news archive
LG.Philips LCD to Demo New 15.1-Inch LCD for TV Aps at SID
Seoul, South Korea, May 30 - LG.Philips LCD Co today unveiled the LC151X01, a 15.1-inch XGA TFT -LCD module for television applications. Offering a high luminance of 400 cd/m2, a contrast ratio of 350:1, a fast response time of 25 ms, and color saturation of 65 percent, the LC151X01 initially will be used for mounted and portable LCD TV
applications, as well as other premium products such as PCs.
According to market research firm DisplaySearch, the TFT-LCD market for LCD TVs will account about for 5 percent of the large-area (10.4-inch and higher) TFT-LCD units sold in year 2005. Specifically, the market is expected to be 765,000 units in 2001,
1.7 million units in 2002, 3.1 million units in 2003, and over 7 million units
by 2005.
LG.Philips LCD's Executive Vice President of Marketing Bruce Berkoff said, "Although the LCD TV market is still in its infancy, the demand for light-weight, slim, space-efficient LCD-TV displays continues to grow, offering significant market potential in the near future."
In addition to manufacturing other LCD modules for TV applications, the company is developing a 29-inch display module, the LC290W1, which will be the largest TFT-LCD for HDTV applications available this year.
The 15.1-inch LCD TV module will be manufactured in LG.Philips LCD's Plant 2 in
Kumi, South Korea and is expected to begin shipping this September. The company is discussing plans for strategic cooperation with several leading TV manufacturers to commercialize LCD TVs. The LC151X01 will be demonstrated at The Society for
Information Display Symposium (SID), to be held from June 3-8 in San Jose,
Calif.
Information: Bruce Berkoff, Executive Vice President, Marketing.
Tel: 011-82-2-3777-0707, bruce@lgphilips-lcd.com,
http://www.lgphilips-lcd.com.
Optrex Introduces Color, Video-capable Displays with 50% Reflectivity for Cellular and Mobile Devices
Plymouth, Michigan, May 16 - Optrex has introduced a line of transflective "Active-MLA" LCD displays. Active-MLA - a refinement of the company's MLA (multi-line addressing) technology - offers 65,000 colors, a response time fast enough for 10-to-15-fps video, and a remarkable claimed reflectivity of 50 percent in reflective mode and a 35-nit luminance in backlit mode.
"ActiveMLA driving technology has been upgraded from 256 colors to 65,000 colors through the use of finer-pitch IC process technologies without any increase in power consumption," said John Cramer, Marketing & Business Development Manager at Optrex America. "The 2.5 mW power consumption offers a big advantage in battery life compared with the 10 mW or more consumed by a comparable TFT display."
For equivalent models, the Active-MLA technology offers a 20 to 25 percent pricing advantage compared to TFT displays, Cramer said. Pricing for a two-inch display in large-volume OEM quantities, for example, could be in the low-$40 range, compared to the low-to-mid-$50 range for a TFT display.
The Active-MLA product line-up will include a 256-color model (currently in production), a 4096-color model (just released), and a 65,000-color model (starting production in Q4 '01). These products will provide the graphic user interface for the i-mode Internet-access phones and W-CDMA (wide-band code-division multiplex access) 3G cell phones going into production at the end of this year.
Information: John Cramer, Optrex America. Tel: (734)
416-8500, Fax: (734) 416-8520, lcdinfo@optrexusa.com,
www.optrex.com.
IBM Announces its First Microportable Projector
Armonk, New York, May 22 - IBM today announced its lightest projector ever - the new MicroPortable Data/Video Projector - which features an integrated software capability that allows the user to automatically set up the image and just "plug in and project." Weighing in at just three pounds, the projector can be used with most notebook and/or desktop computers. The XGA projector has an output of 1100 lumens, supports DVI-I and analog connectors, and is HDTV compatible. The projector lamp is designed to last for as much as 2000 hours.
The projector has a three-year limited warranty and an IBM Web price of $4999. The projector is specifically optimized for use with IBM A, T, and X Series ThinkPads. Auto-sensing electronics instantly identify the video and computer signals from these IBM notebook computers and automatically set up the image
Information: www.pc.ibm.com/us/accessories/projectors.
Sharp Introduces Six New LCD Monitors
Huntington Beach, California, May 1 - Sharp Systems of America, a U.S. unit of Sharp Corporation, today announced the introduction into the U.S. market of six new color LCD monitors. The family of Sharp LCD monitors includes three 15-inch displays, a unique
16-inch monitor that offers a large-format resolution at a breakthrough price, and high-resolution, large-format 18- and 20-inch displays.
The most feature-rich of these competitively priced monitors is the 16-inch LL-T1610W. Incorporating digital video interface (DVI) technology, it enables users to display moving video images like those on television with no loss in resolution from having to convert a digital signal into analog and then back again.
(Looking
for a market sweet spot, Sharp has introduced
this unique 16-inch LCD monitor.)
"With this new family of LCD monitors, Sharp is making it possible for enterprises of all sizes to take advantage of the space- and cost-saving advantages of upgrading to LCDs," commented Tom Martell, president and general manager of Sharp Systems of
America. "Our new 16-inch monitor addresses these issues of footprint and affordability. It's an innovative solution that provides the resolution of a super-high-contrast 18-inch screen (1280x1024) … and is comparable in price to a high-performance 15-inch display." (The price of the 16-inch is $849; the price of the 18-inch is $1399; and the price of the least expensive 15-inch is $549.)
The Sharp LCD monitors feature a super high-contrast screen, color
management technology, Sharp's proprietary AGLR (anti-glare, low
reflection) technology, and dual inputs - features usually only available
with large-format monitors. Sharp's proprietary Super-V video processing circuitry produces an exceptionally crisp, flicker-free picture at exceptional brightness with a
350:1 contrast ratio.
