Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. will begin test production of next-generation displays for TVs next year with plans for commercial output as early as 2011. Competition is heating up among the world's electronics makers, including Japanese rival Sony Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. of South Korea, in OLED, or organic light-emitting diode, displays.
OLED technology is in the works at its planned display plant in Japan — the company's second here — which will mainly make liquid crystal displays already common in flat-panel TVs. It uses materials that emit light on their own and don't require a back light. OLED displays are thinner, use less energy than current technology, and have high video display quality. However, OLED technology is currently more expensive than LCDs and plasma display panels. Smaller OLEDs are becoming gradually more widespread in cell phones and other mobile devices.
The Japanese government will support Sony, Sharp Corp., Matsushita and other domestic companies in joint development of OLED displays, with the plan to develop a 40-inch OLED display sometime after 2015.
