So yeah, apparently that whole attempt to "streamline operations" back in April didn't go over so well, as Syntax-Brillian -- you know, that firm neck deep in panel partnerships and responsible for Olevia HDTVs -- has just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Arizona-based company has also "entered into a deal to sell certain of its assets to a newly created company called Olevia International Group LLC," which has agreed to pick up some $60 million of its secured debt. We're also told that operations in Tempe have ceased, and "about eight employees" (including the finance chief, general counsel and finance staff) are sticking around with nothing better to do.

[Thanks, Paul]

Surely you remember Shinoda Plasma and its obscenely large PTA display, right? Unfortunately, this one's no 142-incher, but 125-inches of curvaceous screen real estate still isn't anything to sneeze at -- especially when we're talking about an actual prototype. The 3- x 1-meter display consists of three PTA (plasma tube array) modules connected together, and it features a rather uninspiring 960 x 360 resolution but weighs just 7.9-pounds. The actual "display part" measures just one-millimeter thick, and while this unit is likely to make a veiled appearance at InfoComm next month, a mass produced version will reportedly be produced in conjunction with Hibino. Honest opinion? We're still feelin' the resolution of Alienware's curved monster, but digital signage fans should certainly dig where this one is headed.

[Via Pink Tentacle]

Whoops! Looks like Sumitomo President Hiromasa Yonekura was "misquoted" just a few days back, and there may actually not be any large OLED TVs churned out by the outfit in 2009. According to a new report, Sumitomo is currently "working with partners," thus the "timing of any product launch is not just its call." No worries -- we're fairly certain someone else will step up to the plate in your absence, right guys?

[Via OLED-Info]

Not even two months after Syntax-Brillian announced that it would be acquiring at least 700,000 LCD panels from Sharp during 2008, along comes word that the firm will also be on the receiving end of a similar deal with LG.Philips -- er, LG Display, we should say. Nomenclature aside, the agreement between the two asserts that LG.Philips (or whatever it becomes) will supply Syntax-Brillian "with a minimum of 750,000 LCD panels during 2008," though it's certainly not the first deal of its kind. More specifically, it'll provide 32-, 37-, 42- and 47-inch Full HD units, and the option to purchase additional inventory remains alive. So much teamwork in the LCD industry -- those other sectors could stand to learn a thing or two.

If you'll recall, Samsung announced plans last November to expand an 8G LCD plant sans Sony -- now, Reuters is reporting that Sony is aiming to start procuring LCD TV panels from Sharp, possibly within the next business year. Apparently, the deal with Sharp would allow it to "secure enough panels to meet fast-growing LCD TV demand without heavy capital investments," and considering that Sharp is already planning to construct the world's largest LCD factory by 2010, we'd say this works out quite nicely for it, too. Needless to say, the global demand for all things LCD seems to be going nowhere but up, but here's to hoping those prices continue to head in the opposite direction for the consumers' sake.

NEC's latest LCD displays have more business on a video-wall demonstration than in your living room, but who said having a tile matrix of displays in your game lounge was a bad idea? The 20 series commercial LCD lineup consists of a 40-inch MultiSync LCD4020 and 46-inch LCD4620, both of which feature NEC's newfangled CV12 pixel technology. Hailed as the first displays to pack chevron-shaped pixels into a large-format LCD, it also delivers twice the contrast of traditional PVA panels, increases brightness and viewing angles, and minimizes off-angle color shift. Each touts a 1,366 x 768 resolution, 1,200:1 contrast ratio, ten-millisecond response time, and uber-thin bezels that come in "five times thinner" than current competitors. Don't count on these niche LCDs to come cheap, though, as you'll be laying down around $4,400 for the little guy and upwards of $6,300 for the 46-incher.

