According to an article by Digitimes Samsung Electronics is expected to begin selling 55-inch OLED TVs (product code - ES9500) in South Korea in June 2013. This will be closely followed by the Taiwanese market in the 3rd quarter of 2013.
Rumours continue to circulate that Samsung has ongoing issues in producing OLED TV panels in sufficient quantities because of low yields in productions and a number of other technology related barriers. Initially, the product will be in limited supplu, but no ramp-up schedule has been made public.
Samsung's 55-inch OLED TV is not the first company to launch 55-inch OLED TVs as LG Electronic has already launched its own range 55-inch OLED TVs - EM9600 - and more recently announced a curved OLED TV. This must have placed increase pressure for Samsung to launch its own 55-inch TV despite have both technologicla and production issues to still solve.
LG Electronics may have an technologica advanatge over Samung in lareg area OLED TV as both companies have pursued different architectures for the OLED panel. Samsung has adopted "pure" array of red, green, and blue subpixels, whereas LG Electronic uses white OLEDs (WOLED) overlaid by red, green, and blue filters in addition to a fourth, filter-free white OLED subpixel. This may have allowed LG Electronics to improve production yields. Thereby, gaining an competitive advantage over Samsung.
Which company will be the eventual winner in the OLEDTV market remains to be settled. Although LG and Samsung continue to fight over IP they may have to resolve the differences out of court. Should Samsung continue to have yield problesm there is still the possibility that Samsung may have to license white OLED technology directly from LG if they are to succeed in the marketplace.
