LCD and Plasma: Future Tech Now

Photograph: Robert Cardin

Resolution remains a big area of competition among high-def-TV manufacturers. In previous years the standard resolution was 720p. This year the scale tips in favor of 1080p, the maximum resolution for HDTV. Among LCDs, which hold a slight edge in brightness over plasma, most 720p sets sold this year will be smaller-screen models (37 inches and under) selling at bargain prices. Among plasma TVs, known for their high-contrast images on massive screens, you’ll have more 1080p choices than ever. By next year, this shift in resolution for plasma should be mostly complete; Pioneer, for one, says it will have eliminated 720p sets from its lineup by 2009. For the foreseeable future, however, LCD models will continue to offer 720p at smaller, entry-level screen sizes (20 to 32 inches), which don’t benefit as much from 1080p.
Other technological improvements are headed your way. LCD televisions’ 120-Hz technology–which helps LCD panels better handle rapid motion, such as in action scenes and in sports–will move down to midrange models this year.

Last year a TV with such technology cost $500 to $600 more than one without it, but this year that feature should add only $200 to $300 to the price, explains Tim Alessi, LG product development director. By next year, Alessi believes, the additional cost will be minor or nonexistent.

Photograph: Robert Cardin

Now that 120-Hz technology is becoming more mainstream, LCD TV makers can focus on other potential breakthroughs, such as adding LED backlights to less-expensive models. Also introduced last year (by Samsung), LED backlights can offer a wider range of colors and higher contrast. Sound pioneer Dolby is among the companies exploring this technology. Currently, LED-backlit displays remain a rarity, limited to one or two premium models per year. DisplaySearch’s Gagnon doesn’t expect to see them any more often in the next year or two, but he does believe that, over time, their pricing and availability will improve.

Recently, plasma-television manufacturers have provided some glimpses into the future, as well. For instance, at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, Pioneer showcased two intriguing concept technologies: “absolute black” and very thin plasma displays.

“Absolute black” refers to the color of the set’s screen before any image appears on it; all television panels emit some light, making the base screen more of a dark gray. “If we can’t start with a completely black canvas, all of the colors will seem washed out or will look faded,” explains Paul Meyhoefer, vice president of Pioneer’s marketing and product planning for plasma displays. With the new technology, “you can go into a pitch-black room, and you will only see the image, not the TV or any other light emitting from the TV. Because we can now create the black, we can create a lot more color, and a lot more depth and dimension in color.”

Pioneer also showed a prototype plasma technology that produces a display measuring 9mm (or 0.35 inch) thick (sans TV tuner). “It’s basically the thickness of the glass,” notes Meyhoefer. “Our ultimate goal is to take both technologies and integrate them into an ultrathin design concept.”

Panasonic, meanwhile, is working on improving luminescence efficiency, which should produce brighter plasma panels that consume less power and can better compete with the brightness of LCDs. At CES the company exhibited a prototype of a slim plasma TV with a depth of just 24.7 millimeters–just shy of an inch.

OLED: Still Too Pricey

After what seemed like years of hype, OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) display technology has finally become a large-screen reality: At CES Sony introduced the first OLED TV aimed at consumers. The 11-inch XEL-1 offers brilliant colors and high-contrast images in a superthin panel (only 3 millimeters thick), but at $2500 it’s less of a mainstream consumer breakthrough than a proof of concept. Sony says it intends to release larger displays next year.

Other manufacturers are keeping an eye on OLED, but only Samsung is speaking publicly about its future plans. The company showed two prototype OLED displays at CES, one 14 inches and the other 31 inches; however, like other manufacturers, Samsung doesn’t expect to bring OLED displays to market until at least 2009, as the models become cheaper to produce.

For many vendors, OLED remains on the periphery. “It’s still kind of a novelty,” says LG’s Alessi. DisplaySearch’s Gagnon predicts that the technology probably won’t reach its prime for another three or four years.

When to Buy

If you’re in the market for a high-definition TV now, none of the developments slated to come this year and later is a reason to hold off. Better design, sound, and resolution will all be welcome improvements, but when they finally arrive they are unlikely to make you regret purchasing a set today. And don’t let the distant glimmer of lower prices hold you back, either: According to both IDC and DisplaySearch, HDTV prices won’t fall as quickly this year as they have in the past.

from pcworld.com

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