Power-sipping Funai Dynamic ECD display don't need no backlight
By Darren Murph 
posted Nov 19th 2008 7:23AM
posted Nov 19th 2008 7:23AM
Got OLED on the brain? What about FED? Holograms suit your fancy? Regardless of how you feel about the world's latest and greatest up-and-coming display technologies, we've got one more that you should probably keep an eye on. Funai has just announced the development of a swank new panel that consumes just 0.16-milliwatts of electricity per square centimeter, or around 1% as much as traditional LCDs. The Dynamic ECD is made of a reflective display that uses color-changing dyes that light up and morph as electricity flows through. In other words, there's no need for a backlight, and it even boasts 80% reflectivity (compared with 50% on reflective LCDs) for easier viewing in broad daylight. The real kicker? It should cost around one-third as much as an LCD to manufacture. Expectations are to have 7- and 14-inch units out in 2009, though ultimately it hopes to completely dominate the mobile phone and e-book market.[Via SlashGear]
Can it be made flexible though?
yes, if you stop playing with it...
Err... I was asking a serious question. We're very close to having eInk displays that flex and even roll. If this technology were to supplant eInk as the dominate screen tech in ebook readers, I believe it'll need similar capabilities.
Oh that's just great. I get lowranked for asking a legitimate question, while StalematE gets high ranked for being a smart***.
Initial cost @ 1/3 of an LCD?
Does that still mean that the markup is going to bring it up to a 5-figure price point?
Only if our current friendly, price fixing LCD manufacturers buy the rights to it!
The big question is what will you do when there is insufficient light? Some ebook readers have built in front-lighting that is good enough for reading text but would be horrible for any real computing.
I can't imagine trying to watch a video on a video capable mobile phone using front-lighting.
Perhaps not. Though many cell phones have a secondary reflective display. This could be an ideal replacement for those.
Also Engadget is implying that this stuff glows too, but I don't see anything about that in the original text.
I hate you so much. I'll have you know I spent a good 30 minutes trying to find a QRCode decoder. There aren't any online ones.
After all that, it's just a URL, http://dFL8.me/2e95, which is a rick roll. I hope you burn in troll hell.
Make it more efficient and don't include a picture.(or sound)
If you could add a back light to it for nighttime use, it would be cool for car radio displays.
Hardcore gamers are just gonna have to accept the fact that Nintendo doesn't give a shit about them anymore. They don't have any reason to; a boycott of 10% of Nintendo's customers won't make them cave in, especially when they're already making such a huge profit off of the general population.
Stop whining about why the Wii sucks so much, because Nintendo doesn't give a fuck. There's other options, like the 360 and PS3. Buy one of those and enjoy your life again because you'll actually have something worth playing.
No one is whining. In fact no wii. Wrong post I think.
So, when will they just give us the ultimate display technology already? I mean, it's getting pretty confusing out there: CRT, LCD, PDP, SED, FED, OLED, EPD, laser TV, TMOS, VRD, IMOD (I'm seriously not making this up), and of course the various varieties of front- and rear-projection (DLP, LCoS, CRT, LED, LCD). And of course there was that new Liquavista tech Engadget told us about recently!
And if that wasn't enough to leave your head spinning, check this out!
http://www.aist.go.jp/aist_e/latest_research/2006/20060210/20060210.html
I guess every display has its own purpose and there's no ultimate display... This thing probably will not replace your TV display technology, and neither would you find a Plasma display panel (I'm guessing PDP means that) on a mobile phone...
What's the refresh rate/response time/update frequency?
don`t need no backlight
don`t need backlight
need no backlight
I ain`t no confused.
Funai puts the FUN in Funai...I think.
I, too, didn't notice anything about a "glow" characteristic in the SG article, although I'd love to be proved wrong. On the other hand, the more something glows, the more power it consumes...which kind of defeats the purpose for an "energy-sipping" display. But perhaps a little glowing would be nice and help out with contrast.
Here's a Tech-On link that seems to be related: http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20081119/161436/?ST=english_PRINT
It says that ECD stands for "ElectroChromic Display." The supplied image makes the technology look a lot like e-ink. It states an 8:1 contrast ratio and 80% reflectivity. Sounds and looks like high reflectivity but low contrast.
The oil-based technology sounds similar to either LiquidVista's electrowetting technology or Qualcomm's MEMS technology. As stated, the Funai technology doesn't need TFT-driving, but does need some power to maintain an image. The Qualcomm technology and LiquidVIsta technologies don't need power to maintain an image (not sure about TFT-driving). Any knowledge out there about the glowing, TFT-driving or related issues?
LiquidVista: http://www.liquavista.com/technology/default.aspx
Qualcomm: http://www.qualcomm.com/qmt/