CES: Sony’s thin future

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The first television using ‘organic’ OLED technology to go on sale in the U.S. made its big debut at CES.

Well, maybe small debut.

This new type of television announced by Sony (it’s already in stores in Japan) is super thin, super green and super petite -- only 11 inches in screen size.

So, why should you care?

Because the picture quality is spectacular. So clear and shimmering, it was like diving into a cool mountain stream.

All on a screen about as thick as three credit cards.

Upon being announced by Sony Chief Executive Howard Stringer at a packed news conference, several of the sets rose from cylinders onstage like movie aliens emerging from their pods.

‘Have you ever seen a more beautiful television?’ Sir Howard asked as they appeared. Then acknowledging that they might not be big enough to be visible past the first few rows, he added: ‘It’s a long way away.’

One thing that’s not small: the price tag. The sets cost $2,500 for a TV about the size of those hung from kitchen cabinets.

Of course, making beautiful small images is easier than doing the big ones -- it allows for a concentration of digital resources. And there are many unanswered questions -- like how long the sets will last (earlier in the day, a Sharp executive said OLED sets might not last more than three years -- a charge that Sony refuted).

In any case, OLED unmistakably holds promise, if the size of production models can grow and the prices come down.

Only a few years ago, we were saying the same thing about LCDs.

-- David Colker