Sony XEL-1 The first OLED TV
When I first started a tech blog - I hoped to regularly feature cutting edge, innovative technology like the then newly released Sony XEL-1.
Then almost over night the smartphone changed everything. The once consistent flood of a wide assortment of cool new tech devices dried to a trickle.
In the absence of interesting new gadgets, I started to focus more on innovations from the past. Thirteen years on from launch of the Sony XEL-1 it‘s now earned a place in that tech history curiosities category too.
It stands as a striking vision of what both Sony and myself mistakenly thought and hoped the future would look like, back in 2007.
In other news I think I’ve shaken the bug I‘ve had recently, so hopefully I can start to get things back on track. Keep well - stay safe and have a pleasant week.
Comments (72)
ello, just wondering if you know of any reason the Youtube auto-transcribed captions aren't showing on this video, is there anything you can tweak at your end so they show up? I know they're sometimes not available for early release videos that haven't gone 'live', but this has been public for a few days now and they're still not showing for me. I'd like to watch this video properly but haven't been able to yet!
I can’t see a way to turn them on or off at my end. The only option I have is to manually type subtitles in. I wish I had the time, but since I don’t work from a script, it’d take ages working from scratch.
Excellent video as usual. I remember seeing one of this on a programme back in the day and thought how cute! Interesting to note that the guy on eBay sold his £140 broken screen one!! Wonder whoever bought it ever found a screen to fit??
At the risk of being entirely trivial, your beard looks absolutely fantastic. Really suits you. Be well. :)
Did someone say ... "The Shape Of Things To Come" ??? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9hKEeOhVtE
Great video and surely one of a kind from Sony. Totally missed that one. And as many others, very happy to see the muppets again.
I do remember the XEL-1 coming out, was a bit puzzled by the size. In a similar vein I recall when I first worked in finance (around 2004/5, at a hedge fund), there was a really early 17" TFT Sony monitor kicking around that apparently had apparently cost an absolute fortune. By then it was mixed in with others with much smaller bezels and lower price tags. Still had a really nice design though.
Remember seeing this in Japan while I was traveling, and not really knowing what the fuss was about it (especially after seeing the price tag). Looking back it was a pretty cool tech demo and unique piece of hardware, for sure!
Our biggest and best TV here is still a 55" 1080P TV we bought a couple of years ago. I am trying to convince my wife we should get a 70+ HDR/4K TV. Maybe at Christmas!
Oh, I remember this one clearly. Can't believe it's over ten years though. It's nice to see some on camera Matt as well.
Glad you worked in the puppets!
Well done you! I am so pleased you have achieved one of your technology bucket list dreams. It's a beautiful thing and new to me, but then, that's why I watch you, to learn about things that passed me by, as well as seeing things I remember from way-back. I am so pleased it works for you, it would have been a great shame had it not. I am tempted to ask what you paid for it - but I guess this is one item where the price was not as important as ownership! :-)
Yes it was a bit of a one-off, so I don’t go into price. I only really talk prices with new things that others could also buy. You’ll always get that one guy who says - I bought one of those for £1 at a charity shop. I’ve never considered the price of second hand objects has much relevance when each sale is unique.
Mat, in comment here you said: "There’s something about tiny cassettes that triggers a paleofuture endorphine. " Is the MicroMV video in the plans of the next few months? Do you need equipment?
I’ve still got my old MicroMV equipment and tapes, so I really should get around to covering it (as well as transferring the tapes).
Wow, that is gorgeous and certainly would have had me drooling back then. If pushed, I think I could only name Sony Trinitron (you missed a trick by not showing Technology Connections' video on that range - but I love that you showed his channel, another of my favourites after yours). Maybe I am mistaken, but I get the impression that modern TV model numbers are unique to the retailers that sell them, which makes price comparison almost impossible between say Amazon and John Lewis in the UK? I just did a very quick check and couldn't find identical model numbers on sale at those two retailers - you'd have to check every detail of the specs to really compare. Glad to learn you are feeling better, Mat - have a great week!
