Following Korea and China, Japanese TV makers have entered active matrix (AM) organic light emitting diode (OLED) TV market. As Japanese companies, which have been rather slow in performance, join the market following the breaking of alliance between Sony and Panasonic, attention is drawn to whether or not AM OLED TV market will enjoy a blooming season. According to the industry on the 16th, Japanese TV makers, such as Sony and Panasonic, are preparing for OLED TV business as of late by receiving OLED panels from outside and internally developing picture quality improvement algorithms. The companies, according to sources, are negotiating for supply of panels from LG Display. This is not the first time Sony and Panasonic set out for AM OLED TV development. The companies attempted joint AM OLED panel development following a partnership establishment in 2012. Sony and Panasonic expressed their will and enthusiasm for the market entry by showcasing a 56” ultra high-definition (UHD) OLED TV at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the U.S. in 2013. Although using different methods for an emitting layer development, the companies showed possibility as they used the same substrate. However, the joint development was put to a full stop last year by reasons concerning cost and others. Accordingly, although having displayed movement to pull out from OLED TV development, Japanese companies, Japanese companies are hurrying to get ready for market entry again as of late. A TV release is expected to take place as early as within the year. As Japanese companies join Korea and China in the market, AM OLED TV has once again come into the limelight. LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics released OLED TV models in 2012 and Chinese TV makers are scheduled to showcase OLED TVs simultaneously on May 1. With the market showing signs of change, Samsung Display is also active in developing a panel for OLED TV. Samsung Display is focusing only on development, virtually suspending mass-production in its pilot line (V1). The strategy is to release a new model in time for the market opening. However, there are signs of Samsung Display starting preparation for mass-production again recently, such as an increase in the order of materials for OLED TV. According to a market surveyor, NPD Display Search, the forwarding volume of OLED panels for TV is forecast to increase rapidly from 50,000 last year to 200,000 this year and again to 1.2 million and 2.3 million by 2015 and 2016 respectively. “OLED TV price is still high and the panels are not being supplied smoothly. So, it is in fact true that there are many obstacles for the market opening,” said an industry insider. “The marketing opening will be accelerated when Chinese and Japanese TV makers release new products and the products win favorable responses in the market.”
Japan to enter OLED TV market following Korea and China, anticipated to vitalize market
