Posted on 12/20/2004 8:39:35 PM PST by Mike Fieschko
Samsung SDI has developed what it claims is the world's largest PDP (plasma display panel), measuring 102 inches diagonally.
The company plans to start producing the panels during the first half of 2005 at its Chonan factory in Chungchon, South Korea (news - web sites). Samsung SDI expects Samsung Electronics to buy the 102-inch panels and make them into TVs at a later time, says Samsung SDI spokesperson Bryan Sohn. The company would not reveal the prices for the panels at this time.
The panels are capable of a high-definition resolution of 1920 pixels x 1080 pixels, a brightness of 1000 candelas per square meter and a contrast ratio of 2000:1, Sohn says.
Lower Prices?
The production technology used to build the panels could potentially help to reduce prices for smaller PDPs. Rather than using a separate piece of glass for each panel it makes, the company can fabricate four 50-inch panels from a single, larger piece of glass, resulting in a lower cost per panel, Sohn says.
As well as being good for consumers, the lower prices would be a boost for electronics companies like Samsung Electronics, which has seen growing demand for big-screen TVs, he says.
Samsung SDI will produce the 102-inch panels on a newly-built manufacturing line. Production volume has yet to be announced but is not expected to be large, Sohn says.
The giant panel will give Samsung SDI bragging rights over South Korean rival LG Electronics, which has been in a tit-for-tat battle with Samsung over who can produce the biggest panel.
In October 2003, LG Electronics announced the development of a prototype 76-inch screen. Three months later, Samsung SDI said it had developed an 80-inch panel, but TVs have not yet been made commercially at that size, Sohn says.
Suggested retail price: Eleventy billion dollars.
I am currently forecasting that my 27" Sony Trinitron will provide good service right up until the scale of production and marketing get these large flat panel jobs into my affordability "Sweet Spot" which is $1800 +/- $400. Until them, I'll have to avoid getting too distracted by them.
Precisely, when is the price going to come down? A large plasma TV is still prohibitively expensive, while options like DLP TV are getting much cheaper.
> Suggested retail price: Eleventy billion dollars.
Naw. They're probably already being scammed on eBay for $199.
Whatever, these will be enormously expensive, because an
entire wafer has to be used, and be defect-free at the
likely resulting price.
I'm surprised it's only 1920 pixels across. I would have
expected 2x or 4x that, intended to be used with a scaler.
Thank God I'm a Lions fan, otherwise I'd be selling my soul to buy this thing.
Your panel is here lady. Oops, dropped it...
This is true - Electronics is one of those few areas where it Pays To Procrastinate - The longer you wait the more you save and the more functionality you get.
Plasma screens have a relatively short life compared to other formats like LCD. Not worth the investment.
From the consumer's perspective, though, the 30,000-hour figure should be comforting, since this is about how long CRTs last. Let's put all this in perspective: Assuming the average American household watches 4 to 6 hours of television per day, a plasma display will last between 13 and 20 years. If you think about it, that's quite a bit of bang for your buck. Following here are some guidelines you should implement to ensure that you get the most out of your plasma display: Keep your BRIGHTNESS and CONTRAST levels "normalized" to actual viewing conditions. Don't jack up your CONTRAST levels unnecessarily; this only dissipates phosphors faster. In brightly lit rooms, you will probably need to boost your CONTRAST settings. At night or in other dim circumstances, you should lower these settings to extend the life of your unit. Note: Many high quality manufacturers now have added preset options to make this adjustment possible without even going into the menu settings. Do not leave static images on your display for extended periods of time (i.e., 20 minutes or longer). This will prevent burn-in, which is a permanent after-image on your screen. Turn your plasma TV off when it's not being viewed. Keep your plasma television in a well-ventilated area, so it will not have to work so hard to cool itself. This is one way to ensure your plasma's cooling system will remain in tip-top shape for the life of your unit.
> Precisely, when is the price going to come down?
While you wait.
LCD prices are collapsing (and the first 100-inch LCD
panel is expected in 2005).
If you want actual HD resolution, LCD is already closing
in on CRT. Sony is the canary in the mine here. When they
stop selling CRTs, you'll know cross-over is at hand. Sony
has already stopped selling all CRT computer monitors
except for one high-end color-reference 21-inch.
I'll have to update my Christmas list.
Not so Plasmas.
The price point needs to be brought way down before they make sense.
Plasma screens have a burn-in problem..
I'd hate to spend a zillion bucks for a big plasma and then worry about the F###ing logos that the channels all seem to broadcast these days burning their images onto my screen :-(
However, you can't watch just anything, you have to watch what's on. Today's show: Silhouettes of the horse.
I don't claim to be an expert on this but in my opinion, the bigger the better. And according to what I have read of plasma it is the way to go. I have a 60 inch non HDTV Hitachi that has given me excellent service over eight years. Eventually I will replace it with an HDTV set but no way in the world would I have anything less than this size. I would be very much interested in this set if the price is reasonable.
"Tune in tomorrow for...Silhouettes of the Horse."
Everything is better with Cutesy Cutsey Korean Women.
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