TechLuver.com

Tokyo, Japan — Mar 07, `08 — Consumer electronics maker Pioneer Corp said it would fall into the red for the fourth straight year on costs to scrap production of plasma displays as it rethinks its strategy in the cut-throat flat TV market.

Pioneer is expected to now turn to Panasonic brand maker Matsushita Electric to supply it with panels for its plasma TVs, thereby allowing it to focus on design and marketing and save on production costs.

Pioneer is the world’s fifth-biggest plasma TV maker, but it has been struggling to compete with larger rivals such as plasma industry leader Matsushita and LG Electronics, which can leverage economies of scale.

“This move will allow us to transform our business model for displays from vertically integrated, capital-intensive operations to a leaner business model geared to making value-added product proposals,” Pioneer said in a news release. More at Pioneer (in pdf).

Seoul, S Korea — Dec 31, `07 — LG.Philips LCD announced today that it will showcase its newest line-up of public displays at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2008 in Las Vegas.

LG.Philips LCD’s innovative new technologies for public displays center on increasing interactivity and viewability.

Multi-touch interface capabilities create a never-before-seen level of interactivity by allowing users to manipulate objects on screen, using both hands at once and even offering the precision necessary to recognize handwriting.

Another technology, transflective backlights, tackles one of the key challenges in developing public displays: readability in all lighting conditions, including direct sunlight.

LG.Philips LCD’s public display products featured at CES 2008 include:

52-inch Multi-touch Screen – World’s Largest Multi-touch Display
LG.Philips LCD’s 52-inch multi-touch panel for public and interactive displays is not only the world’s largest, it is also one of the most responsive, able to recognize input from either a touch of a finger or more precise writing instruments. It uses an infrared image sensor that gives it the ability to recognize two separate touch points as well as gestures. It boasts some of the industry’s highest specifications, with a 90 Hz touch response time, 1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution and a light transmission rate of 95 to 100 percent.

47-Inch Triple View LCD – World’s Largest and Highest Resolution Triple View Display
LG.Philips LCD’s 47-inch Triple View LCD features Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, can reproduce 1.07 billion colors and has a brightness of 250 nits. This display is an ideal solution for applications such as store directories and advertising at shopping malls. By splitting the light from the panel into separate paths, it is able to show three completely different images to people standing at different angles relative to the display.

47-inch Double-sided LCD for Public Displays
LG.Philips LCD’s 47-inch Double-sided LCD is two-sided display that uses a single backlight. At only 70 mm thick, it is 30 percent thinner than conventional models, but its luminance of 500 nits equals that of regular panels.

42-inch Transflective LCD for Outdoor Use
LG.Philips LCD’s 42-inch transflective display for outdoor use boasts an impressive 1,500 cd/m2 luminance in outdoor light, greatly improving daytime readability. The display is equally effective at night, relying on the power of its backlight. By adopting a special transflective technology, LG.Philips LCD has developed a backlight that greatly enhances the viewability of an LCD panel during all times of the day.

84-inch Multi-vision Multi-touch LCD for Interactive Public Displays
LG.Philips LCD’s flagship multi-touch display is an 84-inch model created by conjoining four 42-inch panels in a two-by-two array. This acts as a single enormous display with multi-touch capabilities across its entire surface. A screen bezel width of only 15mm, which is 40 percent smaller than the average bezel, adds to the panel’s seamless look and feel. The display also has Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, an omni-directional 180-degree viewing angle and impressive 500 cd/m2 brightness. More at LG.Philips LCD.

Tokyo, Japan — Dec 25, `07 –BUSINESS WIRE– Hitachi, Canon and Matsushita Electric today reached a basic agreement on a comprehensive alliance aimed at reinforcing and growing the liquid crystal display (LCD) panel businesses and technologies.

Under this alliance, the three companies will merge their strengths to accelerate the development of cutting-edge display technologies and expand their scope of application. Hitachi possesses sophisticated liquid crystal-related technologies, including the world-acclaimed In-Plane Switching (“IPS”) technology that enables outstanding color reproducibility, wide viewing angles and other superior features. Canon, meanwhile, excels in the camera, printer and medical equipment fields while Matsushita commands global leadership in the flat-panel TV field.

