IHS pointed that LG Display, the only manufacturer with capacity to mass produce large-sized OLED panels as of 2014, is slated to unveil 65- and 77-inch UHD OLED TV panels in the fourth quarter of 2014. Another key interest is how fast the OLED display will generate demand in the flat-screen TV market that is currently dominated by liquid crystal display (LCD) panels.

HIS stressed, many panel makers jumped in to the development of large-sized OLED panels in 2013, but they are now dithering over mass production due to low yields and high production costs. Others want to put off mass-production until the technology has become advanced enough to guarantee high yield rates at low production costs.

The LCD industry is competitive in supply chain and price competitiveness from 10 years in the mainstream, leaving little room for the fledgling OLED business. Large-sized OLED panel manufacturers must improve productivity and price competitiveness as much as LCD, and endeavor to develop new manufacturing process and materials to differentiate OLED technology edge over LCD.

IHS considered, OLED TV panel makers have been developing technology that can allow the application of soluble printing and a flexible substrate. The soluble printing method improves the efficiency in the use of organic materials as it uses a “soluble” printing method to fabricate an organic light-emitting layer. Thus, it is expected to boost productivity compared to thermal evaporation.

In addition, the flexible substrate technology is expected to allow the production of TVs that could be bendable or foldable, which can’t be made with a glass substrate. This technology will likely bring innovation to the TV market in the future. The success of the OLED TV market depends on when each of those alternative technologies is applied to mass production.

HIS stated that it is hard to expect any significant growth of the OLED TV market with the OLED technologies currently applied to mass production. However, the market is expected to grow substantially with the application of soluble printing and flexible substrate technologies that will help improve productivity and clearly differentiate OLED from LCD.