Samsung Reveals 40'' OLED Prototype

In raw figures, here's how it breaks down: only 8.9 mm thick, it boasts a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, a contrast ratio of 1 000 000:1 and extended color range, offereing 107% of the NTSC colors.

OLED screens represent an exciting technological innovation.

Rather than thousands of pixels lit from behind (either by an LCD, or an LED as is becoming increasingly common), every single pixel on an OLED screen is its own light source.

That makes for 1920 x 1080 x red, green and blue diodes, or 6.2 million in total, all less than 1 mm across.

Different shades are produced by varying the brightness of each of the three subpixels, but the most attractive benefit is being able to turn them off entirely, creating a deep, convincing black.

It doesn't stop there, though: OLED screens also escape the problem of ghosting and have very wide viewing angles.

The arrival of this new prototype doesn't signal a revolution just yet, either, as Sony and LG, the only two manufacturers to have announced firm plans, have both suggested we'll be lucky to see anything before 2012.