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LG and QD Vision unite for QLEDs: the quantum dot displays of our power-efficient future
Seems like LG really has a thing for those quantum dot LEDs. After hooking up with Nanosys earlier this year, the Korean giant is now stretching out another of its tentacles -- LG Display, to be specific -- for a partnership with a competing QLED designer in QD Vision. What's being promised by this joint venture falls right in line with your generic pipe dream -- better color accuracy than OLEDs, up to twice the power efficiency at a given color purity, and a cheap and straightforward manufacturing process. In fact, because QLEDs do not require the same glass substrate as most current display technologies, they offer unmatched flexibility (olé!) in terms of how and where they may be used. The only downer, and you had to know there would be one, is that QD Vision describes its tech as still in the "development stage," but hey, at least we have another cool acronym to add to our library.
LG Display snatches 'world's thinnest bezel' title from Samsung with new 37-inch LCD
They say two things about war: that it never changes and that nobody ever wins. Tell that to thin bezel fans, however, and they'll point you in the direction of the LG-Samsung tussle for the title of world's thinnest bezel separation. Samsung snatched the glory last month with its 55-inch Digital Information Display, but today LG is upping the ante with a nearly nonexistent frame around its new 37-inch LCD panel. There's 2.5mm of bezel on the bottom and right side of the screen, and 1.5mm on the top and left sides, resulting in a microscopic 4mm (0.16 inches) of separation. The panel's designed for outdoor advertising, can be stacked infinitely, and will get its debut demonstration at the FPD International 2010 show in Japan later this month.
iSuppli: OLED panel shortage a concern for Android smartphone makers
Everyone wants an OLED display on their cellphone, right? Ok, maybe not everybody, especially when compared to regular AMOLED, but we certainly want, no demand, a 4-plus inch Super AMOLED on our next Android smartphone. Problem is, there just aren't enough to go around according to iSuppli. An issue compounded by the fact that Samsung, the world's largest AMOLED panel manufacturer, gets first crack at its displays in support of its massive growth plans for 2010, leaving companies like HTC to look elsewhere as we've already heard. That leaves LG, the only other source for small AMOLED panels, to shoulder the burden until the two can ramp up production, or until more players can enter the market. Samsung hopes to significantly boost production in 2012 when it brings a new $2.2 billion AMOLED facility on-line. Meanwhile, Taiwan-based AU Optronics and TPO Display Corp. plan to introduce AMOLED products by the end of 2010 or early 2011. Until then there's always the venerable LCD which will continue to dwarf AMOLED shipments for many years to come. See the numbers after the break.
LG Display and iriver enter joint venture to make e-book readers pretty, affordable
Well what do you know, turns out the LB4400 was a harbinger of things to come. LG Display and iriver just announced a $5M joint venture to manufacture e-book readers. The new China-based company, L&I Electronic Technology (Dongguan) Ltd, sees iriver doing the platform development and product design (thank gawd) while LG provides the EPD displays. It's interesting to note that the company will act as an OEM/ODM to anyone looking to slap their brand on an e-book reader... after iriver -- the company's first customer -- takes the pick of the litter.
LG Display busts out 84-inch 3DTV with 3,840 x 2,160 res, we want the 2D version
Yesterday we brought you Samsung's 19 inches of transparent AMOLED goodness, today LG counters with an 84-inch 3DTV boasting UHD resolution and a claim to being the world's biggest of its kind. To be honest, at that size you really can't get away with old reliable 1080p, so it's comforting to see LG's keeping pixel pitch in mind when designing its headline grabbers. In other news coming out of the SID 2010 show, LG is demonstrating a "liquid lens" TV that'll give you glasses-free 3D, though the details of how that works are a bit scarce, while the company's also pushing its IPS wares in a big way, with a 47-inch HDTV, a 32-inch pro monitor, and a 9.7-inch (sounds familiar) smartbook on show. Also at 9.7 inches, we have color e-paper that's slated for mass production before the end of the year, while that flexible e-paper from January is also making an appearance. A pretty comprehensive bunch of goodies from LG, we'd say. Update: We just noticed a small but freaky 3.98-inch UHD LCD with a world's best 394ppi density. Amazing.
AUO scores patent lawsuit decision over LG Display
LG Display may want to be more careful where it aims those patent lawsuits next time, after a dispute it kicked off with AUO has lead to a finding by a U.S. District court that it actually violated AUO's patents and not the other way around. Say hello to patent Nos 6,778,160, 6,689,629, 7,125,157 and 7,090,506, covering "technologies help to improve response time, improve reliability of LCDs, solve the problem of defects in the displayed images, and provide a very compact structure useful for small handheld devices, respectively." So far AUO is indicating that it will seek an injunction preventing LG from shipping its potentially infringing HDTVs, monitors, notebooks and even phones to the U.S, plus some other legal tough talk for good measure. After LG's almost inevitable appeal this could drag out for years and/or be resolved in a sudden alliance of cross licensing so while there still may be time to grab that Chocolate Touch you've been eyeing, we'd keep a casual eye on LE9500 shipping dates in case of slippage.
