LG: OLED panels to be cheaper than LCD displays by 2016

At a Japanese trade show on Thursday, an LG executive predicted that OLED panels will be cheaper than LCD ones by 2016.

Won Kim, LG's vice president of OLED sales and marketing, also indicated that the company plans to release OLED TVs of 20 inches and above in 2010, 30 inches and above in 2011, and 40 inches and above in 2012.

"Forty-inch and larger OLED panels will be fairly expensive in 2012, but they will be available in the market," said Kim. "OLED panels will cost less than LCD panels in 2016."

Given the horrendously high price of OLED TVs so far, many videophiles will feel that the only proper response to such a claim is to engage in a vigorous beard-stroking session. We can't quite suppress the small hope in our blackened hearts that the prophesy will prove true though, especially in light of the delightful LG OLED offerings we've seen so far (one on display at CES 2009 is pictured above).