Moreover, it has been basically agreed by the three companies that Canon and Matsushita will, by transfer of shares from Hitachi, each acquire 24.9% of the shares of Hitachi Displays, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi engaged in small- and medium-sized LCD panel-related businesses, by March 31, 2008, subject to approvals by regulatory authorities. As a result, Hitachi’s stake in Hitachi Displays is to become 50.2%.

Hitachi will strengthen its competitiveness in the flat-panel LCD TV sector by using state-of-the-art LCD panels to develop the world’s thinnest flat-panel LCD TV and its ultra-thin flat-panel LCD TVs “Wooo UT series.”

Canon aims to accelerate ongoing development of organic light-emitting diode (“OLED”) displays by teaming up with Hitachi, which also boasts advanced display technologies.

Matsushita is expanding and strengthening its mainline PDP operations. It is also deepening its involvement in the businesses of Hitachi Displays, a designer, manufacturer and marketer of IPS liquid crystal panels for large TVs, and of IPS Alpha. The aim is to exploit the outstanding performance and cost advantage of the IPS alpha Panel toward increasing the competitive edge of the VIErA Series of flat-panel TVs in step with PDP models.

As the second stage, the three companies are planning ownership changes that would have Canon, a company with extensive know-how in small- and medium-sized displays from the user side, take a majority holding in Hitachi Displays, and Matsushita, a universally acknowledged leader in the TV sector, take a majority holding in IPS Alpha. More here.

Osaka and Tokyo — Dec 21, `07 — Sharp and Toshiba announced today that the two companies have agreed to collaborate closely in LCDs, a move that is expected to enhance the companies’ corporate value, profitability and global competitiveness.

The alliance will allow each company to make full and effective use of its respective strengths and resources, particularly Sharp’s capabilities in LCDs and Toshiba’s expertise in advanced semiconductors.

Sharp and Toshiba will initiate the collaborative partnership in fiscal year 2008, starting with an expansion of reciprocal procurement – Sharp’s procurement of system LSIs for LCDs from Toshiba, and Toshiba’s procurement of Sharp’s LCD modules for TVs of 32 inches and larger. Through the program, Sharp aims to satisfy about 50 percent of its total demand for system LSIs for TVs in fiscal year 2010, while Toshiba targets meeting 40 percent of its demand for LCD modules in the same year. More at Toshiba.

SAN DIEGO & SEOUL, Korea –BUSINESS WIRE– Dec 17, `07 — DivX and LG today announced the launch of two additional models in the DivX Certified Time Machine TV Series specifically targeted for South America.

The two new models of LG’s DivX Certified Time Machine TV Series join millions of DivX Certified devices on the market today that play back high-quality DivX video content.

The two additional models, the 42LB9RT and 32LB9RT, are LCD offerings that deliver high image and audio quality for digital content using much less bandwidth than regular analog devices. These devices boast a simultaneous watch-and-record function and the ability to transfer high-quality DivX content directly to the TV through the USB port.

Maintaining the exceptional standards of the Time Machine TV Series, these models include a built-in 80 gigabyte hard disc drive for Time Shift function and recording as well as a USB 2.0 port, for backing up recorded content and enabling the direct playback of MP3, JPEG and DivX formats. More here.

CHICAGO, ILL — December 3, 2007 — NEC Display Solutions of America announced today its largest LCD yet, the 65-inch NEC MultiSync LCD6520. The commercial-grade display delivers a robust feature set and dynamic technology expansion capabilities.

The LCD6520 is embedded with NEC’s Digital Signage Technology Suite (DSTS), which includes more than 20 features and functions developed specifically for digital signage, making the display ideal for the transportation, corporate, medical, retail, and hospitality markets. When used in digital signage applications, these features create a lower cost of ownership by eliminating the need for additional and sometimes expensive third-party components.

This new display features a 1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution with a 2000:1 contrast ratio, 6-millisecond response time, and Ambix+ Technology, which supports both digital and analog inputs. The LCD6520 LCD display is the largest direct-view display ever offered by NEC, and is available in both portrait and landscape models.