Sharp's new line of LCD monitors will be available starting May 1, 2001,
through Sharp's authorized distributors and resellers. The LL-T1610W will
be available starting June 1, 2001.
Information: Craig Rittenhouse. Tel: (714)
903-4600, craig@sharpsec.com,
www.sharp-business.com.
WTS Introduces Transflective 190x190 LCD Module
Ashland, Massachusetts - WTS has introduced the MTG-S 19192X 190x190-pixel LCD module. Utilizing an STN with transflective rear polarizer, this aesthetically pleasing LCD with royal-blue pixels offers exceptional contrast and viewing angle with or without the backlight. The built-in dc/dc converter for LCD drive permits single-supply operation.
The standard LED backlighting offers long life and crisp, uniform brightness, and it operates from the standard logic voltage. Dot size is 0.30x0.30 mm, and dot pitch is 0.33mm x 0.33mm. Overall dimensions are 86(w)x95(h)x10(d), and the viewing area is 63x63 mm, which suits this LCD for small devices where a square display opening is desired. An internal M-Clock is provided to save the user PCB real estate. The module can be used with a gray-scale controller such as Motorola's Dragonball.
Quantity (5K) pricing starts at $38 each. Samples are available from stock 14 days after receipt of order, and production quantities are available 6 to 8 weeks after receipt of order.
Information: Louise Hall. Tel: (508) 376-2383, Fax:
(508) 376-2480, wts-sales@schaeferpower.com.
Cree Introduces New MegaBright™ Blue LED
Durham, North Carolina, May 8 - Cree, Inc. today announced the introduction of its new MegaBright™ blue light-emitting diode (LED). The luminous power output is increased two times over Cree's existing UltraBright™ devices, which were introduced in October of 2000. The MegaBright device exhibits a typical output of 10mW, a level that matches the highest output of competing sapphire-based devices. Target applications for the new devices include full-color outdoor video displays, automotive designs, PDAs and solid-state illumination. The company is offering evaluation and qualification samples, with volume production expected in June 2001. The new LEDs will be offered to customers at a price slightly higher than Cree's UltraBright
LEDs.
Over the past three years, Cree has dramatically increased the brightness of its LED products by a factor of ten. As a result of this increased brightness, the company has been able to penetrate applications including full-color outdoor displays, cell phones, automotive and other backlighting uses, white-light conversion, and consumer products
Neal Hunter, Chairman and CEO stated, "We have made tremendous progress increasing the brightness of our silicon-carbide-based LEDs. They now exceed sapphire-based devices at a price/performance point unequaled in the nitride industry. The brightness we've achieved places Cree squarely in the forefront of offering volume production at the 10 mW (typical) level."
Information: Fran Barsky, Investor Relations Manager.
Tel: (919) 313-5397, Fax (919) 313-5452, fran_barsky@cree.com,
www.cree.com.
AD9888 Analog Interface Chip Breaks Elusive 200-MHz Barrier
Norwood, Massachusetts - Analog Devices has introduced the AD9888, a highly integrated 205-MHz analog interface chip for capturing RGB analog graphics signals from computers and converting them to digital data for display on LCD monitors and projectors. The AD9888's 205-MHz encode-rate capability, combined with its full-power
bandwidth of 500 MHz, supports a wide range of resolutions from HDTV and digital TV formats to the next-generation UXGA specification of 1600x1200 at 75 Hz.
The AD9888 is a fully integrated solution. Three 8-bit 205-MSPS ADCs are combined with an on-chip PLL that generates a pixel clock from HSync. The range of pixel-clock frequencies that can be generated from HSync is from 10 to 205 MHz. PLL clock jitter is less than 450 ps peak-peak at 205 MHz. Also included is mid-scale clamping for HDTV and digital TV (YUV) signals, programmable gain and offset controls, integrated sync processing for composite sync and sync-on-green (SOG) applications, and a sync-detect function for "hot plugging." With the AD9888, the designer need only provide a +3.3 V
power supply to digitize analog graphic signals. The AD9888 also includes programmable analog bandwidth control for optimizing the bandwidth-to-pixel frequency ratio, and a 2:1 analog input mux.
The AD9888 is fabricated in an advanced CMOS process, comes in a space-saving 128-lead MQFP (Metric Quad Flat Pack) surface-mount plastic package, and is specified over the 0°C to +70°C temperature range. The AD9888-205 is priced at $22.00 in 1,000-piece quantities. The 170-MHz and 140-MHz versions are priced at $18.00 and $15.00, respectively, in 1,000-piece quantities. Samples and evaluation kits are available now.
Information: www.analogdevices.com.
Keyspan Ships USB 2.0 PCI Card
Richmond, California, May 7 - Keyspan, America's top selling brand of USB connectivity products, is now shipping a USB 2.0 PCI card for Windows and Mac OS computers. Distributed by Ingram Micro and Tech Data, the card is available now and has an MSRP of $59.
The Keyspan USB 2.0 PCI card adds five USB 2.0 ports to a PC or Macintosh. The card is ready for use with USB 2.0 peripherals that will come to market this summer and will operate at speeds up to 480 Mb/s -- 40 times faster than USB 1.1. The card also supports all USB 1.1 devices. (A USB 1.1 device plugged into the card continues to operate at its normal speed of 12 Mb/s or 1.5 Mb/s).
"High sales volumes of our USB products allow us to generate significant
economies of scale," noted Mike Ridenhour, Keyspan president. "The Keyspan
USB 2.0 Card is a good case in point. We are pleased to offer this cutting-edge technology at a low $59 price."
Information: Mike Ridenhour, President. Tel: (510)
222-0131 x102, info@keyspan.com,
www.keyspan.com.
