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Feburuary 2002 Issue Summary
The February issue of the Microdisplay report is out and
this month, we have a special report on all of the microdisplay-based
rear-projection TVs we saw on the show floor or in private suites at
CES. There was quite a bit of activity and we tried hard to follow-up
with each manufacturer to get as much information as we could about
the performance and status of shown products, as well as planned products
for the year.
Clearly, the emergence of second-generation DLP-based HDTVs was a major
milestone of the show as Samsung, LG Electronics/Zenith, Vestel, Optoma
and others demonstrated sets that will ship this year. The Samsung sets
looked particularly good and will have aggressive pricing of $3,999
for a 43-inch
model and $4,499 for a 50-inch set.
Curiously, none of the first-generation DLP-TV partners; Hitachi, Panasonic
and Mitsubishi, revealed plans for second-generation sets, but we expect
announcements as the year rolls on.
For sets based upon high-temperature polysilicon (HPTS) LCDs, the performance
level of some sets was truly amazing. Both Daewoo and LG Electronics/Zenith
showed 60-inch sets that won CES innovation awards - and for good reason.
The Zenith set looked great, but listed contrast of only
200:1, which we found hard to believe given the image quality. The comparable
Daewoo set showed contrast of 700:1, which is more in line with the
image quality.
Panasonic will also market 40 and 45 inch HTPS sets at very competitive
pricing of $3,500 and $4,000 for 1280 x 720 resolution TVs.
On the LCOS front, Thomson Multimedia says it will finally begin to
ship its 50-inch set, the RCA L5000, in February, but has raised the
price $1,000 to $7,999. Apex Digital, ViewSonic, Toshiba, SVA and several
others showed sets that will mostly debut in the second half of 2002
- and at
fairly high price points. While this will make it tougher to gain market
share, many remain committed to LCOS technology as the best long term
microdisplay solution on a pixels-per-dollar basis.
We also had a chance to visit with Philips Components recently and have
two reports on their progress - both with their LCOS single-panel display
and their scrolling color engine.
In late news, we note that Three-Five has finally sowed up an agreement
to purchase the patents and much of the physical assets of Zight. It
has rehired 6 key employees and will now be able to service Zight's
microdisplay customers in the near-to-eye sector. This is good news
for these customers
and all involved in this segment of the industry as Zight's display
were well respected.
In 3-D displays, Dimensional Media is working on a volumetric display
that we hope to get a look at sometime in the near future, but it sounds
very interesting.
Sanyo was also at CES showing off its advanced cell phone prototypes
and headsets that use Kopin microdisplays and an optical engine from
MicroOptical. Performance and ergonomics look good, but there are no
commercialization plans yet.
And of course there is more in our Market Intelligence, Bottom Line
and Movers & Shakers sections. The complete Table of Contents is shown
below.
February 2002 Microdisplay Report
Table of Contents:
CES 2002 Special Report
Microdisplay-Based TVs Big at CES
Microdisplay Manufacturing
Three-Five Buys Zight
Philips Ramping One-Panel LCOS Production
HMTI Receives ISO 9002 Certification
Screen & Films
POC Gears Up Holographic Screen Production
Optics & Engines
Philips Improves Engine Performance
3-D Displays
Bring-to-the-Eye
Headsets
Market Intelligence
Experts See Continued Growth in TV
Market With New Technologies
Mobile Phone Demand to Start Running Out of Steam by 2003?
Semiconductor Equipment Industry Anticipates Decline
Worldwide LCD Monitor Shipments Rise; Samsung Becomes Top Brand
New Report Tracks Worldwide Mobile Phones
Bottom Line
Three-Five Systems Reducing 2002 Estimates
InFocus Fourth Quarter Profits Fall
Movers & Shakers
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