Yokohama, Japan - October 17, 2006 : Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world’s largest provider of thin-film transistor, liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels, will exhibit the first 70-inch full-HD LCD for consumer TVs at Flat Panel Display (FPD) International 2006. It will also showcase advanced mobile displays here, including 4.8-inch and 7.0-inch WVGA screens targeting portable computing, entertainment and communication applications.

First 70″ full-HD LCD debuts in Japan

Samsung’s new 70-inch LCD panel is the first TV display that can reproduce full HD video images at 120Hz, giving it a technological edge over plasma display panels (PDPs). Most LCD panels have a 60Hz refresh rate, which will make Samsung’s new 120Hz 70-inch LCD twice as fast as other LCDs available today, providing crystal clear video reproduction well suited for sporting events and other fast-action programming content.

The Samsung 70-inch LCD TV panel is being shown in Japan for the first time at this, one of the largest international event dedicated entirely to flat panel displays. Samsung will begin commercial production of its 70-inch, full-HD LCD panels early next year, accelerating the company’s push into high-volume, large-screen TV markets. The largest full-HD LCD TV panel currently in mass production is 65 inches.

Once it begins mass-producing its 70-inch panels, Samsung said that LCD TVs will compete head-to-head with the largest PDPs and projection TV models worldwide.

According to DisplaySearch’s August, 2006 market-size report, while there were 390,000 full-HD LCD panels shipped globally in 2005, more than 400,000 units were shipped in just the second quarter of this year alone. DisplaySearch also estimated that total shipments for 2006 would reach nearly 3.5 million panels.

Last year, Samsung was the first LCD provider to ramp-up a 7th-generation production line. By mass-producing both 40-inch and 46-inch LCDs on the 7-Gen line, the company has established a new standard for the LCD market, while triggering greater demand for big-screen LCD TVs. Additionally, the company said it expects to take the lead in the 50-inch range by mass producing 52-inch and 57-inch LCD models on an 8th-generation line that is scheduled to ramp-up during the second half of 2007.

4.8″ and 7.0″ WSVGA displays

Also at FPD International 2006, Samsung is unveiling 4.8-inch and 7.0-inch displays with WSVGA resolution for use in ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) devices and mini-PCs. WSVGA (1,600 pixels per row by 600 rows) is the optimal resolution for Internet browsing today, which presents design challenges for high resolution mobile displays. Samsung has increased the aperture ratio of its 4.8-inch model by applying a single-crystal-like silicon manufacturing process technology that improves electron mobility and enables smaller TFT geometries. Using a low power, dot inversion driving scheme, allows Samsung also to reduce the display’s power consumption.

Rounding out Samsung’s FPD International 2006 showcase are 40-inch, 46-inch and 82-inch digital information displays, an A4-sized plastic electrophoretic display (EPD) using an e-Ink design, and a 7-inch plastic LCD.

About Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2005 parent company sales of US$56.7 billion and net income of US$7.5 billion. Employing approximately 128,000 people in over 120 offices in 57 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 global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com

Source - Samsung