CES 2024 was full of interesting surprises, including transparent OLEDs and robot projectors.

First reported by Digital Trends, Sharp's dual QDEL TV prototype (yes, two working versions) was the future of television.

The display utilizes so-called quantum dot electroluminescence technology (QDEL), which the industry claims is the pinnacle of TV technology, far surpassing OLEDs by improving some of the problems with OLED screens, such as burn-in, color balance, and brightness.

Sharp did not give any additional information on when and where its prototype displays will be used in major homes, but the company did suggest that smaller screens such as smartwatches, PC monitors, and phone screens are its main priorities at this time.

The amazing assortment of display technologies is growing so large that well-marketed terms soon begin to trip up. The TV industry is awash with acronyms like QNED, QLED, QD-OLED, ULED, and now, thanks to Sharp, QDEL displays. [QD-OLED is a fusion of quantum dot technology and OLED display technology, as seen in QLED TVs, and QDEL is very similar in its use of quantum dots. However, for ease of understanding, let's stick with QDELs for now.

Unlike QD-OLEDs and QLEDs, the potential of QDEL TVs instead uses quantum dots that receive energy through electricity, allowing these displays to emit colors by themselves, without the help of OLED or LED light sources. In addition, QDEL TVs will feature blue quantum dots that can reach the same luminance levels as existing red and green quantum dots.

Many industry experts claim that QDEL technology is the "Holy Grail" of display technology. The problem is that the technology is still in its infancy, with the first iteration of QDEL screens dating back to 2020 with BOE's 55-inch AMQLED.

According to Digital Trends, Sharp has made it clear with respect to their prototypes that this new frontier of display technology could be the future of cheaper TVs. At least in terms of Sharp's manufacturing process, the QDEL model is valuable because it is similar to the development of LED TVs, which requires simpler technology than the OLED process, which requires several exotic materials.

According to Digital Trends, Sharp has prepared two QDEL displays, including a 12-inch and a 30-inch prototype. The latter is prohibited from being shown to the public, perhaps indicating how early in development this screen is.

Given this difference, it is clear that the first few QDEL screens to hit the market are likely to be found in smaller form factors, and this is corroborated by Sharp itself. Smaller displays, such as those found in smartwatches, smartphones, laptops, and even PC monitors, will be among the displays that will receive QDEL treatment, according to Sharp via Digital Trends.

The company has remained incredibly tight-lipped about its mass production schedule, and while the 30-inch QDEL TV seems to be working (good news for market scalability), there may still be a fairly long wait before actual QDEL displays are available to the public

This new display will be available in the near future.

It will be interesting to see which parts of the industry heat up the most as this new display technology gains traction, and who could be the market leader in QDEL TVs.