Samsung puts the widescreen into portable devices

 

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By Alun Williams

Posted on 4 Nov 2004 at 16:23

Samsung has created a 4in LCD panel with a 16:9 screen ratio, designed for portable media players (PMPs).

Think 'widescreen' and you think of cinemas or large plasma displays, but the South Korean electronics giant is anticipating a market for full-scale portable video players.

Current PMPs generally use 3.5in LCD panels with a 4:3 ratio and, Samsung points out, this means that with a 16:9 Digital Internet Video eXpress (Divx) file the screen is not fully used (the post box effect).

For the new Samsung panel, an 8-bit digital interface allows for 16.7million-colour images. The brightness of the screen is 180cd/m², which compares to the general 150cd/m² brightness of mobile handsets. The importance of this is that many consumers could be using PMP outdoors. Samsung also claims that visibility is improved through a TMR (Transmissive with Micro Reflective) mode, which reduces the reflection of sunlight.

'We are planning to take the lead in the display industry by developing various small- and medium-size applications with advanced technology and product competitiveness,' said Yun Jin-Hyuk, Samsung's senior VP of the Mobile Display Business Team. 'Our goal is to take the number one position in mobile LCD market share by year 2006.'