Akihabara News: 4K or Quad Full HD. The next generation in pixels. The pixel format: 3840 x 2160. That’s having four 1920 x 1080 in a 2×2 matrix. JVC has announced its 4K prototype camcorder. 3840 x 2160 = 8.29 megapixels. And that’s just a single frame. At 60fps the bandwidth is incredible: 1.42 gigabytes per second!*

I don’t know what type of image sensors JVC is using but I’m guessing they will be getting quite hot pumping that much data into a storage medium. A 60 minute 4K footage would require a bit over 5 terabytes. I guess Seagate is happy that storage needs in the future will only increase. Exponentially.

The 4K or Quad Full HD content problem is now partly solved: we can at least expect some professionals to start capturing video in this format. For 4K to really get going the industry needs to get this in the hands of the early adopters. How about a Canon 1Ds Mark Mark IV with 4K video capture capability? Just dreaming…

If you want to future proof your LCD TV investment for the long term, and you need to make that decision right now, there is really one thing do: get Westinghouse Digital’s D56QX1, a 56″ Quad Full HD monitor. You can also choose from a Toshiba or an Eizo. (I’m not sure if the Toshiba is available commercially.) Just when you thought 1080p was it.

* Here’s the math: Each pixel has 3 sub-pixels at a minimum of 8 bits. So each pixel is 24bits. 8.29 megapixels  x 60/second x 24bits/pixel. 1 kilobyte = 1024 bytes.

A long while ago I wrote an article titled, “Wide Screen Display: Productivity Enhancer?” In the post I argue that not all wide displays are equal but one with at least a 1920 x 1200 pixel format can allow you to have dual windows and therefore improve your productivity. So why does having two windows improve your productivity? It’s quite simple: you don’t have to ALT-TAB (on a Windows machine) to switch back and forth from one application to another.

Interruptions When I am conducting market research, I often have all of my market research data open in an Excel spreadsheet in one window with hundreds of rows and columns filled with numbers, charts, tables, etc. In the other window I have Word or FireFox open. I can look at the numbers, trends, charts, etc. on Excel and write about them in Word or FireFox. If I was limited to a single window I would need to go back and forth from Excel to Word/FireFox, constantly pressing ALT-TAB. That takes away my attention from what I am doing (writing) and the window-switching activity briefly and constantly interrupts my stream of thought. Not having to do that greatly improves my productivity.

Q&A I was checking my email as usual and a reader, Michael, sent in a very important question about dual-windowing:

What application would you recommend for managing windows in a dual-window setup?

I use Windows on my work PC and Microsoft has made it very easy to work with dual windows. The operating system has a built-in windows manager that lets you either “Show Windows Stacked” or “Show Windows Side by Side”. This is the wording in Windows Vista. I believe it is a little different in Windows XP but you should be able to find equivalent functions fairly easily. Tips after the break. (more…)

Dell‘s ST2010 is a 20″ 16:9 LCD monitor. Dell calls it a HD monitor. But don’t let the 16:9 aspect ratio and HD title fool you. The nice-looking ST2010 has a 1600 x 900 pixel format–good for nothing. Got 1280 x 720p HD content to watch? It’ll look great without scaling but if you want to use the whole screen you’ll need to scale it up. And then it won’t look so nice. What if you want to watch 1920 x 1080p HD content? You’re out of luck. Dell has even put a HDMI connection for you to pump in 720p HD content. Unlike most LCD TVs, most LCD monitors lack good scaling abilities so I would stay clear from the ST2010 if you really want to watch a lot of HD content. If you still want to buy it because of the looks, Dell’s making it easy for you: around $130 is all it’ll take. So, what is the ST2010 good for? I really don’t know, you tell me.

Source: Dell

E-Ink-Info is reporting that Philips Research has developed a new color epaper technology that is brighter and clearer than LCD. Kars-Michiel Lenssen headed the work at Philips Research. This new color epaper technology is three times brighter than displays that require the use of a color filter; LCD technology for the most part requires a color filter, an optical layer that absorbs a considerable amount of brightness. According to Lenssen, “This is the closest an electronic-paper technology ever gotto printed paper.”

The common epaper technology, which is currently dominated by E Ink, employed in Amazon’s Kindle to Sony’s PRS-700 makes use of electrophoresis where colored particles (usually black) are dispersed in a liquid. These particles are controlled using an electric field. Each pixel has a microcapsule filled with black oily liquid as well as very small white particles that are suspended. These particles are charged and when an electric field is applied the particles migrate to the top of the microcapsule and changing the way light reflects off of the pixel, in effect making it lighter or darker. (more…)

What is the most popular flat panel display (FPD) TV size in the US? FPD TV would include both plasma TVs, LCD TVs and OLED TVs. According to DisplayBlog’s Monthly Flat Panel Display Tracker the most popular size, by a pretty good margin, is 32″. In March, 32″ FPD TVs captured a 18.8% unit market share. 32″ FPD TV’s unit market share has steadily climbed since October.

The 46″ FPD TV size looks quite interesting. It closely trailed 32″ for a while and then captured the top spot in January but has been experiencing a rapid decline in February and March.

52″ FPD TV market share has been steadily growing and maintained #3 until February. In March, 40″ FPD TVs experienced a surge to the #2 spot, overtaking 52″.

