Sharp has come out swinging claiming that the new TV technology OLED is not ready for production in large screens and that it has a limited operating life. with the new 11″ model released by Sony the Company claims that OLED has a life of only 30,000 hours which is approximetly the same shelf life as plasma TV’s when they were first released

OLED is a new screen technology related to standard LEDs that promises razor thin, extraordinarily bright screens. Already showing up in mobile phones and other portable devices, OLED technology potentially represents the next generation of flat-screen TV technology after LCDs.

Sharp is ‘exploring our options’ with OLED, said Michael Troetti, president of the company’s American marketing arm. But the company doesn’t think the technology is mature enough to bring to market just yet. he said at the Sharp CES press conference in Las Vegas.

One big problem is that OLED screens don’t yet last as long as their LCD counterparts, Troetti said. While LCD screens last about 10 years, OLEDs only last about three to four, he said.

OLED screens are also difficult to make in bigger sizes. The sweet spot for the TV market is in screen sizes ranging from 37 inches to 50 inches. But reaching that size could be a ways off for OLED.

For instance, Sony is selling a 11-inch OLED TV, but a 27-inch version has only been shown as a prototype.