THE VISION: South Korean TV manufacturers are hoping to boost sales with a new display technology that promises an even thinner screen and imagery of eye-popping clarity.

THE CHALLENGE: It's harder to excite consumers wowed by smartphones and tablet computers.

OPTIMISM: Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. are giddy about a technological leap that they are comparing to the invention of the first color TV in the early 1950s. Wafer-thin OLED, or organic light-emitting diode, television sets boast vivid, saturated colors and deeper contrast than the TV displays now available.