The First OLED-Enabled Camera

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.dpreview.com/news/0303/03030216kodakls633.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.dpreview.com/news/0303/0...6kodakls633.asp</a><br /><br /></div>OLED adoption is slowly growing. Kodak just announced the <a href="http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml;jsessionid=QAUSK4M5GBKA1QHIO3JXWJI?pq-path=662&Submit.x=32&Submit.y=18&pq-locale=en_US&_requestid=231232#">EasyShare LS633</a>, with a 2.2" OLED display.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/img_LS633_Back_200x150.jpg" /><br /><br />My read into this is that vendors are really looking to adopt it, but the technology is holding them back -- this is a small display and as such is more manageable than a PDA display or, even more difficult, a full desktop screen. Let's hope OLED adoption spreads soon!

[toshtoshtosh]

2.2 inches on a Camera, that's pretty damn big!

The question is, does the fact that it's OLED have anything to do with the fact that it's the biggest screen on a Camera?

[Paragon]

This large, full color, full motion, flat panel display is sharp, bright and features 165º viewing angles for on-camera viewing and sharing.

Kinda beats the crap out off the viewing angles of trans********ive screens doesn't it. :)

Dave

[Jason Dunn]

OLEEEEEED......my preeeecioussss.... :twisted:

I've been waiting for this day to come for a LONG time - let's hope 2003 is the year of OLED!

[Paragon]

OLEEEEEED......my preeeecioussss.... :twisted:


Easy does it there Gollum......:)

I hear that OLED screens are supposed to be much better at energy use???

Has anyone heard of any PPC OEMs experimenting with these yet?

Dave

[Duncan]

Now I remember reading a report on this a short while ago - I think it was an interview in a PC mag with the people behind OLED. There are some camera and mobile phone manuafacturers who are producing units with OLED screens this year - and some un-named PDA manuafcturers who are planning OLED based PDAs for 2004.

[Foo Fighter]

Damn. Just when I was getting used to Transflective screens I have to change my complaints. From now on I'll be asking..."Does it have an OLED display"? 8)

[Don Tolson]

I seem to remember a review from one of the Conferences or Trade Shows (Comdex in Las Vegas???) that had a picture of a PC-sized screen (I think about 15inch) which was supposedly completely OLED. The reviewer said the picture didn't do the screen image justice -- I was simply gorgeous. And the thickness was not to be believed -- it looked like the screen was just over 1/4 inch thick from front to back!

I'm with you guys.. I can't wait to see these come out for the Pocket PC and replacements for Plasma TVs.

[Duncan]

The competing colour LEP (Light Emitting Polymer) displays are due to be ready for mass display by the end of this year also (from Cambridge Display Technology) with an (again un-named) PDA manuafcturer planning a 2003 release of a blacl and white display PDA.

[rbrome]

2.2 inches on a Camera, that's pretty damn big!

The question is, does the fact that it's OLED have anything to do with the fact that it's the biggest screen on a Camera?

Possibly - OLEDs are generally thinner because they don't require a backlight. That might make it easier to fit in a larger display.

There's also the fact that Kodak is trying to become a major OLED display manufacturer. They would also like to make the OLED displays in your future cell phones and PDAs. So they are leveraging their digicam unit to get this display out on the market quickly.

I think the point of this camera is really to show off Kodak's OLED technology. Sure they want to sell some digicams, but they also want people in the mobile devices industry to take notice. If it seems oversize, that may be one reason.

BTW, Kyocera today announced two digicams with HUGE 2.5" LCD displays, so I think they might have the title of largest - but 2.2" is still pretty huge.

[jnunn]

I am not in the display industry but at first glance I must disagree with this statement in the original post:

"... this is a small display and as such is more manageable than a PDA display ..."

Kodak indicates that the display is 512x218 pixels which gives the controller 112K pixels to manage. The PPC only has a 320x240 screen with 77K pixels to mangage. The Kodak screen appears more difficult to manage than a PPC screen; Kodak is near the PPC to VGA midpoint.

The small size of the screen seems to indicate increased difficulty and cost in manufacturing and not in control (i.e. manageability). It is not my intention to contradict, only to better understand the display limitation. Am I missing something here?

[rubberdemon]

This is a good sign, and I'm in complete agreement with Jason's post - OLEDs will be great. However, I'd be cautious about being an early adopter - all I've read says they still have trouble with the lifetime of the organic display elements - blues especially fade out after a relatively short lifetime. Fine for cellphones etc, but not for something you'd consider using for several years or longer...

Then again, most of us on this site probably don't keep our PDAs for longer than a year or two before the upgradeitis kicks in!

[EvilOne]

So because Kodak is releasing an OLED screen, does that mean that they have solved the problem of green dying out (or whatever colour it was)? Or the problem with the disply losing half its brightness within a year? The display may look good, but if they have not worked out these bugs I will be staying away from them for a bit until I hear otherwise.

[Janak Parekh]

Kodak indicates that the display is 512x218 pixels which gives the controller 112K pixels to manage. The PPC only has a 320x240 screen with 77K pixels to mangage. The Kodak screen appears more difficult to manage than a PPC screen; Kodak is near the PPC to VGA midpoint.
I'm not talking about the electronic standpoint; there are controllers to handle any size resolution display. I'm talking about it from the chemical standpoint. My suspicion is that the OLED process isn't yet efficient/effective/reliable for large screens; otherwise, they'd have used it already for PDAs and desktop monitors.

--janak

[Jonathon Watkins]

Damn. Just when I was getting used to Transflective screens I have to change my complaints. From now on I'll be asking..."Does it have an OLED display"? 8)

The more things change......... :lol:

I still say the best way of keeping up to date is to ask "Is it Foo complient?". :wink: 8)

[dean_shan]

What does OLED stand for?

[Janak Parekh]

What does OLED stand for?
Organic LED (http://www.google.com/search?q=organic+LED). It's a fairly new technology, with a lot of promise.

--janak (2,500th post! Now I just need to have double to pass Jason. ;))

[dean_shan]

What does OLED stand for?
Organic LED (http://www.google.com/search?q=organic+LED). It's a fairly new technology, with a lot of promise.

--janak (2,500th post! Now I just need to have double to pass Jason. ;))

Well I'm glad to have helped you reach that mark :)

[jizmo]

So because Kodak is releasing an OLED screen, does that mean that they have solved the problem of green dying out (or whatever colour it was)? Or the problem with the disply losing half its brightness within a year? The display may look good, but if they have not worked out these bugs I will be staying away from them for a bit until I hear otherwise.

Think about it this way: If Kodak wants to be a #1 OLED vendor and releases the camera with OLED screen without having solved the fading problem, it's pretty bad mathematics for them.

Not only would this look very bad on OLED, but it'd be also a financial setback for Kodak. A very big portition of a company's value is based on estimation of the value of its forecoming innovations, and Organic Led, if it works, has an enormous value. It seems a bit unbelievable that they would've taken so huge risk of putting their name and OLED in such jeopardy.

/jizmo

[vincentsiaw]

so, no more backlight huh? just the OLED screen ......

[gadfly]

Then again, most of us on this site probably don't keep our PDAs for longer than a year or two before the upgradeitis kicks in!
My current cycle is now about every 2-3 months! Now that my wishlist is complete (for now) with the 5455 maybe I'll make it to summer.

[possmann]

All for this on hand helds - big time. A bit confused about what Iridigm has to offer as it relates to OLED - could someone help me out here? Is this product considered an OLED and if so - why do they believe that there won't be any color fading issues where I read posts claiming the opposite (OLED may have issues holding color - degridation over years of use...)?

http://iridigm.com/tech_overview.htm