Hitachi Shows Hybrid LCD Panel/Projector Technology

by Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 10/1/2007

Tokyo — Hitachi is demonstrating at the CEATEC show here a 47-inch hybrid LCD panel/LCD projector display that can produce a dark room contrast ratio of 8,000,000:1.

The hybrid monitor technology uses a projector as a back-light system on an LCD panel, the company said.

According to a report in Nikkei Business News, the 8,000,000:1 contrast ratio is achieved through “the multiplication of the LCD panel's and projector's contrast ratios.”

Hitachi told Nikkei that “the display renders better gradation in dark scenes since both the LCD panel and the projector control gradation.”

The company said it doesn’t currently have plans to mass produce the system, but could introduce it fairly quickly if reaction to the demonstrations indicates strong potential demand.

Using a newly announced “short focal-length projector technology,” Hitachi said it can reduce the depth of the display to around 11 inches.

A prototype demonstrated at the show, used an LCD panel with full HD 1,980 by 1080p resolution, combined with a 1,280 by 720p projector, Nikkei said. Panel surface luminance was listed as 700 cd/m2, when displaying white.

Hitachi said the hybrid display can be easily adapted to present three-dimensional (3D) images when combined with a 3D image rendering technology, called DFD (depth-fused 3D). DFD is described as an imaging technology developed by NTT Cyber Space Laboratories to enable 3D expression by displaying two-layered images of different brightness.

The technology is said to put less stress and strain on the eyes, allowing longer viewing times than control parallax barrier 3D technologies. Hitachi said it sees the technology being used for video gaming systems.