While nobody really knows what Mr. Jobs has planned for next week's Macworld keynote, DigiTimes has a report claiming that LED-backlit laptops are coming down the pike, and if true, will be hitting more than MacBook Pros. According to a rather sure-sounding account, Apple and HP are both aiming to launch lappies in the second quarter of this year with LED-based LCD panels. Purportedly aimed to showcase the sexy interfaces that await us in Windows Vista and OS X 10.5, the screens would be derived from suppliers such as "Nichia or Cree" and tout a "brightness level of over 1,680 nits." Additionally, no model names were handed out as potential candidates for the LED upgrade, but with refreshed laptop models from both firms essentially sure to hit within a matter of months, it wouldn't be too surprising to see such upgrades make the cut. Nevertheless, we've seen our fair share of certainties turn out bogus, so per usual, we'd recommend a healthy dose of table salt with this one as well.

[Via Electronista]

Although the average consumer isn't likely to be in dire need of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels on their monitor, the competition is still very alive in the expansive LCD market, and while Dell, Quixun, Samsung, and Apple all have highly-regarded units of their own, it's about time HP's LP3065 hit the test bench itself. Touted as "late, but great," HP's rendition of the 30-inch monitor managed to top the 3007WFP in "brightness, contrast ratio, and color uniformity tests," though it was noted that results were still below expectations. ExtremeTech found the screen "easy on the eyes" and very tweakable using NVIDIA's control panel via their GeForce 8800 GTX; furthermore, Photoshop editing, DVD viewing, and handling basic, mundane office tasks all provided "results that were nothing short of spectacular." Overall, the LP3065 provided a "wider color gamut," a trio of HDCP-compliant dual-link DVI ports, and "gorgeous image quality," which may or may not be worth the extra $400 over Dell's basic 30-incher to you -- and while it received an "8 out of 10" rating as well as a coveted "Approved" label, you're still better off throwing down this type of coinage on twin 24-inchers if screen real estate is your number one priority.

Evesham -- best known for its fleshed-out lineup of notebooks -- is delving into the TV realm by dropping a bit (47 inches, to be exact) of 1080p love to the blokes across the pond. Sporting an ultrathin 5.43-inch enclosure, the plainly-named 47INCHLCD sports a 16:9 aspect ratio, 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, 1600:1 contrast ratio, 550 cd/m2 brightness, 8-millisecond response time, and a built-in analog / Freeview (DVB-T) hybrid tuner. The panel also touts a pair of 10-watt stereo speakers along with a bevy of inputs, including VGA, HDMI, component, S-Video, and audio in / out. Those lucky enough to live in the good ole UK can pick up the 47INCHLCD right now for £1,899 ($3,592).

[Via Pocket-Lint]

No doubt, thin is most definitely in at the mo'. Now, with some help from LG Electronics, we'll soon see a few more millimeters planed to the shop floor with the introduction of their new 1.48-millimeter sliver of an LCD. Besides being able to balance on a razor's edge for photo ops, this wee TFT panel will drop in both 2.0 and 2.2-inch formats able to handle QVGA (320 x 240) resolutions. No word on when these might appear, but we're pretty sure that Samsung's rigs won't be sporting 'em.

IO-Data just announced their new LCD-TV241X which, as the name suggests, doubles duty as your PC's display while throwing up some that sweet, sweet TV for some post-pivot tablin' downtime. This 24.1-inch LCD brings 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA) Full HD resolution, 1000:1 contrast ratio, 178-degree viewing angle, and a rather sluggish 16ms response. Sure, it's not the first choice for gamers or the aesthetically elite. But with a built-in analog tuner and a slew of ports including Japanese D4, DVI-D, VGA, and S-Video this panel makes for a nice do-it-all display. Expected to drop in Japan starting at the end of June for ¥139,650 or about $1,240.

[Via Impress Watch]

It's difficult at this point to tell precisely how many people are experiencing the issue due to the intense echo chamber that are internet forums, but a number of Dell customers have begun complaining about severe color banding issues on their new 2007WFP. The banding, as mocked up above using a screen shot of the issue, apparently makes normal color gradients impossible, kind of like knocking your monitor back down to 256 colors after all these years. There a number of Anandtech (1, 2, 3) and Dell forums (linked below) threads on the topic; one user blamed the LG panel, as the issue has seemingly cropped up in some shipments of the L2000c, their 20-inch widescreen presumably based on the same panel, while others are claiming it's the DVI input. Anyone here seen this issue themselves, care to share your experiences?

[Thanks, Ciber]