas, Ultra
HD was the most talked about technology for the very near future. All the major
players were demonstrating their version of the technology, and it certainly had
many people excited at the potential it holds within the film and home theatre
scenes.