20 OLED Players Next Year...A Technology Big Bang Is Coming

Photo by LG Display

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Next year, the number of global organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TV set manufacturers will reach 20 for the first time ever, accelerating global competition.

According to industry sources and foreign media on the 27th, Chinese TV manufacturer TCL will begin construction of an 8.5-generation OLED production line in Guangzhou next year. TCL is also reportedly planning to unveil a 65-inch TV based on QD-OLED panels for the first time at the International Consumer Electronics Show (IFA) held in Germany the same year.

Following Sharp, Huawei, Vizio, and Xiaomi joining the OLED camp this year, including TCL next year, the total number of OLED TV manufacturers will reach 20, led by LG Electronics, including Sony, Panasonic, Funai, Hitachi, Skyworth, Changhong, Konka, Hisense, Grundig, Loewe, Metz, Vestel, Bang & Olufsen, and Philips.

The industry predicts that these companies will use a two-track strategy to strengthen their premium image by positioning OLED TVs as their top models alongside their LCD TV lineups.

Accordingly, the global OLED market is expected to be further divided into the white OLED camp led by LG Electronics and the QD-OLED camp led by Samsung.

White OLED is characterized by using a white OLED light source with a color filter to increase brightness and provide a brighter screen. Brightness refers to the degree of luminance per unit area of the light source, meaning the actual amount of light entering our eyes. The white OLED light source is currently exclusively produced by LG Display and supplied to 18 TV manufacturers.

QD-OLED uses a blue OLED light source instead of white and combines organic OLED materials with inorganic quantum dots (QD) to accurately express more colors. It especially realizes a wide viewing angle, delivering clear picture quality from any angle.

QD-OLED is currently being intensively developed by Samsung Display, which recently delivered prototypes to Sony and Panasonic. Samsung Display is determined to strengthen related research and development and begin full-scale customer acquisition from the end of this year.

Competition in OLED technology is also expected to intensify. White OLED has a chronic issue of burn-in caused by residual images after long-term use due to its organic materials emitting light. QD-OLED also needs to resolve issues related to technological stability and yield before commercialization.

According to market research firm Omdia, OLED TV panel shipments are expected to grow from 2.997 million units in 2019 to 5.5 million units in 2021 and reach 9 million units in 2024. Accordingly, the share of OLED in total panel revenue is projected to expand from 5.9% last year to 10.1% in 2024.

An industry official said, "Following LCD, future display technologies are being reorganized into OLED, QD-OLED, and Micro LED," adding, "TV products based on OLED are expected to establish themselves as the global standard in the future."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.