[opendtv] News: Sharp develops 'two-way viewing' LCD TV
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: OpenDTV Mail List <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2005 07:46:09 -0400
Sharp develops 'two-way viewing' LCD TV
Different images displayed depending on viewer's position
TOKYO - Will the digital age bring an end to squabbles over which TV
channel to watch? Sharp Corp. is coming out with a new product that
may help. The Japanese electronics firm has developed a
liquid-crystal display that shows totally different images to people
viewing the screen from the left and the right.
The "two-way viewing-angle LCD," announced by the Japanese consumer
electronics maker Thursday, can send light from the backlight
separately to the right and left.
And so one person can be surfing the Internet, using the display as a
PC screen, while another watches a downloaded movie or TV broadcast.
It also works for watching two TV channels: one person can watch
baseball while another watches a soap opera.
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The display, which costs roughly double the standard kind, will go
into mass production this month. Sharp will offer the product for
worldwide sale, but the Osaka-based firm will also supply other
manufacturers with the new displays for various products expected
later this year, said spokeswoman Miyuki Nakayama. She declined to
disclose specifics.
Sharps says the technology offers many possibilities.
It could be used in cars so drivers can look at a map while the
passenger watches a movie. Or at a store, sales clerks and clients
can view different data on the same display simultaneously.
Another possible use is for billboards that display two kinds of
advertisements depending on where viewers stand, the company said.
The display will also work in the regular way and show a single image
to all viewers.
But like any other new technology, it's not perfect.
One catch is that the images overlap if viewers stand right in front
of the screen. Move a few centimeters (inches) to the left or right
for a clear view.
Another is that users will have to work out a way to listen to the
different sounds coming from the different channels. One solution is
that one viewers would use earphones, according to Sharp.
Sharp says the technology will help beef up its lineup of digital
home electronics, expected to be a big source of sales in coming
years.
Replacing the old TV will be gadgets with computer capabilities that
not only relay digital TV broadcast but also carry out computer
functions, including connecting to the Net, storing a music library
and editing video files.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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