Sony OLED and Glasses-Free 3D TVs Due In 2015

Managing director of Sony Gulf FZE, Osamu Miura, has confirmed Sony's plans to launch OLED, glasses-free 3D and 4K TV ranges 'in the next three to four years'.

Photo: Sony Gulf FZE

In fact, Osamu Miura had one or two very interesting things to say in a recent interview with the Gulf Times.

Glasses-Free 3D: Not Quite Ready

Sony seems to be looking towards glasses-free technology for its future 3D TV ranges. However, unlike some other, more hasty manufacturers, the firm is still not ready to roll out the technology onto the market. 'We already have the technology for glasses-free 3D TVs and a competitor has launched a product,' said Mr Miura, clearly referring to the Toshiba ZL2, presented at the IFA tech show (here we are trying it out) and due to launch before the end of the year. He continued: 'the technology is being used in our 3D Handycam, but it is a very small LCD, if you want to enjoy it on a big screen, it takes time. The current technology cannot satisfy the demand of people, so we are developing it further.'

Osamu Miura also suggested that Sony was putting current LCD technology on a back-burner: 'We like to concentrate on the new technology [OLED], rather than on LCD or LED'—even if LED screens are just LCD displays with a different kind of backlighting. He then confirmed that: 'In another three or four years, the OLED technology will come to consumer TVs on a massive scale.'

So while Sony had initially announced the arrival of its OLED TVs in 2012, it looks like we'll have to wait at least another three years to see them on sale. However, it's reassuring to see that Sony is still investing in the TV sector and isn't pulling away from the market like some other major tech brands. With research and development ongoing, Sony will hopefully have plenty more innovations in the pipeline!

2012: Focus on Cameras

When the Gulf Times asked Osamu Miura what kind of new products we could expect from Sony in the first quarter of 2012, he replied that the focus would be on digital cameras, digital SLRs in particular.

Sony has already released the excellent Sony Alpha 77 as a taste of what's to come, although availability is still pretty limited due to the recent floods in Thailand.

Early last year, Sony unveiled the Cyber-shot HX7V at the CES tech show in Las Vegas then officially presented it in January. That was followed by the even more impressive Sony HX9V at the beginning of February. So maybe this year we can expect to see an HX8V and HX10V liven up the post-Christmas lull ...


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