The TV model numbers - yes it’s a bit of a sneaky trick. Quite a few retailers have their own model numbers, often it’s related to the stand. They’ll be a TV with legs at the end that has one model number and then the same model with a stand in the middle with another designation. One will only be available in John Lewis and another only in Costco. In my experience though it’s often just the end part of the model number that changes. I’ve been looking for a new TV since the screen burn - but am reluctant to get OLED again. I spent a lot of time looking at the 2020 model range from all manufacturers and ended up coming to the conclusion they were all lacking in some areas - so I’ll wait till next year.
Didn't know about the TV beforehand, but your obvious enthusiasm and excitement about getting your hands on one really made this a super enjoyable video ... it's put me in a very happy mood, thanks! :)
One day in 2000 I was walking through a shop that sold TVs and came across a plasma display model, new for the time. Picture was beaut. Then I looked at the price tag on the side: AU$14,000. I turned to the couple standing next to me and said this TV costs more than my car and motorbike combined. Today you can knock a zero off that price.
The suspense was brilliant! I didn't think you had one. All hail the time machine!
I'm possibly stepping into a minefield here, but I'm looking at upgrading my old Samsung UE40F6700 (LED, albeit with 3D - not required in a replacement) and have no idea about OLED, QLED or any of the other, newer panel techs. One thing I don't want is screen burn - does anyone have an opinion on what kind of display panel I should be looking at?
I enjoy the Canadian webpage RTINGS.com. Supposedly independent and objective, they make a point about being reader funded, and buy test models through retailers so as to avoid ones handpicked by the manufacturer. Their testing methodology does seem sound: https://www.rtings.com/tv/learn/real-life-oled-burn-in-test https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/by-type/qled-vs-oled-vs-led No affiliation, by the way. 🙄
Happy to see our felt covered friends making another appearance.
Hm, I had a hard time getting this one, maybe because the TV image quality didn’t look very impressive from the video? Maybe because I’m too young, I was about 9 in 2007. When I think of iconic TVs I can only really think about the Philco Predicta. What do you think people used a $3k 11” TV for?
I’m so interested in these vintage tech items but I feel that most people who are interested grew up when they were current. I wonder if I’ll be interested in the technology of my youth when i’m a bit older. I don’t think so
I sat there in wonder at how thin it was!! Then I remembered its age! Clearly my three sets are much older than I thought! I don't get out to Rumbelows and Radio Rentals as often as I should. 😉
Gorgeous item. Sony Design is so strong that long after the product has ceased to be useful -- or even functional -- it's still beautiful as a static object. I've had an XEL-1 (and the KV-4000 Trinitron) on my wishlist for a while.
That reminds me - I’m almost sure I’ve got a KV-4100 somewhere (the 4000 with a Microcassette). You’ve got me wondering what I did with it now.
I was working at an Electronics chain (Dick Smith) here in New Zealand when this TV came out. We weren't selling it but were invited to a Sony showoff event where they had 4 of these connected to PS3's we could play on. I still remember it being one of the most impressive screens I had ever seen.
Entertaining and informative as usual. It looks like quite a distinctive design. Even on the old-school CRT I use to watch your videos, I could tell that it produces a clear, vibrant picture, which is one of the selling points of OLED technology.
OMG! SO many flashbacks for me because of this video. I can remember when I saw this for the first time, either at a electronics store at the mall or the official Sony Store here in the US. I remember walking around the thing multiple times, to admire how gorgeous and vibrant the screen was as well as the impossibly thin panel. Then my jaw dropped again when I saw the price tag. I couldn't imagine anyone buying a $2K USD, 11" OLED panel (well me now, with a stable job and pandemic buying...) I haven't had such strong flash backs since your review of the Sony D-88, where I also remember seeing that, and being in total awe of the CD spinning outside of the player. And then discovering HOW sensitive it was when I gently tapped the glass table it was sitting on and it skipped. 😆 You really do have a time machine, because... I'm remembering those moments as if it just happened! Thanks so much for the video and I'm glad you're feeling better!