The new MultiSync LCD6520 offers the following key features:

* Commercial grade technology for 24/7 usage
* Exclusive Digital Signage Technology Suite with 20+ advanced features
* Built-in expansion slot, which allows for seamless integration of third-party components (CAT5 receiver, Single Board Computer, HD-SDI, DVI loop-thru for Daisy Chain set-up)
* Optional digital tuner available for landscape model, which allows for high-definition television capabilities
* Optional 15-watt speakers available in 2008
* AV inputs for HDMI, composite, S-Video, RCA, and mini-pin JACK
* Full High-Definition (HD) 1080p resolution (1920 x 1080) for optimum clarity
* 2000:1 contrast ratio
* 6-millisecond response time for full-motion video
* Display management controls, which lower energy consumption and save money

The LCD6520L-AV and LCD6520P-AV are available for shipping with an estimated street price of $18,499.99 and $19,999.99, respectively.

SAN JOSE, Calif –BUSINESS WIRE– Nov 29, ‘07 — New LED-backlit LCD displays of Samsung Electronics are now available in large premium-model, full-HD TVs at major U.S retailers for the holiday season.

The new panels enable a huge jump in the dynamic contrast ratio from between 5,000:1 and 25,000:1, to 100,000:1 and even 500,000:1, for the clearest images on the market today.

Available in 40-inch, 46-inch, 52-inch and 57-inch diagonal screen sizes, Samsung’s new “local dimming,” LED (light-emitting diode) technology provides a brightness level of 450nits, and reduces power consumption by as much as 30 percent.

Depending upon the number of LEDs used in a screen panel design, the dynamic contrast ratio can improve the contrast in colors by as much as a thousand percent over the CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent lamp) LCD TVs typically used today.

Another significant advantage to Samsung’s “local dimming” technology is that the LED scanning process shuts off the diodes in precise sequences, thereby essentially eliminating any remnants of ‘image ghosting’ that had previously been a drawback in some LCD TVs.

With local-dimming LEDs, hundreds of wafer-thin diodes about the width of the eye’s pupil are electronically turned off and on in exacting sequences that respond to movement on the screen – areas only a fraction of what was previously possible with the most prevalent form of TV backlighting – long, thin fluorescent lamps. In black areas of the picture, the diodes can be completely shut off in order to generate total blackness.

Samsung said that its new extreme-contrast LCD panels is now available in Samsung TVs in the U.S., and also will be featured in HDTV’s produced by other manufacturers. The local dimming LED display does not contain mercury.

SEOUL — Nov 22, ‘07 — South Korea’s Samsung Electronics said on Thursday it plans to invest $2.21 billion (2.06 trillion won) to expand its eighth-generation liquid crystal display (LCD) line, Reuters reported.

“Samsung, which had been cooperating with Japan’s Sony for its No. 8 line, is making the investment on its own for this phase, a Samsung official said.” Reuters.

Tokyo, Japan — On Thursday, November 22 Sony released its 11-inch OEL (organic electroluminescent) televisions to roughly 400 large consumer electronics discount stores around Japan.

The official launch of the world’s first mass-market OEL TV was December 1, but sales of audiovisual products in Japan often start before the official release date, as soon as enough quantities become available.

Despite the small screen size, the $1,840 ( ¥200,000 yen) sets have received favourable reviews for their 3mm thickness and high image resolution.Sony plans to make 2,000 units of the OEL TV a month.

The company started accepting advance pre-orders on Nov 14 at its direct marketing Web site. The number of sets that had been made available for pre-orders ran out in just over one hour, according to Sony Style. More at (google translated) SonyStyle Japan.

SEOUL, South Korea –BUSINESS WIRE– Nov 22, ‘07 — Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest provider of thin-film-transistor, liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels, announced today that it has completed development of a flat panel X-ray detector (FPXD) for radiology machines, in collaboration with Vatech Ltd, a Korean medical machinery manufacturing company.

