Topic: OLED Displays finally a reality

[RickPowers]

Kodak is a pioneer in Organic LED displays, screens that light themselves.  They've finally come to market with the first consumer product using an OLED display.  It's the Kodak EasyShare 633.  2.2" screen, 512x218 pixel resolution, 16-bit color ... this would be PERFECT for the next GameBoy.  And considering that Kodak has been showing off a retrofitted GBA with an OLED display, maybe this could happen.

Kodak.com
Let's Go Digital

Discuss.

[Ian Sane]

I like the fact that you can view it from any angle.  No more turning the Gameboy every which way just to see what the hell's going on.  Plus because the Gameboy currently doesn't really have to compete with any other portables Nintendo doesn't have to get one ready in five years so they can give it some time to see how well this technology is being adapted before making a new GBA that uses it.

There are of course two issues.  How would this screen affect the Gameboy price and how would it affect battery consumption?  Those are usually the two biggest issues with portables.

[TAYREL713]

Traditional LED's have always used a negligible amount of energy which I think makes these organic types an exciting prospect.  These guys have a pretty good explanation http://www.wave-report.com/tutorials/oled.htm. One would figure that if it's reasonably priced (and when you buy in the amount Nintendo would need to for the next Gameboy it probably would be), that most of the battery power could be used for the processor and all the like. I can only imagine when this hits on a large scale, you know big screen TVs and Computer displays, if it is as good as it claims to be, Cathode and Plasma could be out on their proverbial arse.

[Christberg]

A while ago on The Enquirer they had an article about OLED technology made by TI, and that Nintendo had already licensed it, but I can't find it now.  Seems pretty likely that OLED is in Nintendo's future though.  The idea is just too good for them to pass up.

Speaking of TI though, there'sthis little guy that is of some interest to the discussion.

[rodtod]

Anyone hear about the LCD display device made out of paper? It's probably the same concept as this OLED.

[mouse_clicker]

rod: Yeah, I read in Popular Science a while back about paper signs that could change their ink (or, I guess, "ink") displays. It was freaking some people out at a mall they tested it at.

[manunited4eva22]

Are you referring to the paper thin Plasma screens? They are said to be able to be put on your wall just like wall paper? those would be cool to have, but still they are ATLEAST 5 years out until they will even be seen by any consumer. That is out of the question this generation.  

[mouse_clicker]

manunited: No, what I read about was actually paper whose ink could change. It didn't imitate paper, it was paper. I do agree that any technology along those lines (including that nifty hologram at last year's E3) are still a ways off to the consumer.

[rodtod]

Quote
Originally posted by: manunited4eva22
Are you referring to the paper thin Plasma screens? They are said to be able to be put on your wall just like wall paper? those would be cool to have, but still they are ATLEAST 5 years out until they will even be seen by any consumer. That is out of the question this generation.

Not necessarily Manunited, with this organic display screen, we could make wallpaper video a reality. The thing is, scientists don't seem that interested in researching this idea, or those that do lack the funds to pursue a breakthrough.

That reminds me of a really cool science story I read at newscientist.com...but that belongs in a different thread.