What happens when people talk about displays? Invariably up bubble hypey statements about OLEDs, Electrophorescents and FEDs. All of which, or each of which, we are invariably told, are the so-called ‘next mainstream display technology’.
If that’s the case why, one might ask, was OLED pioneer Cambridge Display Technologies flogged for a paltry $285m last month? Not much for the next mainstream display technology.
The truth seems to be that, of all the multifarious display technologies, there are only two which matter.
“In all displays there are only two dominant technologies, CRT and LCD”, says Maximilian Huber, President of Sharp Microelectronics Europe, “it’s pretty simple. It’s because only LCD and CRT can address all the applications. All the other technologies face technical drawbacks.”
On the other hand, the market for OLEDs is expected to grow by 117 per cent next year, according to analysts DisplaySearch.
117 per cent is a suspiciously precise figure, and further suspicion is cast upon it by its description of OLEDs:
‘The most promising next-generation technology’.
CRT?? I'm afraid LCD is the only display that matters now and in the near future...and I'm not just saying that because I work for an LCD manufacturer ;)