By using digital imaging with thin-film transistor (TFT) technology, the diagnostic process is enhanced in many ways. In addition to delivering a much more precise image, Samsung’s new FPXD imaging sensor can save medical labs considerable time and money because no film or development process is needed.

An X-ray detector is an elaborate imaging sensor that converts invisible X-ray images into digital signals, which are then instantly transformed into pictures. Today, the medical profession still relies primarily on costly, plastic-based analog film for X-ray photography applications, which can take an excessively long period of time to develop in many medical situations.

The new FPXD measures 45 centimeters (cm) wide x 46cm high (or 61cm diagonally) and boasts a 3072 x 3072 (9.4 megapixels) resolution providing ultra-high definition images.

The new Samsung FXPD technology has virtually an endless range of applications beyond conventional X-ray systems. For example, it can be adopted for more advanced diagnostics such as CAT scans, for building inspections (scanning rebar structures, etc.) and for airport security scanners.

To create its FPXD, Samsung attached photodiodes to a TFT substrate that was produced using its proprietary amorphous silicon technology. The X-rays are detected photon by photon and then converted into visible light, which in turn is converted to electrical signals that can be displayed as diagnostic images on a flat panel screen.

In addition, Samsung has created an image enhancement function to eliminate most digital image noise interference to provide the highest radiographic sensitivity in the industry.

Samsung’s expects that its new, FPXD one-stop, total solution will secure the leadership position in the growing market for medical equipment detectors.The device will be available worldwide beginning first quarter, 2008.

Toshiba UK is offering one of the very thin, but still not as thin as Samsung’s 10mm, Full 1080p HD LCD TV in the UK market, Toshiba 40XF355D. Its available for approx $2460 onwards from various UK retailers.

Quick Specs

40″ 16:9
1920×1080p
10000:1 Dynamic Contrast
500 cd/m² Brightness
178º Degrees Viewing Angle
10-bit Color Processing
3 HDMI with Deep Color
REGZA link
WXGA PC Input
934×578x130; 22.5Kgs (Without Stand)

More at Toshiba UK.

Nov 16, ‘07 — Shortly after Michael Dell’s keynote address at Oracle OpenWorld on Nov 14, Dell has finally start selling brand new addition to its desktop lineup, 20-inch Widescreen Display All-In-One PC XPS One.

Dell is offering XPS One in four flavors, configurable with Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 processor, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, Bluetooth 2.0, 8-in-1 multicard reader, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, 256MB ATI Radeon HD 2400 PRO Graphics Card, and a 500GB 7,200 RPM SATA hard drive. Additionally, you can add on a built-in Blu-ray DVD-Burner and a hybrid Analog / Digital TV tuner, starting from $1499, all the way up to $2399. More at Dell.

Seoul, Korea — Nov 15, ‘07 — LG.Philips LCD announced that it has developed a dirt-resistant 15.4-inch TFT-LCD panel for notebook computers, which allows for easy removal of dust, smudges, fingerprints and even permanent ink. The company said it would start mass production of the new panel in the first half of 2008.

TFT-LCD panels usually feature a coating on the surface of the polarizer film, designed to reduce glare and reflections. Because of their chemical properties, some of these coatings have a tendency to hold onto dirt and oil. A computer user’s fingers are a ready source of both, and people touch the hinged screens on notebook computers quite often in order to adjust them.

Generally, to make LCD panels dirt-resistant, manufacturers must add a second coating to the polarizer film in addition to the glare-reduction coating. This is a time consuming process that slows delivery time and adds to the cost of panels. LG.Philips LCD has found a way to eliminate this additional step while also delivering superior dirt resistance.

The new technology will initially be used on LG.Philips LCD’s 15.4-inch widescreen panels for notebook computers and mass production of the product will begin in the first half of 2008. The company plans to expand availability of the new technology to notebook panels of all sizes by the end of next year. More at LG.Philips LCD.

Weybridge, 12 November, 2007 - Sony Europe’s IT Peripherals division today announced a new range of high performance AV cables designed to complete the high quality sound and viewing experience of Sony’s home theatre products.