Lovely video for a lovely piece of gear. Thanks as always. To see something like that back then would have been striking, and it's not like we weren't used to burn in on these new displays either; I know plasma had the same problem. I think given how much of a dream come true this TV is, maybe it'd be neat to have the video outro also play on the TV.
Congrats on the XEL-1, Mat! I can see why you've coveted one for so long. wrt to the question of classic TVs, the first one I think of is the Philips Discoverer. Back in the '90s, a friend of mine was given one for free (albeit with a missing 'visor'). I'm kicking myself for not offering to buy it from him...
I coveted (and still have) one of the Sony 16" widescreen Trinitrons, which is a classic novelty item of its own era (what you watch in widescreen on a bedroom/kitchen TV in the mid 90s?). I saw an XEL-1 in the Sony store in Tokyo when they were new. I was blown away by sliding my hand behind the narrow bit. It seemed impossible. I didn't realise it was such a rare thing to see in the flesh before now though.
1:15 To continue the list Philips G6, JVC Videosphere, Sony Profeel. I have three Videospheres but unfortunately they all look as if they have had a very hard life followed by being used as a football. You would need a very tolerant wife to have either of the other two. I have never seen one of these Sonys but was well aware of it. What I did see, but which wasn't for sale, was a Sharp 20" LCD sometime in the early to mid 1990s at an Electronics show at Olympia. The fact that it was displayed in its own room, with security guards present like the DeBeers diamonds made you realise how special it was at the time. It was at least five years before anything comparable appeared on the market.
You had me believing this would be the first Techmoan video without a "show and tell" - which would have been understandable given the state of the world - until the time machine! I actually came to thinking about this specific TV the other day, while discussing current OLED models (specifically the LG CX) with a friend. I couldn't remember the model name, or the year it came out, but certainly remembered its diminutive screen size coupled with a ginormous price tag. We've come a long way since then. As you mention handing it on when the time comes - hopefully decades from now - a Techmoan wing at the Science Museum would be deserved!
I thought it was going to huge, like a projector TV. When you said the price I thought "Doesn't sound too bad for such a large TV"... then you mentioned it was eleven inches! Good to see The Moans as always!
I have always been of the mind that the "sleek" buttonless aesthetic that Apple/Steve Jobs made so popular back around that time ruined the unique creativity that new tech used to have. Hoping that spell gets broken sometime soon. Great vid, love this little TV!
i only have a single TV, it is a 18" phillips which i won at a raffle at work. so id be open to actually using an 11" as my television, the only media i consume on it are digital TV and chromecast. i checked ebay, only one available, NIB but $3200! whoa! excellent video on something I surely never heard of (then again, clearly i am not a TV expert). glad you are feeling better!
I have a feeling that one was bought from the chap who sold me mine (he had two) and then immediately re-listed by the buyer at a much much higher price.
I realise it's vulgar (and I can't believe I'm asking), but… how much?
I prefer not to talk about prices when it comes to things that are one-offs. It’s unlikely there’ll be many more of these left BNIB - and it’s a seller’s market. I understand the curiosity though - but a high price might offend and low one might upset.
Sony make beautiful devices, and this is no exception. It would make an ideal studio monitor when you’re filming. I’d be interested to know what it cost, but it’s fine if you don’t want to disclose it.
Great video, I had to laugh so hard at the puppet wearing the mask wrong. I actually saw that TV once in a store in the UK, it was during a short trip to London in September 2010 at Selfridges, Oxford Street. I don’t remember the price, it’s just stuck in my mind because it was in a glass case advertised as the first OLED TV.
Selfridges sounds like the sort of place to have one. They were using Plasma displays as signage, back when they retailed at £10000 each.
Wonderful video as always. This brought back great memories of our December 2007 trip to Tokyo and a day visit to Akihabara. Was able to see this unit and an 80” Sony for the first time. Amazing that both were for sale but at unrealistic prices for me. Maybe I’ll come across one at some point! All the best.
