OLED, AMOLED screens

HansTWN · 07-04-2009, 04:15 AM

Mentioned by some as the near future for color ebook readers. I have never seen an OLED screen, except miniature versions on MP3 players. Supposed advantages are they can work with very low brightness settings, great colors, draw little power. They are starting to work they way into phones and internet tablets, for screen sizes around 3-4 inches. Does anyone have any experience with these? Are they easier on the eyes? Any disadvantages?

emellaich · 07-04-2009, 11:37 AM

OLED have been coming soon for many years, but they have only hit the market in very small form. A few cameras and the over-expensive Sony TV. The biggest thing you will notice about an OLED screen is its eye-popping colors, which leads to ...

I would love an ebook reader that weighs 0.0001 oz; has a colorful 3d display; folds up to a postage stamp, but opens to any size up to that of a full newspaper; runs book software but also plays games and runs pc software; and washes my dishes for me -- all for nine dollars and ninety-five cents

.

However, today computing technologies have many problems when applied to book reading. The devices are too expensive, the battery life is short, eye-strain is an issue, as is portability in both size and weight.

In considering tradeoffs, brilliant color is not a high priority. What we really need is a display that handles static text (not motion and not color) in a low-power, light-weight, and low-cost manner. Today, e-ink comes closest to fitting the bill.

The vivid colors of OLED are wonderful, but are not necessary for reading text. Some might even argue that they are too bright for continuous reading. I am sure you could dial them back into a black-and-white mode, but then you will be giving up one of their major advantages. The prices are just too expensive and the availability has been continuously sliding out. If they ever become ubiquitious and cheap, I am sure that they will find their way into e-readers. For now however, they have been concentrated on the market willing to pay a premium for their brilliant displays.

I suspect we will see quite a few other applications of OLED tech before it penetrates the e-book market.

HansTWN · 07-06-2009, 12:09 AM

That fold up display will be coming sooner than you think, working prototypes exist! Do you think OLED is easy on the eyes at low backup settings? Prices are kept high by small volume, but phones with 3.7" OLED are now selling at prices no more expensive than comparable ones with LCD screens (notably from Samsung). They are just hitting the market, so I haven't seen one yet. If they do well, it is not difficult to imagine them going for larger screen sizes soon. And they fit the light weight, low power requirements.

Abecedary · 07-07-2009, 03:48 PM

I'm not sure that I'd want any sort of light emitting screen for something that I intend to read on for long periods of time. I realize there are others who don't feel this way, but as a contact lens wearer, staring at any sort of light source causes my eyes to dry up eventually.

07-04-2009, 04:15 AM	#1
HansTWN Wizard Posts: 4,538 Karma: 264065402 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Taiwan Device: HP Touchpad, Sony Duo 13, Lumia 920, Kobo Aura HD	OLED, AMOLED screens Mentioned by some as the near future for color ebook readers. I have never seen an OLED screen, except miniature versions on MP3 players. Supposed advantages are they can work with very low brightness settings, great colors, draw little power. They are starting to work they way into phones and internet tablets, for screen sizes around 3-4 inches. Does anyone have any experience with these? Are they easier on the eyes? Any disadvantages?

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Samsung Working on Unbreakable AMOLED Display	=X=	News	8	07-21-2010 06:34 PM
Samsung: World's First AMOLED With Touch Function	kjk	News	1	02-01-2010 01:56 PM
An entire dress made from OLED screens (from Wired)	Nate the great	News	20	12-16-2009 05:52 AM
OLED Screens for E-Readers	kennyc	News	1	11-28-2009 09:49 AM
Sony's flexible OLED screens	dadioflex	News	7	01-15-2009 07:06 PM

07-04-2009, 11:37 AM	#2
emellaich Wizard Posts: 1,101 Karma: 4388403 Join Date: Oct 2007 Device: Palm>Ebookman>IPaq>Axim>Cybook>Kndl2>IPAD>Kndl3SO>Voyager>Oasis	OLED have been coming soon for many years, but they have only hit the market in very small form. A few cameras and the over-expensive Sony TV. The biggest thing you will notice about an OLED screen is its eye-popping colors, which leads to ... I would love an ebook reader that weighs 0.0001 oz; has a colorful 3d display; folds up to a postage stamp, but opens to any size up to that of a full newspaper; runs book software but also plays games and runs pc software; and washes my dishes for me -- all for nine dollars and ninety-five cents . However, today computing technologies have many problems when applied to book reading. The devices are too expensive, the battery life is short, eye-strain is an issue, as is portability in both size and weight. In considering tradeoffs, brilliant color is not a high priority. What we really need is a display that handles static text (not motion and not color) in a low-power, light-weight, and low-cost manner. Today, e-ink comes closest to fitting the bill. The vivid colors of OLED are wonderful, but are not necessary for reading text. Some might even argue that they are too bright for continuous reading. I am sure you could dial them back into a black-and-white mode, but then you will be giving up one of their major advantages. The prices are just too expensive and the availability has been continuously sliding out. If they ever become ubiquitious and cheap, I am sure that they will find their way into e-readers. For now however, they have been concentrated on the market willing to pay a premium for their brilliant displays. I suspect we will see quite a few other applications of OLED tech before it penetrates the e-book market.

07-06-2009, 12:09 AM	#3
HansTWN Wizard Posts: 4,538 Karma: 264065402 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Taiwan Device: HP Touchpad, Sony Duo 13, Lumia 920, Kobo Aura HD	That fold up display will be coming sooner than you think, working prototypes exist! Do you think OLED is easy on the eyes at low backup settings? Prices are kept high by small volume, but phones with 3.7" OLED are now selling at prices no more expensive than comparable ones with LCD screens (notably from Samsung). They are just hitting the market, so I haven't seen one yet. If they do well, it is not difficult to imagine them going for larger screen sizes soon. And they fit the light weight, low power requirements.

07-07-2009, 03:48 PM	#4
Abecedary Exwyzeeologist Posts: 535 Karma: 3261 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: :PRS-505::iPod touch:	I'm not sure that I'd want any sort of light emitting screen for something that I intend to read on for long periods of time. I realize there are others who don't feel this way, but as a contact lens wearer, staring at any sort of light source causes my eyes to dry up eventually.

Advert