Customer Satisfaction Factors from Actual OLED Users: What Makes OLED Worth It
OLED is the display panel championed by LG Electronics in Korea, and over 15 brands such as Sony, Panasonic, and Skyworth abroad. In the large panel display industry, OLED is the hottest panel, selling like hotcakes. Such commercial appeal and potential of OLED panels demonstrate the added value of OLED displays.
Value Chain of TV Business
In the end, these needs from the industry are derived from the demands of end users. Because the customers recognized the great added value of OLED TVs, their preference is reflected in manufacturers’ decision-making processes. It also influences multiple industries involved in the value chain along the way. This column explores this added value of OLED TVs as experienced by end users, not as an industry insider of display panels. Which factors contribute to the added value that customers experience from OLED TVs, leading to purchase them despite the higher price?
First, according to the survey by research institute Ipsos targeting premium TV consumers worldwide, the customers felt that OLED TVs are optimal for enjoying the content they consume on a regular basis. OLED TVs are known for their infinite contrast range due to the lack of a backlight, as well as the self-illuminating pixels and wider viewing angles. But what are the actual customers satisfied with? To find out why OLED TVs are optimal for customer use, we visited households that use OLED TVs to examine their customer satisfaction.
1. Slimmer TVs
When we asked the first customer “What is the biggest difference compared to your previous TV?” she answered, “the TV has become much slimmer.” The greatest benefit the customers experienced from CRT to LCD was the slim, thin TV. OLED TVs are much slimmer than LCD, which still seems to provide a distinguished value to the customers.
LCD TVs are also becoming slimmer, but because OLED TVs don’t require a backlight, they can be produced into much thinner forms.
2. Vivid Colors
The customer was also impressed with “More brilliant and vivid colors than our previous TV.” She continued to say, “Maybe that was too abstract.” But it’s similar to what a lot of customers are experiencing from OLED TVs. They may not understand the technology behind it, but anybody who has viewed the OLED TV, experienced that added value. Such customers turned into proactive supporters who explain the strength of OLED. Finally, she added, “Changing to OLED TV felt like being on an airplane after only riding buses.”
People who have seen OLED TVs at least once remark that “It’s definitely different from existing TVs.” FYI: You are watching the OLED TV screen captured on a mobile phone and projected on a computer or laptop screen. This is only for your reference; we recommend watching OLED TVs in person. When it comes to OLED TVs, experiencing it in person from someone else’s TV or at the store was the key purchasing factor.
3. Perfect Black, Distinguished Design
The second example is a college student who researched on their own and persuaded their parents to purchase an OLED TV through an overseas vendor. On “Why did it have to be OLED?” They said, “Because it’s the TV that most effectively expresses black.” The satisfaction factor after purchasing was the bezel-free design, which was excellent for interior design. Also, they liked that it gave them a more immersive experience when they watched dark scenes.
4. Game Scenes on OLED: Immersive and Profound Experience
This customer used their OLED TV in conjunction with his PlayStation console. He bought the TV because an OLED TV was recommended as “the Best Overall TV” for gaming on an overseas website. He said he was interested in OLED TVs because they satisfied two major conditions for gaming display: fast response time and high refresh rates.
To explain the terms, response time refers to the time it takes for the panel to update its display after it was ordered. The shorter it is, the quicker it refreshes. In OLED TVs, each pixel operates independently, generating a much faster response time compared to LCDs. Refresh rates refer to the number of images projected per second. It’s easy to think in terms of animation, as in running 60 pages per second vs. 120 pages per second. The higher the number, the smoother the action looks. Though many models among LCD TVs also have a refresh rate of 120Hz, all OLED TVs come with 120Hz. Both of these elements allow optimal experience when playing PlayStation games with OLED TVs.
The customer also noted that the display enabled them to get immersed much better when they played horror games, which usually show more dark scenes. The scenery in the games they played looked more vivid as well. They added that they couldn’t forget the profound inspiration.