iPad production may be slowed by touchscreen production woes
If you're an international customer who's waiting for an iPad, you're probably a bit anxious about the lack of a solid release date. The problem might not just be unprecedented demand for the iPad in the U.S., but also production issues with the 9.7" touchscreen displays. Andrew Rassweiler, an analyst with research firm iSuppli, told Bloomberg News that yields on the displays have been low. That problem is in turn causing a production bottleneck. The displays are made in South Korea by LG Display and Samsung Electronics, and also in Japan by Seiko Epson. The displays are similar to those used on the iPhone, but of course are much larger on the iPad. Scaling up the displays complicates the process of production. iPads won't be available internationally until sometime in May, and will then appear in the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, Italy, Japan, Spain, and Switzerland. Apple is expected to announce pricing in those countries on May 10, 2010. [via Macworld UK]
LG Display set to triple OLED production capacity with $226m facility expansion, effects to be felt in 2011
As usual with OLED displays, we're taking one step forward only to find there are hundreds more to go. LG has today officially announced a new $226 million investment in its OLED production facilities, which will markedly expand its ability to churn out ultrathin canvases of wonder. The not so good news, however, is that this production line is still being built -- with a planned activation in the third quarter of 2010 -- and the effects of the new cash infusion will not be felt until the second half of next year. Should you have the patience to endure such protracted roadmaps, you should be seeing a lot more from LG in the mobile display space -- where Samsung currently holds the technological lead with its Super AMOLED screens -- as well as the luxury TV market that already counts the 15-inch 15EL9500 among its numbers. The Korean manufacturer describes OLED screens as one of its "new growth engines," alongside e-paper and solar cells, so even if we may consider development slow, it's looking increasingly likely that OLED TVs will eventually make their way into the mainstream.
LG's in-cell multitouch laptop displays get unveiled, certified with Windows 7 Touch Logo (video)
Want evidence for the old saying that there's always something next to wait around for with technology? We've only just reviewed the most bodacious X200 Tablet from Lenovo, yet already there's a capacitive multitouch display that promises to be that little bit better. LG's in-cell multitouch technology places the touchy-feely parts inside -- rather than as a film on top of -- the LCD panel, which we're told eliminates the loss of picture quality and brightness that regular multitouch results in. It only works with two fingers so far, but LG is still pretty pleased with itself for being the first to gain the Windows 7 Touch Logo sticker with this technology, which was previously limited to cellphone-sized displays. Mass production is set for the second half of this year, and we'll go ahead and assume that local nemesis Samsung will be using every moment until then to offer its own competing models. Bring on the marginally better touchscreens! We've now got a video for you as well, you know where to find it.
LG says it's launching a product to 'compete with Apple and Amazon,' maybe by April
LG isn't dishing out many details about this one just yet, but company exec KW Kim (head of LG's Middle East and Africa Operations) has told Emirates Business that LG will soon be launching a product -- "maybe by April" -- that "will compete with Apple and Amazon." And, well, that's about it. As you may recall, however, LG has been showing off various bits of technology for e-book readers over the past little while, including a solar-powered system designed specifically for e-readers and, of course, some flexible e-paper displays that have already turned up in the Skiff Reader. In other LG news, Kim also dropped word that the company is talking with Etisalat about a new line of "notebooks" (possibly netbooks) that would use "Google's operating system," although it's not clear if he was referring to Chrome or Android.
LG Display's 19-inch E Ink display plays loose with the truth
Well doesn't that look impressive? A big 'ol 19-inch electronic ink display that appears to emulate your father's newspaper. No doubt, this massive Metal-Foil e-paper prototype from LG Display is impressive at this size (just 0.3-mm thin and 250×400mm -- about the same size as a 297×420-mm sheet of A3) and weight (130 grams). Hell, we were already impressed with the flexible 11.5-inch panel from LG Display found in the Skiff Reader. However, like the rigid Skiff Reader, a flexible panel doesn't mean that we'll be seeing a flexible e-reader. In fact, chances are we won't after the manufacturer gets through adding a touchscreen overlay, application processor, and radio chipset. Let's hope for a surprise though, whenever these panels do make it out for mass production... assuming anyone still cares about monochrome E Ink displays by then.
Prime View International set to expand E Ink production; LG licenses daylight-viewable LCD tech
The suddenly-booming e-book market means things are starting to heat up for Taiwan-based Prime View International -- the company has formally completed its acquisition of E Ink and plans to increase display production up to fourfold next year, and it's licensing daylight-viewable LCD tech to LG for somewhere in the neighborhood of $30m. Whether that means we'll be seeing new devices based on E Ink and next-gen LCD screens or just more sales of existing devices remains to be seen, but we're obviously hoping for new gear -- good thing CES is right around the corner.
