Technology never stops moving forward -- even as LED lighting begins to enjoy a rollout across various product sectors, new eco-friendly lighting competitors emerge. Sure enough, we're talking OLED technology. Konica Minolta has entered a licensing agreement for some of Universal Display's UniversalPHOLED (phosphorescent OLED) technology. PHOLED lighting may not be as sexy as, say, full motion colorific OLED displays, but knowing how many applications there are for static white light, there's lots of moolah to be made in this technology. And between Konica Minolta's partnerships with Universal Display and General Electric, there could be some exciting developments in the not-too-distant future. And we're not thinking lightbulbs; try ultra-thin, energy efficient PHOLED backlighting as an interim technology while full-fledged OLED displays get mainstreamed.

[Images courtesy InternationalLightTech and CityPages]

C'mon, who hasn't had an inexperienced movie goer over that politely asks why black bars still show up on a widescreen HDTV? Have you ever wondered if a set would be produced to harmonize with those films shot and presented in 2.35:1? Sound & Vision sat down with a number of industry experts and asked them that very question, and while many believe that the same technology that has become commonplace in custom projector installs is feasible for TVs, it's not apt to happen anytime soon. Essentially, there's just not a large enough market for ultra widescreen displays; the hardcore among us that would spring for one are in the minority. Richard F. Doherty, research director of The Envisioneering Group on Long Island, was one fellow who seemed to have more faith than anyone else, even going so far as to suggest that we may see at least a prototype of one such set at CES 2009. Mark our words, we'll be keeping an eye out -- after all, it shouldn't be too hard to spot in the sea of 16:9 units.

Hologram technology has been secretly inching closer and closer to our living rooms for quite some time, though few have actually been paying attention to it as a bona fide display technology. A team from the University of Arizona is hoping to change that mindset, as they have developed a technology that "allows holograms to be rewritable for the first time." Essentially, this enables "allows 3D images to be changed many times per second, just like the frames in a movie," and you don't have to have the most vivid of imaginations to understand how incredible this could be. As of now, the tech isn't suitable for 3D movies, but team member Nasser Peyghambarian is hopeful that they "will be able to get to that capability." Better-than-3D visuals without the glasses? Consider us pre-sold.

The energy-saving nature of OLEDs has certainly been debated, but a passel of big name firms and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) are pushing forward with an initiative to promote the technology. Aside from the aforementioned entity, ten companies including Sony, Sharp, Toshiba and Matsushita (Panasonic) are collaborating on the five-year effort, which will likely cost ¥3.5 billion ($32.8 million). In sum, the project is aimed at "developing a core technology to mass-produce 40-inch or larger OLED displays in the late 2010s," and there's even a mention that said companies are racing South Korean firms to get a jump on OLED deployment. Race on, we say.

[Via Widescreen Review]

As the Motion Picture Association of America continues on its unending (we mean that quite literally) quest to banish digital piracy, it has just announced its unbridled support for yet another technology. The MPAA has approved the use of DreamStream's secure online file streaming system "as a solution to curb digital piracy," and according to Michael Jay Solomon, founder of Solomon Entertainment Enterprises, the software will "allow the content providers to recoup the billions of dollars that they are loosing [sic] right now." If you got a chuckle out of that, get a load of this. Ulf Diebel, chief development officer for DreamStream, went so far as to say that in order to "win the war on piracy, the studios need DreamStream's military grade capabilities." Heck, the company even asserts that its "unpublished encryption has never been compromised by hackers or digital pirates." Sheesh , don't you all know what happens when you just beg to be circumvented?

t's been a hot minute since we've heard anything from Field Emission Technologies, but apparently the Sony spin-off is gearing up to make some serious noise in the industry. Field emission display (FED) still remains a relatively unknown panel technology, but FET is hoping to change all that by introducing a 60-inch display that will be "more energy efficient and sharper than [an] LCD." Analysts assert that FED will actually be a suitable alternative to OLED, and while Sony's own XEL-1 is fine and dandy, that 11-inch screen sort of renders it useless for home theater use. Reportedly, FET is "in negotiation with Pioneer regarding mass-production of field emission displays," and while the first batch of 60-inchers will likely hit hospital wards and TV studios first, you better believe the general public will be next in line.

[Via OLED-Display]

With scads of cable providers slowly but surely converting markets and delivering channels via switched digital video, we reckoned now was an excellent time to dust off the terminology dictionary and dig in deeper. Fittingly, Jarad agreed:

"I've seen that lots of markets are being switched over to SDV lately, and I've noticed CableCARD users are generally upset whenever this happens. Why is that? I thought SDV was supposed to free up space so that more high-definition channels could be distributed on the current network?"

If you've suddenly found yourself wondering the same, head on past the break for the low-down.

