Sony's Field Emission Technologies closing its doors

FED's dead, baby -- at least for Sony. The company's spin-off Field Emission Technologies, whose sole purpose was to develop the displays, is now closing its doors. Blame goes to difficulty in raising funds for manufacturing. After years of teasing and an actual demo unit just a few months ago, it's a little sad to the technology's biggest proponent shutter. Goodbye, FET, we hardly knew ye.

[Eltorro @ Mar 26th 2009 1:44AM]

When I read that "FED's dead" I immediately thought of Bruce Willis saying "Zed's dead" in Pulp Fiction.

[CleverEndeavor @ Mar 26th 2009 2:08AM]

Bruce Willis shat Chuck Norris.
Good day to you.

[Ross Miller @ Mar 26th 2009 3:11AM]

ding ding ding!

[OneLove @ Mar 26th 2009 11:42AM]

I guess Sony is F.E.D UP!

[Joe @ Mar 26th 2009 5:09PM]

Dime... bar....?

[urukon @ Mar 26th 2009 2:06AM]

So much lost contrast ratio potential

[CleverEndeavor @ Mar 26th 2009 2:07AM]

What the world was this company?
why hasn't anyone heard of it?
I guess it must be the secret division of Dell with the agenda of trying to market Dell's products.

[Indefinite Implosion @ Mar 26th 2009 2:49AM]

Do you lack the ability to read sire?
"...Sony. The company's(Sony's) spin-off Field Emission Technologies..."
Unless you were making a failure of an attempt at sarcasm.

[roflercopterer @ Mar 26th 2009 2:22AM]

Is that a pimp?

[youngstunna @ Mar 26th 2009 2:43AM]

no, it's a sony!

[scabby @ Mar 26th 2009 7:58AM]

He's actually the reason the company failed. Guy in a shiny jacket is never a sign of good taste.

[Lars @ Mar 26th 2009 12:47PM]

Yes... poor taste....

Where can I get one of these shiny jackets?

[Patrick Joseph @ Mar 26th 2009 2:29AM]

What happened, OLED kicked your butt?

[Cunthor @ Mar 26th 2009 2:47AM]

I hope this is not a trend. Closing doors to R&D due to recession could have some major repercussions...

[Geir E @ Mar 26th 2009 2:51AM]

Sound like Sony found oled to be the future, not fed. Thus closing down the latter of the two.

[BobTurbo @ Mar 26th 2009 2:49AM]

That's my dad right there! Proud of you dad.. look at what you have become.

[Stubb @ Mar 26th 2009 3:02AM]

Obvioulsy they spent too much cash on wardrobe, not enough on actual research.

[tekdroid @ Mar 26th 2009 3:14AM]

Management and/or R&D geeks in silver jackets FTW. Pretty models are so 2008.

[tekdroid @ Mar 26th 2009 3:10AM]

http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=hp&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fav.watch.impress.co.jp%2Fdocs%2Fnews%2F20090326_79947.html&sl=ja&tl=en
"Can achieve close to the natural high-quality cathode-ray tube, a fine pixel emitter..."
----------
I have been totally in the dark about FED for some reason. If the technology held promise and was cheap enough and didn't have any other display technologies threatening it for the future market, I doubt they'd have a lack of funding happening.

I think we can all relate to totally crappy colours and viewing angles on nearly all consumer LCD panels (which most of the market seems to have taken a liking to for unrelated reasons), so one part of me weeps.

What about Canon's SED? That's one I had my eye on for years, but it's a rough road...

[chrisk1590 @ Mar 26th 2009 3:17AM]

I would be sad, but since LED can be thinner and has practically instantaneous response time, I'm not. Almost seemed too much like plasma to really take off. Oh well, RIP.

[rBz @ Mar 26th 2009 4:01AM]

lcd is sllloooowwwwwww compared to plasma (for TVs) too bad there isnt a smaller display panel (sub 30") plasma... plasma kikz rawkz on lcd

[chrisk1590 @ Mar 26th 2009 12:04PM]

LED != LCD. LEDs are far more responsive than plasma, and are thinner and can completely turn off their pixels to make pure black.

[Twitchy @ Mar 26th 2009 5:44AM]

Screw the displays, when are those shiny jackets going into mass production?!?

[Scott [a different one] @ Mar 26th 2009 11:53AM]

That's where the real money is. Shiny Silver Jackets - Coming Soon from your friends at Field Emission Technologies. Now with patent-pending shine technology. I bet you have to shine that thing after every wash.

[kadajawi @ Mar 26th 2009 5:49AM]

Wait. When he says they can't get the funds for manufacturing, doesn't that mean that the technology is READY, and they just can't built the manufacturing plants? Seriously? Crap. OLED may be also interesting, but it is not really ready for bigger screens. While FED seems to be.

[bebop @ Mar 26th 2009 6:46AM]

If thing is LCD displays up to 60" or so are already being mass-produced, so any new technology has to compete immediately with that. If we were still all watching 32" CRTs, the promise of a 50" FED display for for 10 grand would be exciting. When you can get a 60" LCD for 5k, not so much.

[kadajawi @ Mar 26th 2009 6:52AM]

True, but if FEDs target computer screens, they can get away with a higher price per " if the quality is right. I'm thinking of photographers etc. But I suppose the manufacturing costs would be too high to reach a large audience.

[Berka @ Mar 26th 2009 8:23AM]

interesting

[ButtmanBegins @ Mar 26th 2009 8:23AM]

I thought Sorny manufactures them

[bill cant fart @ Mar 26th 2009 10:11AM]

I WANT HIS JACKET!!!

[N3TWORK BURN3R @ Mar 26th 2009 11:19AM]

At least that guy gets to keep his silver 80's jacket.

[Karn Eggie @ Mar 26th 2009 7:02PM]

this is horrendous!!!!!!!!!!!!!

worst news today!

shit man, fuck LCD/Plasma i wanted a OLED/FED war!

CRT Contrast and OLED size all day everyday and none of the color issues with OLED and the same power consumption. scrap OLED give me a cell phone with a 1080p FED ill be happy

[swagbag @ Mar 27th 2009 1:33AM]

and what happened to canon/toshiba's sed? where's that at?