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Kodak frame uses OLEDs

By Jacqueline Hewett

Photokina, billed as the world’s largest photo and imaging trade fair, rolled into Cologne, Germany, this week bringing with it a barrage of press releases detailing new innovations.

For me, one of the highlights was Kodak’s new wireless picture frame which uses organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology. OLEDs are just beginning to break into the mainstream (one of the biggest announcements to date is Sony’s XEL-1 OLED TV) so Kodak’s news is another positive step along the path to making OLEDs not only commercially available but also commercially viable.

The frame has a 7.6-inch diagonal panel which does not require a backlight, making it exceptionally thin. Kodak also says that the product has a 180 degree viewing angle and an ambient light sensor that adjusts the brightness based on the surrounding light. Other specifications include a contrast white-to-black ratio in excess of 30,000:1, an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a resolution of 800 x 480.

The built-in wireless technology means that the frame can access videos and music stored on a home computer. Kodak even goes as far as saying that the wireless feature “enables connectivity to online photo and video sharing sites and Internet content portals for news, weather, sports and more. In addition to spectacular image quality, the new frame’s Wi-Fi connectivity delivers a richer experience to the consumer, enabling them to connect to their favourite social sites and view their personalized content online.”

The Kodak OLED Wireless Frame will retail for US $999 (MSRP) and will be available at kodak.com from November 2008, with additional online and retail distribution to be announced later in the year.

Posted by Jacqueline Hewett on September 26, 2008 9:51 AM | Permalink