Samsung Develops World's Largest -- 82'' -- Full HDTV TFT-LCD

[Gregg Lengling]

SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 7, 2005--
  -- The world's largest (82-inch) TFT-LCD developed at Samsung's new 7G line.    





-- Viewing angle of 180 degrees achieved by applying Samsung's proprietary S-PVA technology.

-- 12.44 million thin-film transistors used to achieve full HD image quality of 6.22 million pixels.

Samsung Electronics, the leading provider of TFT-LCD display panels, announced that it has developed the world's largest 82-inch TFT-LCD. This full HD image quality TFT-LCD panel was developed at the company's new production complex in Tangjeong, Korea. The soon-to-be operational 7th-generation production facility uses glass substrates that measure 1.87m x 2.20m.

Samsung has made a series of breakthroughs in TFT-LCD technology ahead of the competition over the years. The company developed the first 40-inch model in August 2001, the first 46-inch panel in October 2002, the first 57-inch model in December 2003 and now the first 82-inch panel.

At its 7th-generation Line 7-1, Samsung can produce two 82-inch panels from a single substrate. Previously, technological limitations prevented the development of LCDs of this size and competitive technologies, such as PDP (plasma display panel) and DLP (digital light processing) technologies, were used to produce such large-sized panels.

Samsung's latest large-screen TFT-LCD offers a variety of features. The company applied its patented Super Patterned-ITO Vertical Alignment (S-PVA) technology to achieve extra-wide viewing angles. In addition, the product boasts a low-dispersion color filter and ultra high aperture ratio, achieving a contrast ratio of at least 1200:1 and brightness of 600nit (cd/m(2)). Response times are at 8ms or faster, providing clear moving picture images. A high-color-saturation backlight raises color saturation to 92% to produce a premium image quality.

Sang Soo Kim, Senior Vice President and Head of the LCD Development Center, states, "Our 82-inch LCD panel proves Samsung Electronics' technological leadership. It uses our proprietary S-PVA technology, eliminating distortion from all angles and offers a 180-degree viewing angle. With this panel, we have achieved the world's best performance in terms of contrast ratio, viewing angle and color saturation."

Samsung is set to begin operations at the world's first 7th-generation TFT-LCD production line at Tangjeong, Korea. This facility can be used to produce the company's full line-up of LCD modules for TV: from 23-inch (24 per substrate), 26-inch (18 per substrate) and 32-inch (12 per substrate) to 40-inch (8 per substrate) and 46-inch (6 per substrate).

Samsung Electronics is at least one year ahead of the competition in terms of using 7th-generation production technology to make modules of 40 inches, 46 inches and 57 inches. It is therefore in a position to take an early lead in the fast-growing market for large-screen, wall-hanging TVs.

The development of the 82-inch TFT-LCD highlights the smooth launch of Samsung's and Sony's joint venture in S-LCD. The 7th-generation line will begin mass production at the end of March.

Samsung Electronics will unveil its 82-inch TFT-LCD at CeBIT 2005, which opens in Hannover, Germany on March 10.


Samsung Electronics' LCD Lines

Generation Substrate Size   Samsung Line        Main Products
======================================================================
                                         2-inch to 7-inch LCDs for
3          370mm x 470mm         1        mobile phones and PDAs
----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Small- to mid-sized and note
3.5        550mm x 650mm         2        PC LCDs
----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         LCDs for note PCs (mainly
4          600mm x 720mm         3        14.1-inch)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         15-inch, 17-inch LCDs for
4.5        730mm x 920mm         4        note PCs and monitors
----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         17-inch, 19-inch LCDs for
5          1100mm x 1250mm       5        monitors
----------------------------------------------------------------------
5          1100mm x 1300mm       6       LCDs for monitors and TVs
----------------------------------------------------------------------
7          1870mm x 2200mm  7-1 (S-LCD)  30-inch, 40-inch LCDs for TVs
----------------------------------------------------------------------


Terminology

PVA Technology

Patterned-ITO Vertical Alignment is a proprietary Samsung technology for achieving a wide viewing-angle. The liquid crystal molecules are originally aligned at 90 degrees vertically to the electrodes. The passage of an electric field deflects the liquid crystal molecules off-vertical, producing the required image. Similar to the multi-domain vertical alignment (VA), the liquid crystals are controlled by separating unit pixels into four domains.

S-PVA Technology

Samsung's patented Super PVA is an upgraded PVA liquid crystal cell technology. The cell architecture accommodates eight, rather than the conventional four crystals, so that the liquid crystal molecules can be controlled in eight different directions and angles. This capability greatly enhances the side viewing-angle of the LCD screen.

Color Saturation

This is a measurement of color purity and is compared against the NTSC (National Television Standard Committee) standard of 100. Commercial CRT TVs and LCD TVs normally have a color saturation of 72%, but a higher level is needed to achieve high-definition image quality.


TV Resolution Classifications

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Standard Definition (SD):   640 x 480 pixels        4:3  aspect ratio
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High Definition (HD):       1,366 x 768 pixels      16:9 aspect ratio
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Full HD                     1,920 x 1,080 pixels    16:9 aspect ratio
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Specifications for Samsung's New 82-inch TFT-LCD

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Resolution                     1,920 x RGB x 1,080 (Full HD)
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Screen Size                    82 inches (diagonal)
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Aspect Ratio                   16:9 (horizontal to vertical)
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Pixels                         6.22 million (number of RGB sub-pixels)
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Number of Colors               16.7 million shades (24-bit color)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Max Brightness                 600 candela
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Contrast Ratio                 1,200:1
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Color Saturation               92% of NTSC standard
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Liquid Crystal Response Time   8ms (at maximum)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Viewing Angle                  180 degrees (all directions)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Module Size                    1,875mm x 1,080mm x 45mm
----------------------------------------------------------------------


About Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2004 parent company sales of US$55.2 billion and net income of US$10.3 billion. Employing approximately 123,000 people in 93 offices in 48 countries, the company consists of five main business units: Digital Appliance Business, Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business and Telecommunication Network Business. Recognized as one of the fastest growing brands, Samsung Electronics is the world's largest producer of color monitors, color TVs, memory chips and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit //www.samsung.com.

[StarvingForHDTV]

That sounds like a fantastic display!

[Bebop]

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000200034813/