Ultimately yr’s CES, I drove all the best way to Vegas simply to see a prototype of a next-generation show known as nanoLED. If you have not heard of it, you might need heard of the know-how it is based mostly on: quantum dots. Whereas the prototype was cool sufficient for me to drive eight hours over two days, it was nonetheless only a tiny prototype. The display screen was extra Nintendo Change than dwelling theater dimension.
Issues have moved rapidly within the final yr. At CES 2024, Nanosys confirmed off a considerably bigger prototype. Not TV sized simply but, nevertheless it’s a giant step.
NanoLED, particularly electroluminescent, aka “direct-view” quantum dots, are much more superior than present TV tech like LED, LCD or OLED. They boast improved image high quality, vitality financial savings and manufacturing effectivity. And so they’re theoretically really easy to supply, they may usher in a sci-fi world of screens on all the things from eyeglasses to windscreens and home windows, just like clear OLED and Micro-LED. This is what we all know.
Direct-view quantum dots develop up
Sharp’s prototype has a modest decision of 1,920×720, although that may actually be greater in a manufacturing mannequin.
At 12.3 inches, the brand new nanoLED display screen is just about a usable dimension. Not for a TV, in fact, however undoubtedly for tablets, small laptops and automotive makes use of. Decision of the brand new prototype was rather a lot greater too, at 1,920×720. Certain, 167 ppi is just not mind-blowing decision, however once more, that is very a lot preproduction.
Whereas maybe not as fascinating as pixels and display screen sizes, probably the most necessary features of this prototype is that it was made at atmospheric strain. The earlier prototype required a vacuum chamber. That is a giant step in the direction of cost-effective manufacturing.
NanoLED has the potential to be thinner and extra environment friendly than OLED.
Sharp is Nanosys’ manufacturing accomplice and constructed this prototype. Whereas Sharp has been out of the US TV enterprise since 2015, it did not abandon the TV market totally and reacquired its model identify to be used in North America in 2019. The corporate has quite a lot of firsts within the TV market, together with the primary LCD TV, all the best way again in 1992, and it offered the primary 8K TV in 2016. It is also price noting that it is majority owned by somewhat firm known as Hon Hai Precision Business Firm Restricted, aka Foxconn, an enormous manufacturing firm that makes iPhones, Kindles, PlayStations and extra.
Some manufacturing strategies for nanoLED.
What does the longer term maintain? Neither Nanosys nor Sharp are revealing that. It isn’t troublesome to guess we’ll see a good bigger prototype, perhaps even earlier than subsequent CES, most likely with even greater decision. Already Sharp has revealed in a current white paper that it has been capable of obtain 3,994ppi on a silicon wafer, with promising outcomes as much as 6,048ppi, which probably provides it even greater decision than Apple’s much-hyped micro-OLED. TVs do not want that type of decision, however it’s promising for the know-how’s scalability. Regardless, it would nonetheless be just a few years earlier than we see manufacturing nanoLEDs, and people first shows will probably be on smaller units, however it is a promising tech that appears to be marching steadily in the direction of manufacturing.
To whet your urge for food, try our tour of the manufacturing facility the place they make quantum dots.
In addition to overlaying TV and different show tech, Geoff does photograph excursions of cool museums and places world wide, together with nuclear submarines, large plane carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000-mile highway journeys, and extra.
He wrote a bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines, and in addition Funds Journey for Dummies. You may observe him on Instagram and YouTube.
