When you first saw an LCD or plasma TV, you probably peeked behind the screen and wondered what happened to the rest of the set. You might have the same reaction to the new Sony XEL-1, the first TV to use a new technology called OLED (organic light-emitting diode). At one-eighth-inch deep, about the thickness of a typical weekly magazine, it's a sign of slim TVs to come.

We reported our initial findings in the Electronics Blog when we took a First Look at the XEL-1 back in January. (You can also take a closer look at the Sony OLED TV by watching our video embedded on this page.)

The biggest catch so far: The XEL-1 has an 11-inch screen and a $2,500 price, higher than that of many high-rated big-screen plasmas and LCDs.

But this set's picture quality is simply amazing. Images are bright, with the deepest blacks we've seen, rich colors, and high contrast. The OLED TV screen looks great in almost any room lighting and has a virtually unlimited viewing angle, unlike most LCD sets. It can do justice to a high-quality HD video source and DVD movies even though its native resolution maxes out at 960x540. The sound quality is also quite good.

Another drawback: The XEL-1 has only HDMI inputs and a memory-stick slot. Without analog inputs, it can't handle older DVD players or components that don't use HDMI.

Sony recently displayed a 27-inch OLED TV prototype, and Samsung, a 31-inch prototype, though there's no information on when those might be sold or how much they would cost.

CR's take. Given this little Sony's stellar performance, we can't wait to see bigger OLED screens and smaller prices.