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Are Quantum Dots the Next Big Thing in TV Tech?

LCD picture quality may soon take a quantum leap.

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You probably don't spend much time operating on the quantum level—at least not consciously. But soon, your TV might.

Earlier this week, LG Electronics announced a plan to implement quantum dot technology in its 2015 lineup of LCD televisions.

With quantum dot technology, LG hopes to bridge the gap between the death of plasma and the viability of OLED.

LG's Jung Do-hyun confirmed that the company will pursue "a dual-track strategy" with quantum dot and OLED tech, according to a report by Reuters. In the battle for the best picture, LG "has no choice but to release quantum dot TVs to make sure it doesn't lose ground to Samsung while OLED continues to develop," claims HDC fund manager Park Jung-hoon.

With plasma TV officially dead and buried, the title of picture quality king is up for grabs. OLED tech is the leading candidate, but manufacturing costs are still too high for mass-market adoption. By implementing quantum dot technology, LG hopes to bridge the gap between the death of plasma and the viability OLED panels.

Don't expect to see the new tech right away, though. Production at the new quantum dot plant in South Korea reportedly won't begin until next year.

Sony's "Trilumonos" equipped TVs use a version of quantum dot tech that expands the traditional LCD color space. (Image credit: Sony.com)

Quantum dots (a phrase coined by physicist Mark Reed) are nano-crystals so small that they exhibit "quantum" behavior, meaning their exact physical properties exist in a more variable state than large objects within the realm of general relativity. These tiny "dots" emit purer, more vivid colors than traditional LED TVs. In fact, the colors created by quantum dots are comparable to the incredible color profile of OLED displays.

Quantum dots are nano-crystals that are so small they exhibit quantum behavior.

Sony has also been flirting with quantum dot technology since at least 2013, and we wouldn't be surprised to see adoption by other brand-name TV makers as soon as this January's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Source: Reuters Hero image: Flickr user "clancefield" (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

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