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August 6, 2006

SED Update

Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display (SED) is a new flat panel display technology which uses the same principal as in a traditional cathode ray tube television (CRT) of electrons exciting a phosphor coating. However, with SED there is a surface conduction electron emitter for every individual display pixel. Unlike CRT, SED televisions have a very slim form factor similar to plasma and LCD televisions yet share the advantages of high contrast ratios, refresh rates and excellent picture quality. SED features high-resolution images with less power consumption than plasma and LCD displays. For a more in-depth coverage read Presentation Technology Reviews article SED on Final Approach.

SED technology has had a long road to commercial production, having been in development since 1987, with Toshiba and Canon announcing a joint development agreement in 2004. At the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show, Toshiba displayed working SED prototypes and indicated availability in mid-to-late 2006. Unfortunately, Toshiba recently announced that it has decided to delay by 18 months, to the end of 2007, its launch of SED TVs.

Admitting the obvious, that SED technologies are complicated, Toshiba President Atsutoshi Nishida stated in a recent interview with Kyodo News Toshiba plans to start mass-production of SED TVs, expecting a growth in demand ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. “We aim to gain a 20 percent share in the global market for large, flat-screen TVs in 2010, helped by our high quality that other companies will not be able to imitate”, he said.