Display technology has been improving at a fast pace as the technology that goes behind them has been getting better, lighter and more efficient. 3D displays have been around for a while now and they even showed up on some smart phone devices recently. But, these amazing technologies are still fitted on top of old fashioned thick hardware beneath them that are heavy, thick and are inflexible. Now that is about to change with QD TV, developed by a team of British scientists. This TV can be rolled and carried in a shirt pocket.
QD TV employs a new form of light-emitting crystals, called as Quantum-Dots (QD) that can be used to produce super-fine television displays. These crystals are 100, 000 finer than human hairs that can be printed on plastic sheets to produce super fine television displays, which will display improved color and imagery than the current display technologies.
This technology will enable display manufacturers in the near future to produce displays that can be as big as a wall displaying improved imagery efficiently, and that can be easily fitted, moved, and rolled. Nanoco, the company fueling this technology, set up by the team of scientists who invented this technology are in talks with some Asian manufacturers to mass-produce this new invention. The first roll-out of their displays in the form of television is expected by the end of next year.
Pricing and availability
As the display has not been commercially introduced, the pricing is currently unavailable.
Whatâs great?
There are few things that make up a good commercially viable display technology. QD technology offers many benefits over the current display technologies. One of them is its size. It is so tiny that they can be easily printed on plastic sheets, enabling them to be folded away and offer amazing flexibility, which in-turn makes it possible to design television displays that can have numerous implications, even replace our traditional newspapers with QD TV flexible displays. Another important improvement that QD TV displays will offer is the use of cheaper semi conductor materials that are stimulated and emit light by electricity or ultra-violet light, against the use of rare expensive earth elements usually used in the current TV display technologies, some of which can also be toxic to humans. QD displays will also be able to produce a more natural, better color reproduction of images than the current display technologies. These displays are also touted to work on solar energy, which will be help this technology to be widely accepted.
Whatâs not so great
As the Quantum Dots technology is a totally disruptive and new technology in the market, the initial cost to produce and distribute will be expensive and the expense of which would be transferred to the consumers, making it an expensive switch from the traditional display technologies. The bulk manufacturing of small scale quantum dots requires a process known as ‘high temperature dual injection’ that is impractical for most commercial applications that requires large quantities of quantum dots. This has let to alternate scalable manufacturing methods and processes that are yet to be standardized, which can lead to limited production of this technology for sometimes.
Things to watch out for
The first viable non-flexible QD displays are expected to be commercially out by the end of next year, and the flexible form of displays are expected to be mass produced in three years. Initially, the cost of these displays will be high, but are expected to drop dramatically once they are mass produced. The scientists are also working on the viability to power these displays using solar power, which can bring down the energy cost of owning such displays dramatically. The quantum dots can also be placed on regular LEDs that can help them to produce a more natural colored light output. This has created a lot of excitement and expectations from this upcoming technology that has the ability to produce colors that are much superior to the current LCD displays and consume far less energy.
Verdict
The cost of the QD TV displays would be initially very high as it is for any technology that is newly launched. But, this will not hold the electronics industry from adopting this breakthrough in display technology that has numerous benefits and advantages in the near future over the current display technologies. QD displays produce more natural looking colors that are far superior to current LCD displays. They can be printed on plastic sheets making them not only flexible, but will also reduce the manufacturing costs to produce TV in the long run. They are made of stable, reliable and abundantly available inorganic semi-conductor materials, which can be processed in a solution. This makes them efficient with extraordinary color quality and stability. This technology is certain to replace most of the current display technologies, and has made the whole electronics industry excited for the next generation displays that we will be able to carry in our pockets.
