Posted: 12 Jan 2013 05:32 AM PST
According to Pocket-Lint, Panasonic plans to stop producing LCD TV panels in its Himeji plant, and instead use the fab to produce OLED TVs and 4K 20" tablet LCD panels. Panasonic is using printing technologies to produce its OLED TVs (with some help from Sony, too) - and they're confident their OLED panels will be "significantly cheaper" than what others makers can do.
Back in September 2012 it was reported that Panasonic has taken steps to streamline its R&D and put more focus on OLED TV development, and earlier it was reported that the company plans to convert a production line in Himeji to AMOLED production (an R&D line at first). Back then Panasonic said they will continue to produce LCD TVs, but now it seems the company will buy its LCD TV panels from a third party, and focus on tablet 4K displays and 4K OLEDs.
A couple of days ago Panasonic unveiled a 56" 4K (3840x2160) OLED TV panel prototype that was produced using an all-printing method. Panasonic calls this the "RGB all-printing method" and they say that all the organic materials were deposited using ink-jet printing.
Panasonic's panel uses a top-emission structure with a transparent cathode, which results in a more efficient panel The panel's TFT substrate was supplied by Sony (so it's probably an Oxide-TFT based panel) as part of the two companies collaboration.
