Sony Corp said on Monday it would launch an ultra-thin flat TV based on the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology on December 1, bringing a new contender to a market dominated by LCD and plasma TVs.

It will be the world's first OLED TV, the company said.

Sony, the world's second-largest liquid crystal display TV maker behind Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, expects an 11-inch OLED TV with a thickness of 3 mm to sell for 200,000 yen ($1,700).

OLED panels are said to be energy efficient, make thin and light displays, offer crisp pictures and have strength in showing fast-moving images, suitable for watching sports events and action movies.

But manufacturers still face some technological challenges in making larger panels and driving down production costs to compete commercially with LCD and plasma TVs, analysts say.