The future of OLEDs?

I'm not sure if we have any industry insiders here or anything. I've been very interested in OLED technology over the past couple years. I'm hoping people can share their thoughts on some questions.

1) Do you see OLED displays becoming ubiquitous in the computer monitor (and HDTV) markets within the next 5-8 years? What I'm asking is: will they become the next logical step up from the LED backlit displays we have now, or is it likely that some other technology like laser display will become the next big thing?

2) How long do you guesstimate it will be before OLED displays become affordable for the average consumer? By this I mean, when will we see quality 20-24" monitors for under $600?

Thank you!

It might take a while before OLED can actually penetrate the PC market. It is still expensive to manufacture partly due to low production runs and limited demand. I think it has a long way to go before manufacturing cost can be driven down by newer manufacturing processes to make OLED panels attractive to some monitor manufacturers.

I would think high end monitors for graphic artists will see OLED monitors before they trickle down to the consumer market. If price of a 24" OLED monitor can be approximately hit $3,000 then I would say an OLED monitor could be viable in the professional market as long as color accuracy is at least comparable to their IPS and VA panel counterparts.

Getting OLED down into the hands of the average consumer for $600 will take a little while longer than getting OLED into the professional market. The process would probably have to be simplified and the OLED matrix will also have to be simplified as well.

IPS panel technology has been in existence since 1996. However, it has not been until recently that IPS panel monitors has entered the general consumer market. In 2009 the e-IPS panel came into existence and it has finally allowed IPS panels to penetrate the average consumer market due to lower manufacturing costs. This made them competitive with TN panel monitors which has dominated the sub $500 monitor category.

E-IPS panels is kinda like a compromise between a "true IPS panel" and a TN panel. It is relatively inexpensive to manufacture like a TN panel, but it offers better viewing angles than a TN panel. However, color accuracy is not as good as a "true IPS panel", but most average consumers are not concerned with color accuracy even if it is better than what a TN panel can have.

OLED monitors for the average consumer will probably be somewhat similar to e-IPS panels currently. They will be cut down versions of truly high quality OLED panels and it will likely take years to penetrate the consumer market. It took 13 years for IPS panels to finally be available to the average consumer.