Available for a number of Sony AV products, including BRAVIA flat screen TVs, VAIO PC and laptops, PLAY STATION 3 consoles or Blu-Ray Disc video players - Sony’s AV cable range has been specifically designed using the highest quality components to produce clearer, cleaner sounds and pictures. Following the same design principles as Sony’s home theatre products the range includes Digital HDMI, Component Video, SCART, Optical Digital Audio, Coaxial Digital and Stereo Audio cables.

The cables complement the midrange HDMI cables already introduced by Sony in April 2007 and provide a setup for more discerning users. Ready for HD viewing Sony’s Digital HDMI cables support full 1080P HD signals and the x.v. Colour standard for better looking HDTV. The cables also support Sony’s BRAVIA Theatre Sync one touch control, are PS3 compatible. Sony’s AV cable range is available immediately and comes in 1, 3 and 5 metre lengths.

Sony’s AV cable components have been carefully selected to mirror the audio and image quality of Sony home theatre products. The connectors are 24k gold plated, giving excellent signal transmission and protecting from corrosion within the home environment. More at Sony.

Nov 02, ‘07 — Dell has started selling the latest addition to its fleet of flat panels, 24-inch E248WFP widescreen LCD monitor, with amazing HD resolution and blazing fast response time, for just $469.

At a Glance

- 1920 x 1200 native resolution – Stunning detail and more viewable real estate without compromising desk space
- 5 millisecond response time (typical) – Helps reduce ghosting and motion blur when gaming or watching movies
- 1000:1 contrast ratio – Produces darker blacks for sharper images, crisp text, better color saturation and greater detail for HD entertainment
- High Definition (HD) – Supports higher definition than HD Television and comes with an integrated DVI-D with HDCP connection
- Dell TrueColor Technology – Richer, life-like imagery that has accurate color representation better tones and hues. Reds, greens and blues are deeper and more vibrant. The Dell E248WFP features a 92% color gamut.

More at Dell.

SEATTLE, Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ — ViewSonic today introduced five new DLP projectors that meet the diverse presentation and entertainment needs of classrooms, boardrooms and road warriors. This launch comes on the heels of tremendous growth for the company, as ViewSonic became the fastest growing projector brand in the market in the first half of 2007. 

The new, affordable projectors - the PJ557D, PJ559D, PJ560D, PJ551D and PJ260D - all include Texas Instruments’ BrilliantColor Technology, giving users the best display performance available to the mainstream market. BrilliantColor Technology provides richer, more lifelike images by using a wider range of the color spectrum, making presentations brighter and more dynamic than ever before.

“Extending beyond the desktop, ViewSonic understands that educators and busy professionals require easy-to-use projectors with outstanding image quality that fit within their budget,” said Jeff Volpe, vice president of marketing, ViewSonic Americas. “These new feature-rich projectors demonstrate how ViewSonic is leveraging its leadership in desktop displays to deliver a complete portfolio of products with superior visual performance and quality that surpass customer expectations.”  

PJ557D, PJ559D, PJ560D are priced at $799, $899 and $1,099 respectively. And PJ551D & PJ260D are priced at $649 and $999.

ViewSonic also announced at EDUCAUSE 2007 that it’s expanding its digital signage portfolio to help schools and businesses reach their target audiences with visual messaging. The 46-inch CD4620 commercial display features a thin bezel design and full high definition resolution to draw people’s attention where it should be — on the vivid pictures and messages it showcases, not on the technology itself. Through a partnership with digital signage software solution provider Best Wave, businesses can stream content to the CD4620 seamlessly and cost effectively.

The CD4620 provides convenient, multiple display features including tiling up to five displays in either direction, RS-232 chain connectivity that lets users control multiple displays with one computer, integrated scheduling technology, image sticking protection and picture-in-picture and picture-on- picture functionality    

The CD4620 touts a 1920×1080 high definition resolution, 6 millisecond response time, 1500:1 (typ) contrast ratio and 450 nits (typ) of brightness for vibrant, clear text and images in any setting. The CD4200 includes a 1200:1 (typ) contrast ratio, 500 nits (typ), 1366×768 resolution and 8 millisecond response time and comes with a standard three-year limited warranty. 

