Sony and Panasonic reportedly end OLED alliance, as 4K takeover looms

Sony and Panasonic reportedly end OLED alliance, as 4K takeover looms
Sony and Panny to focus their efforts on 4K in 2014

Sony and Panasonic are reportedly calling time on their agreement to co-develop less expensive OLED televisions, as both companies step up their efforts in the 4K sector in 2104.

Japanese news source Nikkei said the pair will call it quits when their contract comes to an end next week, after failing to reach its goal of sufficiently lowering the production costs.

"The two companies had planned to combine Panasonic's production method, which involves printing organic material onto a substrate, with Sony's OLED technology," Nikkei reports.

"They aimed to establish a technological base for mass production in 2013, potentially working together on manufacturing thereafter."

The end for OLED?

After abandoning the OLED section, which is only expected to amassed 5,000 total sales in 2014, compared to the estimated 1.95 million 4K sales.

Both companies will go their separate ways to focus on developing 4K televisions which, as luck would have it, are also in need of a price drop in 2014.

Is this the beginning of the end for OLED televisions having never made it to the mainstream? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Via Engadget

Chris Smith

A technology journalist, writer and videographer of many magazines and websites including T3, Gadget Magazine and TechRadar.com. He specializes in applications for smartphones, tablets and handheld devices, with bylines also at The Guardian, WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Wareable. Chris is also the podcast host for The Liverpool Way. As well as tech and football, Chris is a pop-punk fan and enjoys the art of wrasslin'.