LG Display showcases 11.5-inch flexible e-paper
We're still years away from commercialized color variants, but LG Display is proving that bigger ain't really a thang. In fact, it recently showcased an 11.5-inch sheet of flexible e-paper at SID 2009, which could obviously be used in the Kindle XXL. Sadly, few (and by few, we mean none) details were given regarding an eventual launch date, but hey, at least it's around, right?[Via OLED-Display]
LG gets official with 50PQ60D and 42PQ60D Xcanvas plasmas in Korea
Don't bet the farm on it just yet, but given the FCC filing that outed these sets at the tail end of December, we'd say it's safe to assume that the panel you see above (and after the break) will be headed to America in short order. Made official today in South Korea, LG's Xcanvas 50PQ60D and 42PQ60D plasmas sport a sleeker, more fully integrated design that conceals the speakers within the border. The TV itself also detects ambient light and automatically adjusts brightness in order to conserve energy, and the built-in USB port enables portable media to be loaded on for all to see. Few other details about the pair are being released, but you can expect 'em on sale halfway across the world in around three weeks for $1,460 / $1,022, respectively.[Via Slashgear]
LG, Chunghwa Picture Tubes execs to serve jail time for LCD price fixing conspiracy
LG and Chunghwa Picture Tubes already confessed to being involved in a scandalous LCD price fixing conspiracy, and now the US Department of Justice is laying down the hammer on four of the dirty-handed executives. Chang Suk Chung (LG), Chieng-Hon "Frank" Lin (Chunghwa), Chih-Chun "C.C." Liu (Chunghwa) and Hsueh-Lung "Brian" Lee (Chunghwa) have all entered plea agreements which will see them serving a "term of imprisonment" as well as paying a criminal fine and assisting the US government in its ongoing TFT-LCD investigation. 'Course, those pleas must all be approved by the court, but it's pretty safe to say these fellows will be spending a least a moment or two behind steel bars. Fun, fun.[Via DigitalTrends]
LG Display CEO says that LCD panel prices have "reached a bottom"
The company may not exactly have the final say on the matter, but LG Display CEO Kwon Young-soo seems confident that the market for LCD panels is finally set to turn around, with him saying today that, "the good news is that we've reached a bottom," and that, "TV panel prices will likely stop the downward trend and recover." LG doesn't see things completely turning around overnight, however, and in the meantime it says it'll be pouring more than $400 million into a new production line designed to produce high-end LTPS LCD displays for mobile devices, which it apparently expects will be a more profitable area, and help it turn that frown upside down once more.[Via DailyTech]
FCC filing reveals PQ / PS line of LG plasmas
Here we are wondering what an otherwise unassuming HDTV is doing in the depths of the FCC, and while we're hesitant to admit it, we're cautiously optimistic that LG's forthcoming line of plasmas have at least Bluetooth tucked in. In all honesty, the set you're peering at above looks eerily similar to the BT-equipped 7000 line spotted earlier in the year, so we suppose a name change isn't entirely out of the question. Either way, LG definitely has a full range of PDPs on the way to America, with sizes ranging from 32- to 60-inches based on model name presumption. Skimming through the user guides, we didn't see any mention of integrated Bluetooth, WiFi or any other wireless technology, though we did spot a number of HDMI / USB sockets. Good thing CES is just around the corner -- the anticipation is killing us.
LG to debut world's slimmest LED-backlit LCD TV (LH95) at CES
Not content with just making soap opera hair look like watery strands of gold, LG is also planning to trump last year's round of ultrathin LCD TVs by bringing the planet's slimmest LED-backlit LCD TV to Las Vegas. Expected to garner fingerprints from every nationality at CES 2009, the LH95 will check in at just 24.8-millimeters thick (0.976-inches) and boast a 2,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and the outfit's 240Hz TrueMotion Drive dejudder technology. No word on a price or release date (or panel size, oddly enough), but hopefully we'll find out more in just under a fortnight.[Via Boy Genius Report]
LG Display plans to melt eyes with Trumotion 480Hz LCD TV
Seriously, there's only so much picture improving you can do before the law of diminishing returns demands some recognition. While Sony just spent boatloads creating an over-the-top advertisement for its largely unimpressive 240Hz Motionflow technology, LG Display is laughing all the way to Vegas with its Trumotion 480Hz LCD TV. Set to debut at CES 2009, said panel will boast a four-millisecond response time and an unprecedented 480 refresh rate per second. Curiously, we're not informed of the screen size nor the resolution, so we could theoretically run into a 9-inch 320 x 240 display and be totally underwhelmed. On the real, the outfit is expected to launch the world's first Trumotion 480Hz LCD TV panel in the second half of next year, but we're just about to lay down good money that Sony or Samsung accelerates development in order to beat it to the punch. Full release is after the break.
LG to trim plasma panel output, ditch 32-inch line altogether
Come one, come all to the flat-panel production cutting party. Just look at these spectacles on stage -- AU Optronics, Sharp, LG, Panasonic, Sony, Toshiba, Hitachi, et al. We'd say that this is getting downright bizarre, but we suspect that's plainly obvious by now. As the output-cutting bandwagon continues to take on passengers, LG has too decided (purportedly, at least) to downsize its plasma panel output starting in 2009. Potentially more striking is the assertion that it may "completely halt production of its 32-inch panels," which are losing it money hand over fist. The interesting bit is that nearly half of LG's PDP output is at the 32-inch level, so unless it starts digging into another size, it'll have quite a bit of equipment (and employees, we imagine) sitting idle. And to think -- things looked so much brighter just three years back.
