Sharp And Sony Link In Flat Tv Screen Venture

The two companies have signed an agreement to develop jointly flat screen display panels using plasma-addressed liquid crystal display technology that Sony has licensed from a US company.

By using the PALC technology, Sharp and Sony expect to be able to cut the cost of making large flat panels. They also expect to simplify the manufacturing process, thereby speeding up the market launch of affordable, large-screen, wall-hanging TVs.

Japanese consumer electronics companies believe wall-hanging TVs could become a big-selling product if manufacturing costs are slashed.

In the US, projection TVs, which enable users to enjoy cinema-like viewing of TV programmes and videos at home, have become increasingly popular among consumers with large living rooms.

 

However, wall-hanging TVs, which are much thinner than conventional TVs and would reduce the amount of room space needed, are likely to be much more popular in Japan and among consumer with smaller rooms. Projection TVs are also plagued by problems with picture quality under bright conditions.

Japanese consumer electronics companies have been working to develop flat panels which can provide cinema-quality entertainment in the home.

However, the flat panels used today in notebook PCs and other products, such as thin-film transistor liquid crystal displays, are too complicated and costly to make in large sizes.

Although TFT-LCDs are in wide use for small applications, such as notebook PCs and personal digital pads, they are impractical for large applications, such as TVs.

With demand for wall-hanging TVs expected to be concentrated on sizes of about 40 inches, it would take many more years for TFT-LCD technology to be developed - and prices to fall -to make these panels practical for such TVs.

Sharp, which is a leading producer of TFT-LCDs, has produced panels of up to 28 inches. Liquid crystal display panels using plasma, rather than transistors, can be made in a much cheaper and simpler process, the companies say.

They plan to deliver initial samples of the large screens in autumn next year, and are hoping to launch products on the market before the Winter Olympics in Japan in early 1998.

Sharp believes plasma-addressed LCD panels will grow into a market worth Y200 billion ($1.8 billion) by 2000.cs/right.asp"-->