TV’s are heavy, chunky, difficult if not impossible to recycle, and the image can be distorted when viewing angle changes.  These problems and more may soon be a problem of the past. OLED, or Organic Light Emitting Diode, is a new sustainable way to light up TVs, cell phones, computers and any other sort of screen.

The new technology is organic because it is made by compressing organic elements between two thin sheets of glass and exposing them to electricity, which makes them give off color.

By combining various elements that when exposed to electricity give off red, yellow, and blue (the primary colors), they can create over 16 million different colors. By exciting the elements with electricity they are illuminated, giving a pure vibrant color all in a strip thinner than apiece of hair.

The advantages to Organic Light Emitting Diodes, besides the fact that they are organic, are that they can be compressed into extremely thin and durable strips so that in future manufacturing they could be printed out and cut to shape. Because the color pigments or elements themselves give off the light the display of an OLED does not need a backlight and consumes less power. Unlike other screens, an OLED screen can be viewed from any angle without being distorted. So the advantages to OLED are clear, fast vibrant color, high brightness and in contrast it is sure to be the leading technology of the future.

What are the downsides of Organic Light Emitting Diodes?

The technology is not fully developed yet.  Elements do not last forever, and will not stay excited under electricity for as long as it needs to be. After awhile the elements will be all used up and OLED screen will become useless. Research has been going on and continues to go on to find more elements that will last longer under electric exposure and still maintain color properties.  Also, Organic Light Emitting Diodes cannot yet fill a full sized screen (over about 40 inches). This technology however is constantly expanding and continues to accomplish what was never before expected.  OLEDs may soom be the dominant technology in its field.

Where could this technology go?

Anywhere, the sky is the limit for Organic Light Emitting Diodes. Imagine a wallpaper that you could watch video on, check your email, and much much more. Imagine a book with videos printed onto the pages.

Because of low power consumption OLEDs may also be the new candidate to lead the white light bulb industry too. As OLEDs can be made to emit pure white light, it can replace a typical light bulb, being easier to manufacture, less energy used, and cheaper than a conventional light bulb.

The future is looking bright with the help of OLEDs.