October 2000

NEWS & ANALYSIS

Three-Five Systems has confirmed it received a multi-million dollar order from Samsung Electro-Mechanics Company, Ltd. The order is for Three-Five's SXGA liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCOS) panels and associated driver ASICs for use in 3-panel rear projection systems for TVs and monitors. Pilot production will begin in Q4'00 with full production in 2001.

Aurora Systems, Inc. formally unveiled its newest microLCD chipset; an SXGA liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCOS) imager (ASI 3000) and associated controller ASIC (ASI 3100). It joins the company's previously introduced XGA chipset. The two displays are optically and mechanically identical allowing users of the XGA chipset to reuse the optical engine and easily upgrade to SXGA resolution. The devices are being targeted for the emerging lower-priced, high-resolution portable projector market.

Last May, at the annual SID conference, we reported that Colorado MicroDisplay had developed a QVGA (320 x 240) liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCOS) viewfinder. Now, it has made good on its promise to begin sampling the optical viewfinder module

eMagin Corporation has unveiled the first full-color OLED-on-silicon microdisplay at the International Display Research Conference in Palm Beach, Florida. The device uses color filters built on top of the company's monochrome SXGA display. It is being promoted as a technology demonstrator. For a commercial product, the company will use a similar approach to make a color SVGA+ display.

Samsung Electronics says it has begun to show its two HDTV sets using ferroelectric liquid-crystal-on-silicon panels from Displaytech in dealer showrooms. However, the sets are not yet for sale. That date has now been slipped out again into Q1'01 from this coming November.

Alien Technology Corporation has raised $80M to finance the company's transition to volume production. The funding, comprised of $55M in equity and $25M in equipment lease financing, will be used for operational expenses and to build and equip Alien's first production factory. Alien has developed a novel display assembly technique that has caught the imagination of both investors and system integrators.

Light Management Group debuted its innovative image-projection and display system at the company's Research and Development facility in August. This new system projects full-animation, full-color, laser-produced images that maintain screen clarity and brightness even in sunlight. Its patent-pending innovation is the use of plastic fiber-optics to couple the light from the laser onto a large-screen display.

The Victor Company of Japan (JVC) has been selling a 50-inch HDTV in Japan using its own liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCOS) panels since the end of 1999. Now, a 61-inch model is being developed for use in the U.S. Product specifications and a roll-out schedule will be announced at CES 20001, in January, but shipments probably won't get rolling until mid-2001.

MicroJoin, a subsidiary of Palomar Technologies, Inc., has unveiled the Model 7323 integrated assembly system. It provides a comprehensive all-in-one solution for the precision interconnection of microdisplays and LCD modules.

Front Projection - We report on the annual Expo of the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association held in early September. Now in its 11th year, the expo has grown from attendance in the hundreds to now draw more than 12,000 visitors and it has captured the attention of most major projection makers. Lots of newsmakers including SIM2 Multimedia, 3M, Marantz, Zenith, Runco, Texas Instruments, Kindermann, Liesegang, Sharp, Sony, Optoma and Hitachi.

Vis/Simulation - Elumens Corporation has teamed with IBM. You will also read about on goings here from Elumens, Fakespace, Epson, NASA, Sun Microsystems, Trimension Systems, Panoram Technology, MechDyne, Firearms training Systems, SGE, Carl Zeiss, Evans & Sutherland, Barco and CAE.

Plasma Display Panels - Yes, we try to keep an eye on developments in this technology too. As DVD players and home theater systems gain popularity, and upcoming digital broadcasts are on the horizon (i.e. December in Japan), demand for thin-profile, lightweight, self-luminescent plasma display panels (PDPs) that can fit almost anywhere is on the rise. Reported here are, Zenith, LG Electronics, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Sony, Fujitsu Microelectronics, Matsushita Electric Industrial, ("Panasonic"), Toray Industries, Samsung and NEC.

Large Area LCDs - We'll tell you the latest product developments from IBM, Sharp, NEC, LG Philips, Apple and Matsushita.

Opportunity for Digital Photo Frames
Wireless Imaging on the Horizon
Digital Growth in Japan VGA Cameras Spur Digital Growth
Adverse Effects of Virtual Reality (VR) Systems
Growing Market for Flat Panel Displays

Clarity Gets Venture Capital Support
Busy Second Quarter for eMagin
InterSense Secures $7M Third Round Equity Funding
BARCO Demerges
UDC Now Listed on Nasdaq National Market
Amex Trades Xybernaut

Who's in the news? Perhaps your new CEO? Maybe you!