More at PRNwesWire here and here

Seoul, Oct 24, ‘07 (Korea Newswire)– LG will unveil its new ‘G Platform’ plasma TV panels with upgraded picture quality at FPD International 2007, the flat panel display exhibition held in Yokohama, Japan, from October 24-26.

LG’s new HD and Full HD plasma TV panels feature a 30,000:1 contrast ratio, which is twice the highest current existing ratio of 15,000:1. G Platform panels are capable of reproducing exceptionally true colors across the entire spectrum, including even deep blacks with a 20 percent reduced reflection rate. In contrast to existing black panels, which are able to improve colors on the screen only by using clear black-colored panels, LG has improved color reproduction by optimizing the panels’ color phosphors and utilizing dielectrics.

“Our G Platform panel delivers top image quality at an economical price using LG’s advanced technology,” said Christopher Kim, vice president and head of PDP Module Marketing Team, LG Electronics, “Special image processing technology doubles the standard 50 Hz refresh rate to 100 Hz, eliminating annoying motion blur or flicker. These panels will deliver the clearest picture with the least noise to viewers in PAL markets across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.”

The panels come out in 32-, 42- and 50-inch HD models as well as 50- and 60-inch full HD models. All of these HD models as well as the 50-inch full HD model include industry-leading single scan technology. All of the panels also feature a 100 Hz refresh rate.

The LPG370TS is a robust lunchbox computer built using heavy duty metal to provide tough, go-anywhere unit ideally suitable for gaming and video applications. Every LPG370TS comes equipped with three high resolution LCD displays, dual system cooling side fans and easy access to its expansion ports for immediate system upgrade or maintenance. Functional practicality combined with the simple and polished design, the LPG370TS with its extra-rugged construction to sustain bumps and impacted blows is the most cost-effective, durable and efficient portable solution for your needs.

The LPG370TS has built-in three high resolution LCD screens. With our engineering advancement, LCDs can be expanded and retracted fully effortlessly.

Quick Specks:

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz
17″ 1280×1024
2GB DDR2 PC2 6400
nForce 680i Chipset
Dual nVidia 8800GTX in SLI mode
8-Channel audio output
Dual Gigabit LAN, Firewire 400, USB 2.0
Seasonic 650 Watt Power Supply

More at Acmeportable

Hsinchu, Taiwan, - (October 18, 2007) — AU Optronics Corp. today unveiled breakthrough technologies for mobile device applications, including two kinds of in-cell multi-touch panel technologies and the world’s thinnest 1.9-inch mobile device panel of 0.69mm.

Unlike the touch panel applications currently on the market, AUO’s two newly-launched 4.3-inch multi-touch panel technologies both implement in-cell design, which integrate touch function features into the TFT-LCD manufacturing process without adding an additional glass and thus, are able to retain a thickness of 2.2mm with a resolution of 480 x 272 – thinner than conventional touch panel applications.

Furthermore, AUO’s multi-touch panel technologies have overcome the inconvenience in frequently-required calibration of conventional touch panel applications, and feature real-time true multiple touch point detection which allow users to easily slide their fingers on the screen to better enjoy the touch panel experience. The two newly-introduced AUO in-cell touch-panel technologies is scheduled to begin mass production in 2008.

By implementing the latest glass thinning technology and shrinking the thickness of related components, AUO today revealed the thinnest reported 1.9-inch mobile device TFT-LCD at 0.69mm, 13% thinner than the thickness of a credit card. The new LCD screen with a weight of 2.2 grams and 400-nit high brightness accomplishes a multitude of features - light, slim, elegant and sunlight readable, to suit current mobile lifestyles.

More at AUO

According to Reuters, Sony will launch an ultra-thin flat TV based on the OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology on Dec. 1 in Japan, bringing a new contender to a $82 billion market dominated by LCD and plasma TVs. It will be the world’s first OLED TV, the company said on Monday.

Sony, the world’s No.2 LCD TV maker behind Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, expects an 11-inch OLED TV with a thickness of 3 mm to sell for $1,740.

More at Reuters , Sony…