I hope the bug you had wasn’t COVID-19.
Just a sinus infection (self diagnosed based on past experience). If I get COVID I’m a gonner - I’ve a smorgasbord of pre-existing lung and breathing issues.
Yay muppets. So awesome. Love the backround "busy-noises" you added there like they were interviewed on the street.
The fact that I still know where I saw it on display in the flesh (RAF hifi in Utrecht, probably only months before their failed move and subsequent closure), goes to show that it really is an iconic set. Good job on getting a NOS one!
Deep joy! The "Moans" are back! Great video and review.
Great video as always. I've never been one for screen technology usually, but I remember hearing about OLED and thinking "great, another fad". But when I saw the Playstation Vita for the first time, I was absolutely floored. I couldn't believe how deep the blacks were and high bright it was. It impressed me so much I scowered for a cheap Vita for a week just to get one and I've loved it ever since. The Nintendo Switch screen is fantastic, but mostly because of the games it can run. The vita floored me just when playing PS1 games. Playing FFIX on the vita was dreamlike.
I don't think you told us what you paid for the Sony. Also, I'm sorry to hear that OLEDs burn-in and that you have that line on yours. I guess I won't be getting one (My Samsung 75" looks good enough until the micro LEDs come out.
I’ll just say that it was more than anyone should pay for one - but a lot less than they were back in the day - even in the US.
Great video Mat - your excitement really comes across. Loved the "street noise" in the interviews.
Glad you spotted that - I thought it wouldn’t seem ‘real’ without it.
Flippin' 'Eck! The puppets are back!!! Thank you so much for this!
the muppets ... i can't stop laughing! <3 <3 <3
Yes, and the one puppet who just can't seem to wear the mask correctly. Had me in stitches! XD
Matt, you brought the joy again! Sony is in many ways a confounding company. They come up with great concepts and products and then just drop them or fail to exploit them, leaving it for other companies to pick up the ball. I will say that Sony's wireless earbuds are the best in the business. I love the puppets and keep up the good work!
Very nice video! What chrome cast did you use? The chrome cast 3?
It’s called ‘Chromecast with Google TV’ It only came out recently. Here’s the page on Google UK https://store.google.com/gb/config/chromecast_google_tv?hl=en-GB
It’s showing in my feed for what it is worth.
That build up was exciting, I genuinely wasn't sure if you had one. Very impressive device so congratulations on getting hold of one, I remember being very impressed with the first OLED TVs I saw probably 9 years ago before most of the local electronic shops closed, never owned one though as I'm perfectly happy with my LED backlit LCDs. Shame about that screen burn, I would definitely have a nice fat taskbar burnt on mine as this TV is used as monitor too.
At 3:51 when I paused to check out the sticker price, did a double take after I saw the image on the screen. Those are Rebun's shiogama flowers, looks like peach rock in the background, must have been a travel program featuring my island? https://www.flickr.com/photos/7rebun/
Hmm now I see this as a start of a series on monitors and other display oddities? Maybe some of those iconic models the moan refered to? Or some projectors? Film or crt?
I've got the first LED projector (Toshiba FF1), the first laser projector (Picovision) and the oddest little LCOS one that plugs into an iPod! The Toshiba actually still gets regular use, the little LCOS one is a suprisingly decent minature. The picoview laser one is truly horrible.
Great video, it's always amazing seeing how fast technology advances. Also really loved the Technology Connections appearance. By the way, while the XMB was on the PSP I think a lot more people will have seen it on the PS3 which also used it. Is there a reason this post isn't showing up in my patreon feed or is that a bug?
I also can’t find this post in the feed
I couldn't be happier with my modern OLED TV, such a great technology. Looking forward to the future
I remember being amazed by this TV when I saw it in the Sony in Chiba.
Congratulations on your bucket list ;-) I never heard of it, I would have no idea if I would even have bothered when I would have seen it back in those days, but maybe because the screen has a certain brilliance that LCDs of the time did not have?