Display technology remains an area of frenetic paced development, driven by the demands of high volume pc and tv manufacturers, who need displays that can meet the demands of video applications. Passive matrix single super twisted nematic and dual super twisted nematic technologies have largely been replaced by active matrix or thin film transistor (tft). Offering much faster response times, these ideally suit multimedia environments.
However, the days when high volume pc and tv manufacturers were the only customers worth listening to have passed. Nowadays, display manufacturers are listening to a much broader market – from signage to lighting solutions, smart cards to retail ticketing, eBooks to dashboards. And, in response, a host of new technologies is available.
Martin Cobb, Trident Displays’ emerging displays expert, believes organic leds, or oleds, are most likely to displace tfts. Cobb recounts that when he entered the industry some 13 years ago, the Holy Grail was a 2in thick, 30in diagonal display at $500. “Now, the Holy Grail is an 8ft diagonal screen that can be rolled up, is daylight readable and has a good viewing angle. Oleds will make this achievable, even at $50.” He predicts tfts will disappear, to be replaced by a range of choices optimised for different ‘squeeze’ points, such as low power, viewing angle, contrast, size, shape, flexibility and, of course, cost.
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