Not like LG had any choice but to get savvy with OLED, but either way, it's good to hear that it's making the investment willingly. According to CEO Kwon Young-soo, LG is planning to use some of its "abundant cash" (must be nice, right?) to "increase capital spending for the active-matrix organic light-emitting diodes (AMOLED) business." He refused to dole out a proper figure at the time, noting that the company was "still watching the market to seek a proper time to implement decisive action." As for logistics, it's highly likely that a little tag-team work with Samsung SDI will take place, while it's also probable that we'll see its 3.5G AMOLED line relocated to its facilities in "Paju, Gyeonggi Province, following the relocation of the two-generation production line in Gumi." So, LG -- now that we know you're all gung ho, might we see that 32-inch OLED TV before 2011?

Looks like Universal Display isn't the only firm out there spending some hard earned time and money researching OLED technology. The European CombOLED consortium is scheduled to run until the dawn of 2011, after which it darn well better have made good use of the $10.9 million that it has been allotted. The project is being headed up by OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, and the primary goal is to "combine new device structures, advantageous manufacturing approaches and less complex materials with the aim to achieve cost-effective OLED-based lighting." We couldn't tell you what that means for mainstream consumers hankering for an OLED HDTV, but it sure sounds promising.

Samsung's been pretty good about keeping its HDM players up to date with the latest protocols, and now it's launching a dedicated site to keep prospective consumers and current owners alike informed about the Blu-ray format. The aptly-titled Blu-ray resource center is split into two sides, one of which includes topics for existing BD addicts and one with information for those "looking to buy Blu-ray." Interestingly, the forum packs some pretty noteworthy questions, with the latest explaining how upconverted DVD just isn't as good as bona fide Blu-ray. Head on over and swallow some knowledge -- just be sure to watch for falling propaganda.

Universal Display has a thing for outdoing itself, and just a month after patting itself on the back for setting a new OLED power efficacy record, the outfit is already celebrating an even larger achievement. Reportedly, the company has "successfully demonstrated a record-breaking white OLED with a power efficacy of 102 lumens per watt at 1,000 cd/m2 using its high-efficiency phosphorescent OLED technology." In layman's terms, this means that its OLEDs are sucking down less energy than ever before. In time (before 2015, actually), the US Department of Energy wants someone to create a 150 lm/W commercial OLED light source, and thanks to our trusty abacus, we can definitively say that Universal Display is getting mighty close to said goal. Oh, and considering how badly Sony's XEL-1 performed in power tests, we can only hope this stuff is applicable to the TV sector.

If you're vaguely remembering a mention of MLD, you're not crazy. Around this time last year, PureDepth announced that it was teaming up with Samsung to crank out a 46-inch Multi-Layer Display LCD. Fast forward to now, and we're hearing that the first MLD wares should be hitting the streets relatively soon. The technology itself consists of building displays that are in fact two or more layers of LCD panel that share a common back-light source, thus creating a depth effect when viewing material. As it stands, the outfit has signed agreements with Samsung (obviously) for development of displays in mobile handsets and Sanyo for mobiles, gaming solutions and automotive electronics (including in-car navigation). Interestingly enough, Q1 2008 saw quite the surge in support for the 3D sector, making the launch of MLD that much more applicable to the apparent desires of content viewers. Check out a few sample images and product prototypes in the gallery below.

With OLED nabbing a whole slew of backers over the past few weeks, it looks like it's got all the steam it needs to really have an impact on the home theater crowd in just a few years. For those content with their current RPTV / LCD / plasma, holding off until 2010 - 2012 in order to snag a large-size OLED may be the perfect choice, but we've all ideas there's a few of you out there dying to trade your set in for a projector. So, for those who have their lives all planned out, what's your next display going to be? A 1080p DLP beamer? A 32-inch OLED? Or maybe a 150-inch plasma (if they ever go mass market, that is), right? Let us know what's on your radar!

An all new season of Three Sheets isn't the only reason to tune into MOJO -- fans of HD and technology alike are sure to appreciate the new internet-based series that has just launched on the network's website. The Circuit, which gets freshened up with a new episode each Tuesday at noon, is hosted by the always animated Deepak Ananthapadmanabha (yes, for real). The web series seeks to bring viewers up to speed on the latest technological going-ons and can be viewed in 480p or 720p. Go on, hit the read link and give it a go -- if you're peeking this post, chances are the content is right down your alley.

As if you didn't have enough display technologies to wrap your noggin around, here comes yet another dark horse around turn three. Reportedly, researchers in California have "developed a hybrid light that is cheaper, longer lasting, more energy efficient and is as bright as traditional light emitting diodes (LEDs)." Interestingly enough, the resulting light actually blends the aforementioned LED technology with newer light emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) in order to create a hybrid light that would play nice in flat-panel HDTVs. LECs by their lonesome have experienced lifetime issues in the past, but the new combination seems to nix that quirk altogether. Not surprisingly, there's no word on when this discovery could actually find its way into the commercial display realm, but here's to hoping it fares slightly better than the ill-fated SED.

[Thanks, bitguru]