QDOG More Likely to Find Home in Premium Monitors Than in Large TVs, Says DSCC

Top executives at Display Supply Chain Consultants expressed doubts Monday that quantum dots on glass (QDOG) technology, introduced commercially at CES in a 27-inch HP monitor (see 1901140008), will ever find a viable home in premium large-screen TVs. “The premium TV space requires full-array local dimming to get better contrast, and the QDOG can't do that,” emailed DSCC President Bob O’Brien. “There's a growing premium monitor market, though, that puts a little more emphasis on thin to save desktop space.” In that application, “the Iris glass product is attractive, and QDOG is a good step-up,” said O’Brien, a former Corning executive, in reference to Corning’s glass-based light guide plane technology for ultra-thin LCD displays. “While I agree that QDOG can do some local dimming, I will continue to hold that they can't do full array local dimming, because the edge-lit backlight does not have a full array.” DSCC also is aware of industry cost “concerns” about the “Iris QDOG solution,” emailed CEO Ross Young, the former DisplaySearch founder. Iris glass is expensive, and QDOG may well have missed its opportunity in large-screen TVs because the market has moved to full-array local dimming with QD enhancement film, at pricing that’s comparable with QDOG using edge-lit backlighting, said Young. Samsung Display is the lone supplier of QDOG panels using Iris glass it sources from Corning, QDOG technology owner Nanosys told us at CES. Nanosys expects QDOG costs will come down as more panel makers supply the product, it said.