Samsung announced here that it has developed an “industry leading” 46W-inch direct-view LCD panel.
The large panel display is part of an expanding lineup of TFT LCD TVs and monitors, and joins the 40W-inch model recently announced at the CEDIA Expo in Minneapolis.
U.S. marketing plans were not announced at press time, but Samsung said it plans to begin mass production of the panel in the first half of 2003.
The thin film transistor (TFT) panel was said to offer HD-level 1,280 by 720 pixel resolution in a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, and features “true motion picture quality” with a short response time of 12ms.
The large-panel announcement came shortly after the LG.Philips LCD joint venture announced development of a 42W-inch LCD panel, which is slated for arrival next year. Samsung said it uses a proprietary Patterned Vertical Alignment (PVA) technology to achieve a 170-degree viewing angle in all directions. Color saturation is rated at 72 percent against the NTSC standard. The contrast ratio is 800:1, and brightness is 500 candelas per meter squared.
The display was originally unveiled at recent groundbreaking ceremonies for Samsung’s TFT LCD Module Line at Suzhou in China’s Jiangsu Province. The new module line will cover 1 million square feet of a 5.9 million square foot site acquired for future facility expansions.
The new plant will begin operation in the third quarter of 2003, turning out 14.1-inch and 15-inch TFT-LCDs for notebook PCs as well as 15-, 17- and 19-inch models for desktop monitors, the company said. Initial monthly output is expected to be approximately 200,000 units, which will be supplied domestically.
The 46W-inch TFT LCD sample was developed at Samsung’s fifth generation line in Chonan, Korea, which began operating in September 2002, the company said. The facility specializes in 1,100 by 1,250mm substrates, and two 46-inch panels can fit on each substrate, the company reported.
“We are now equipped with both technology design and mass production capability to deliver high resolution large size TFT LCD panels for the flat panel TV,” said Yoon-Woo Lee, Samsung Electronics Device Solution Network president.
“China is the most attractive market for the IT industry in terms of growth potential for the 21st century,” Lee continued. “We intend to continue bolstering the competitiveness of our semiconductor and TFT-LCD businesses and expand our China-based production, sales and R&D operations.”
