I’m sure that most have heard of the OLED screen (Organic Light Emitting Diode) one way or the other, but it seems to have remained unseen for the past few years. It wasn’t until recently that OLED screens started appearing in various devices, mostly in recently released Samsung phones, like the Galaxy S II. I really do enjoy the Galaxy S II’s screen, it’s vibrant and colorful, and it’s not too bad on your eyes. But still, OLED didn’t really stand out to me, that is, until I saw a new TV manufactured by LG online.

I squinted at my computer screen to see the first screenshot of the TV, which was a front shot, and the picture on the TV looked fantastic. Impressed, I scrolled further. That’s when I saw a side shot of the TV, and I was shocked at how thin it was. The TV measures a mere 4 millimeters in width. Go ahead and grab a ruler. That’s absolutely amazing, and it’s all because of the OLED technology.

Supposedly, the TV is more energy efficient than both LCDs and plasmas, and it doesn’t require a backlight to display a bright and beautiful picture. Personally, I think this is the best feature, because I have a really hard time watching LCDs. I usually get a headache within half an hour, and my eyes get all red and teary. But the thing is, it’s only LCDs that bother my eyes, and I have no problem with plasmas whatsoever, besides their generally thicker structure when compared to an LCD.

With an OLED, you get the best of both worlds. You have the non-irritating picture a plasma offers, while maintaining the unbelievably thin frame of an LCD. And from what I’ve seen, they can get even thinner than 4 millimeters. Some become so thin that they’re flexible. It becomes difficult to imagine folding up a TV, putting it in a bag, and then putting it up somewhere else, but then again, maybe in a few years we won’t have to imagine.

So far, LG is in the lead with their OLED TV, but it’s likely that many companies will be hot on their heels. Samsung is also in the works of developing a large OLED TV, and since they have a lot of prior experience with the OLED screen, things could get quite competitive between the two companies. Sony also has a chance, considering they have released the PlayStation Vita, which also boasts a wonderful OLED screen. It all depends on who releases first.

LG has already developed their TV, but they’re not releasing until September, leaving a lot of time for other companies to swoop in and release their own OLED. Personally, I’m rooting for LG. With Samsung dominating the phone market and Sony doing fine with the PlayStation, LG deserves a comeback, and with this TV they can definitely take the television market.