What's the market?

[Lex]

I don't get it, a 15,000 1080p 55" television for 15K? First, ok, it's Oled, great, but only 55" for 15K? It's small for a BIG set, it's expensive for a MID size set. It's not got the BEST resolution, it's not 4K. So I ask you, who would be the market for this fine set. I do not dispute it's quality, I just ask if it's missed the market it was intended for.


NOTE: Added 9/21/13 Price on this set is now reduced considerably. Maybe a bit over 10K now? I forget exact price point. People do say though, if you see an Oled, you will be ooohhing and ahhhhing. Even with less pixel density than 4K, it has the right stuff they say. As of this pointing, the price reduction has not got to Adorama below at link.

http://www.adorama.com/LOT55EA9800.html?emailprice=t&j=Email073113EShow&utm_term=Other&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Email073113EShow&utm_source=RSYS

[Ovation]

Early adopters of OLED would be the market, I guess. I doubt they expect to sell many of these. Such expensive early models serve as prototypes and a "hey, the next great thing is here" announcement. Think back to the earliest plasma TVs. 42 inches, 480p, blacks look like grey soup and about 40000$ (at least in Canada). They still sold some. Same applies to this new TV.

[Lex]

Ok, I'll give you that much, but I don't see this as able to compare to 4K and for 15K price? Now if they were offering an Oled 4K, then we'd be talking about REAL value added and the "first" that is buyable for a small scale of population. Who would pay 15K for a 1080p set with a 6500 4K sitting beside it?

[madmac]

Ok, I'll give you that much, but I don't see this as able to compare to 4K and for 15K price? Now if they were offering an Oled 4K, then we'd be talking about REAL value added and the "first" that is buyable for a small scale of population. Who would pay 15K for a 1080p set with a 6500 4K sitting beside it?

Nobody Lex.......

[Chris D]

Ovation's exactly right. This is a "cutting edge technology" piece, and is for the early adopter with lots of money that has to have the latest and greatest. Not meant to sit on the Best Buy showroom floor next to other sets for comparison shopping.

[Hdale85]

I doubt it costs much to even produce that display....OLED technology has been around a while now, I'd be surprised if it costs much more than 1-2k bucks to build that.

[impala454]

The blacks should be second to none. I bet they'll go down in price soon enough.

[aud19]

Hopefully OLED doesn't go the same way as SED.... They're both going to have the same problem IMO.

[Lex]

Can you expand on that a bit? I assume you mean SED crashed due to cost perhaps? I do remember you were big on SED for a while there as a hopeful technology.

[aud19]

Well it was in the same boat as OLED really. Offered improved colour, black levels, contrast etc over plasma and certainly LCD but at multiple times the price of even quality plasma/LCD sets...there just wasn't a market.

Plasma/LCD were deemed "good enough" and had mass market pricing/manufacturing on their side.

The reason plasma/LCD were initially so successful over existing tube and rear projection TV's was that they offered an entirely new, more WAF (and interior designer) friendly form factor. They were THIN. That IMO, is why they sold despite their higher prices and middling performance. OLED offers a slight improvement in PQ...we've already seen that isn't enough and I'm not sure the average person would notice or care.

Now that they've become the standard, new technologies like SED and OLED have an uphill battle if they're going to be successful. Unless you can get within spitting distance of a comparable plasma/LCD for price your limiting your market to wealthy, early adopter/techno-philes. A technology can not survive to become the new standard on wealthy techno-philes alone.

You can't expect someone to spend upward of $5000 on a really, REALLY good display when they can get a simply really good comparable plasma/LCD for $2000. Let alone $15K.

[Hdale85]

SED crashed due to issues between the 2 companies that were trying to develope it, sort of political issues I imagine.

[impala454]

I thought OLED was going to be super cheap to manufacture, and their only issue was the blue pixels or something. That supposedly once they got that figured out then OLED displays would be huge, cheap, and amazing. Ok maybe not cheap at first

[Lex]

Yes, people do like their entertainment, even people below the median living standard. Sometimes, you'd be surprised, a big a$$ TV comes before a lot of things for some people. But there are limitations, and if you can get the quality you do today from Plasma and LCD for the cost they are at now, any new technology has that benchmark to overcome if they are to be successful on a mass market appeal. That simply isn't going to happen at the 5K and up pricing. Gone are the days when newly introduced things will sell more than a novalty item at the 5K or higher pricee, and as for 15K, really? Maybe 1 person in all of my town would be a buyer. Maybe... Everyone else will be using the value point products, LCD and plasma. A new TV that is not 4K for 15K to me is a boat anchor. It may as well be, because that's about how long it's shelf life will be...

[aud19]

SED crashed due to issues between the 2 companies that were trying to develope it, sort of political issues I imagine.

I believe a lot of those "political issues" were rooted in the issues I mentioned above.

[Lex]

bye bye

[Hdale85]

Ummm? Wrong thread Doug?

[Lex]

LOL, yeah, I thought I was in homebrew. Red face...

[Lex]

I understand that this set was reduced significantly in price recently, as well as some reductions in 4K pricing. Still not to mass market levels of course, but a step in the right direction.

[Hdale85]

Well 4k has been dropping very fast, much faster than 1080p sets did.

[impala454]

I think 4K is going to be a difficult sell for quite a while. Everyone has HD flat panel sets of some sort. I doubt if 1 in 10 people you asked randomly in a mall what 4K was, they'd have any clue. People think with the term "HD" and since everyone has HD already, they won't feel the need to "need" it. 3D was such a flop, I see 4K going the same way. At least for a few years.

[madmac]

I think 4K is going to be a difficult sell for quite a while. Everyone has HD flat panel sets of some sort. I doubt if 1 in 10 people you asked randomly in a mall what 4K was, they'd have any clue. People think with the term "HD" and since everyone has HD already, they won't feel the need to "need" it. 3D was such a flop, I see 4K going the same way. At least for a few years.

I agree with impala on this one. Any audio system or TV is only as good as it's weakest link. All TV is broadcast in 780P / 1080i and that's pretty much what your getting. In order for 4K sets to shine, they will have to be fed a better signal and that's not going to happen any time soon......if ever. However, I am ALL IN FAVOR of better gear/ technology and that evolution when it happens. The question is......will people buy it.