Toshiba looking at OLED TVs, too

They are thin, consume little power and provide a pretty good picture. What's not to like about TVs made from organic light emitting diodes.

They might be really hard to manufacture in mass quantities and there is a possibility that they will degrade faster than LCDs or plasmas. But it's still a great idea, and the latest to try it are Toshiba and Matsushita (Panasonic in America.)

A joint venture between the Japanese giants has developed a 20.8-inch low-temperature polysilicon OLED display that can be used as TV. Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology has shown off a 17-inch OLED before. Commercially, however, it has concentrated on displays in the 2.5-inch range and put them in cell phones.

Samsung and Sony are also contemplating OLED TVs. Sony has said it may come out with OLED TVs by 2008 if the problems in manufacturing and other issues can be resolved.

One company looking forward to the dawn of OLED TVs is Universal Display, which develops OLED technology.

Both Toshiba and Matsushita have an interest in new TV technologies. Toshiba recently pulled out of a joint venture to make SED TVs while Matsushita is the king of the plasma market, which is leveling off.