LG 15-inch OLED due December

New technology starting to go mass market

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17 June 2009 16:08 GMT / By Stuart Miles

LG has confirmed that it will be launching a 15-inch OLED TV later this year.

The comments came in an interview with OLED-info.com who spoke to LG's vice president of OLED Sales and Marketing, Won Kim.

"During the period of Dec 2009-Jan 2010, our customer will launch 15-inch OLED TV in Korean market. Thereafter global roll-out follows".

Although Brits are unlikely to get their hands on the new television until 2010, it means OLED is finally starting to arrive.

The comments are very different to the company's nearest competitor, Samsung, who earlier in the year told European journalists that consumers expecting an OLED television from the company anytime soon shouldn't hold their breath.

"We still have several issues to overcome in terms of cost and production", said a HS Kim, vice president in charge of Flat Panel Development at Samsung when asked when the company would be releasing an OLED television.

Confirming statements made earlier by Kim in 2008, the big cheese at the company's TV department said "It will be four or five years before OLED is mainstream".

However, with Sony already having an OLED television on the market and other manufacturers like Kodak launching OLED products like photo frames, the market is likely to heat up even further in the next couple of months.

Organisers of Germany trade show IFA are also promising that the "OLED screens on show in Berlin will include not only experimental units but also the first mass-produced models".

We will keep you posted.