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Sony to sell super-thin OLED TV in U.S.

Sony Corp. on Sunday said it is introducing to the U.S. market a high-quality organic LED television only as thick as three stacked credit cards.
Image: Sony shows a side view of their 11-inch XEL-1 television.
This image released by Sony shows a side view of their 11-inch XEL-1 television. The company said on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2008 said it is introducing to the U.S. market a high-quality organic LED television only as thick as three stacked credit cards. Sony via AP
/ Source: The Associated Press

Sony Corp. on Sunday said it is introducing to the U.S. market a high-quality organic LED television only as thick as three stacked credit cards.

The 11-inch XEL-1 television, to go on sale this month, is Sony's first television for the U.S. to use organic light-emitting diode technology, which enables superior picture quality on super-thin displays. The company also is demonstrating a prototype 20-inch version at the Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas.

The XEL-1 has a contrast ratio — the difference between maximum and minimum brightness — of 1 million to one, because pixels can be turned off completely for a near-perfect black. That compares with 30,000 to one for a good conventional flat-panel TV, which can't show a perfect black.

The high picture quality comes at a hefty price: about $2,500 for the XEL-1. It sold for $1,700 at its launch in Japan in December.