At little more than 2mm thick, Sony have unveiled what is believed to be the world's thinnest television screen.

The XEL-1 is a marvel of electronic engineering using OLED (Organic Ligh-Emitting Diode) technology to create a svelte like screen that not only looks around 10 times sharper than LCD or Plasma but also uses far less energy. A contrast ratio of 1,000,000 to 1 far exceeds anything existing technologies can offer and video relay 1,000 times faster than LCD promises blur free fast action pictures.

At just 11in the XEL-1 won't be replacing your large screen Plasma's or LCD's just yet as bigger versions are not yet available and would be prohibitively expensive to manufacture. At the launch, Sony Executive Deputy President Katsumi Ihara said "I don't think OLED TVs will replace LCD TVs overnight. But I do believe this is a type of technology with very high potential, something that will come after LCD TVs"

OLED technology is based on organic materials which emit light naturally after an electrical charge is passed through them. The result is a device which uses around 40% less power than a traditional LCD TV.

On sale in Japan this Christmas for around £850, we will have to wait a few years before they arrive on these shores.