LG will finally offer a 42" OLED this year. Manufacturing improvements may drive down the cost of smaller screens; it is unlikely that we will see the same "bargain-basement" OLEDs as LCD screens. However, good news may be coming, especially with regard to the odd price disparity between 55" and 48" OLED screens.

The problems with low-cost OLEDs at this point all come down to efficiency: according to TechRadar, LG manufactures 2,500 x 2,200 mm mother glass from which it cuts its OLED TVs. The number of screens that can be produced from this mother glass has a significant impact on the cost of the final product.

The cost of the 48-inch model is higher because LG initially used the mother glass left over from the 77-inch model. In other words, the smaller TVs were dependent on the production of larger displays.

This year, LG plans to change its entire system and produce eight 48-inch panels from a single piece of mother glass. But don't expect miracles; the possibility of 42- and 48-inch models costing less than $1,000 is closer than ever.

Even with these efficiencies, the prices of 42- and 48-inch screens are likely to be quite similar to each other. According to Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), the current production process uses 90% of the mother glass for 55-inch panels, 91% for 48-inch panels, and only 70% for 42-inch screens.

These efficiencies mean that 48-inch TVs could be significantly less expensive than last year's models. However, the 42-inch is not expected to significantly surpass it due to its much lower yield; there are new technologies that can improve the yield of 42-inch panels to 87%, but they are more expensive because production is even more complex.

All of this is good news for those who need smaller screens. Perhaps you don't have room in your apartment for a huge 65-inch OLED and want something a little smaller and easier to handle. Gamers may also be attracted to these smaller screens; 120Hz refresh rates, great black levels, and low-latency game modes make them a great option for console gamers on a healthy budget.