Market share for 42″ FPD TVs has steadily declined since December but is still #5 overall. So what are the top brands for 32″ FPD TVs? (more…)

Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO) reported April 2009 revenues on May 8, 2009. CMO’s combined TFT LCD revenues increased 3.6% M/M but down 38.9% Y/Y to NT$20.5 billion in April. The company’s large-sized LCD panel shipments decreased 1% M/M and 10.6% Y/Y to 5.6 million units. On the other hand, CMO’s small/medium LCD panel shipments grew a significant 14.4% M/M and 30.2% M/M to 11.9 million units.

Larger Sizes? The M/M revenue growth is good news for CMO despite a decrease in large-size LCD panel shipments. I can’t be certain unless I take a look at the company’s LCD size shares but it seems the company has focused on larger LCD panels that generate more revenue and giving up on sheer number of units. If this is indeed the case, I think CMO is headed in the right direction to reap more revenues in the months ahead.

Source: Chi Mei Optoelectronics

C.T. Lieu is senior vice president AU Optronics (AUO), one of the world’s largest LCD manufacturers. Lieu is in charge of the company’s consumer display business and is optimistic about ebook display technology:

We see it as a new industry. It replaces paper, printing, publishing, text books, and so on.

SiPix On March 2, 2009, AUO invested a total of US$30 million to purchase 60 million shares of common stock in SiPix Imaging Inc. AUO now owns 31.58% of the company. SiPix is based in Fremont, California and develops materials and roll-to-roll production technologies for electrophoretic display material that can be cut in any size. The electrophoretic display material is flexible, impact and moisture resistant. The company also has a production facility in Chung-Li, Taiwan that develops display modules and manufactures these displays in volume.

Bye Bye Printing Press Although the value proposition for individual users of ebook readers such as Amazon’s Kindle may be questionable, there are incentives at many levels to move away from our current system of using massive resources for manufacturing paper, printing, binding, distribution to resellers and then finally shipping to the customer. As Lieu mentioned above, the transition from a paper-based reading medium to an electronic one would mean a wholesale shift away from a system based on Johannes Gutenberg’s mechanical printing press that has lasted for around 570 years.

Source: Leader-Post

Table Courtesy: Baird W. Baird & Co.

According to Baird, inventories for TFT LCD panels and LCD components declined to historic lows in the first quarter of 2009. First quarter inventory days declined 5 days or 13% Y/Y from 33 days in Q1’08 to 28 days in Q1’09 for TFT LCD panels. LCD component inventories declined 14 days or 16% Y/Y from 84 days in Q1’08 to 70 days in Q1’09. On the other hand, display ODM inventories increased 9 days  or 35% Y/Y from 24 days in Q1’08 to 33 days in Q1’09. What that means is that there are still significant number of finished LCD goods that have built up during the first quarter most likely due to demand for LCD goods not meeting expectations. The LCD supply chain has been reacting to the lowered demand for LCD goods as can be seen by LCD panel and LCD component manufacturers lowering production levels to meet the current level of demand.

AU Optronics (AUO) announced on May 7, 2009 its April preliminary results. Preliminary uncolidated revenues increased 10.1% M/M but down 42.6% Y/Y to NT$24,359 million. Large-sized LCD panel shipments increased 15.6% M/M to 6.86 million units. Small/meidum LCD panel shipments also grew, by 16.2% M/M, to 22.41 million units. AUO didn’t report on profits.

Good Sign AUO had both revenues and panel shipments increase in April. That is a good sign for AUO. Other LCD manufacturers will most likely report positive growth relative to March pointing to healthy growth for the second quarter.

More Workers In other news, Bloomberg reported that AUO and Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) had to increase factory workers in Taiwan and mainland China in March to fill orders. Hon Hai is a major integrator and manufacturers Apple’s iPhone. If there is a new iPhone that will be unveiled next month I am sure Hon Hai would be quite busy ramping up its iPhone production in preparation for a worldwide release.

Source: AUO

Cash Cost According to DisplaySearch, major LCD monitor and LCD TV panel prices are increasing to cash cost levels and above. Demand for LCD TV panel is still strong relative to the supply so prices are increasing. For instance, 32″ 1366 x 768 LCD panel prices increased US$8 in early May. So did 42″ 1080p LCD panels. LCD monitor prices are increasing too: 21.5″ 1080p TN LCD panels gained US$4. This is based on DisplaySearch’s monthly PriceWise report and is free.

Future Prices This means that LCD TV and LCD monitor set prices might not be going down as aggressively in the second half of 2009. There is a chance that they can go up but brands will try to minimize that since an increase in price will doom sales. What this means for you is that the right time to buy might be right now.

A Breath of Fresh Air LCD TV and LCD monitor panel prices breaking the cash cost barrier and getting closer to profitability is like a breath of fresh air for LCD manufacturers. Cash cost is another way of saying marginal cost. So even if LCD manufacturers can get more than their marginal cost of producing a LCD, they still have a ways to go before getting to “total cost” that includes overhead, depreciation, etc. Once that happens the LCD suppliers can bust out the champagne and start celebrating because they will start to actually make a profit. When will that happen? Actually the question should be, “Will that happen?” (more…)

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