AUO in Development for Lower Number of LEDs Used in TV Application
04/19/2010

AUO says LEDs used in TV Backlight Unit (BLU) will be lowered by about 30% by the end of this year. This is made possible because of 1-bar LED edge-type. The 1-bar edge-type LED BLU will start to be applied to TV application from year 2011.

AUO says LED BLU equipped model show 90% share in Notebook and 20% in TV and Monitor application that at the end of 2010, the penetration for TV application will reach 30~40%. LED penetration for TV application depend on the factor whether LED supply can cover the growing demand of the application.

Lee Biing-Jye, President of Epistar mention that LED (backlit) LCD TVs only show 5% penetration in early 2010 but is expected to increase towards 35% at the end of this year and will most likely show 20% overall penetration this year. In 2011, expectation rises to 45%.

In TV sector, TV vendors are sharply increasing LED orders and showed 30~40% shortage during 1Q, 2010. LED ordering period have already extended towards second-quarter and is expected to increase price reflecting increases in the BOM.

But Lite-On Technology CEO, Teng Kuang-Chung says LED shortage would not continue for a longer period and this is because LCD TV makers are endeavoring to lower the cost by attempt to lower the number of LEDs used in applications and chip makers are expanding their capacity fast.

Reference: http://www.displaybank.com/eng/info/sread.php?id=5740&pg=1&device2=

Rapidly Advancing Edge-Type LED BLU Technology – Reduced Number of LED Bar
Displaybank Market Insight

Introduction: 3D LED LCD TV in Analyst’s Perspective

New 3D LED LCD TV products are launched one after another. In 2009, the word, “LED”, was added to LCD TV products with LED backlight and they were called LED (backlit) LCD TV (or LED TV). This year, word “3D” is added and the products are called 3D LED LCD TV (there is also 3D CCFL LCD TV). Differentiations mean premium products. These products ask for higher prices since they have added functions through differentiations.

Samsung Electronics’ 55″ 3D LED LCD TV (C7000 Series) is currently traded around KRW 4 million in Korea. 55″ LED LCD TV (C6500 Series) which excludes 3D functions is traded around KRW 3.5 million. After all, the current premium of 3D appears to be about KRW 500,000. With this KRW 500,000 price premium, following questions are asked to tentative purchasers (in addition, the premium for 46″ product is about KRW 400,000).

Q. The price for 55″ 3D LED LCD TV applied with 3D functions is KRW 4 million and the price for LED LCD TV without 3D functions is KRW 3.5 million.

What is your choice? As a result of presenting this question to numerous people inside and outside the company, the ratio of answers was 5:5. Yes, it is close. The proper behavior in this situation is to remain halfway.

A person who seeks 3D focuses on the 3D itself. Regardless its quality or presence of contents, he or she wants to have an insurance called “3D function enabled” since no one knows what will happen in the future. A person who sees no need for 3D functions says that there is no 3D content and the image quality transitioning from 2D to 3D is below expectations. In addition, he or she says the 3D was only an adjunctive element to the film, Avatar, and the film itself was outstanding. In other words, this person believes that people went wild about the film rather than the 3D (2D Avatar was fantastic as well!).

Their basic stance is like this; a pessimistic person speaks about further perfected technology and infrastructure, whereas an optimistic person focuses on the potential of 3D (well¡¦ maybe related engineers are pessimistic and people in marketing or operation fields are optimistic).

Let’s talk about panels for a moment. What will be the price difference between the LED LCD TV panel and the 3D LED LCD TV panel? According to the current price calculation made by Displaybank, the price gap is about $200. In other words, the 3D LED LCD TV panel is sold about $200 higher than the panel without 3D functions. If you were to sell panels, which one would you sell? In the end, makers endeavor to sell products that generate more revenue and profit.

Lastly, we will ask above questions from seller’s perspective.

“You will watch TV for many years. If you buy a product without 3D functions, you may regret purchasing it later on. You won’t even remember how much you’ve purchased this for. You will think you did good taking my advice when you simply put on glasses and watch 3D. I’ll give you two more glasses for free so you can watch with three other people.”

Reference: http://www.displaybank.com

Before you buy: 12 things to know about the iPad
By John D. Sutter, CNN
April 2, 2010 — Updated 1401 GMT (2201 HKT)

(CNN) — You’ve seen the television commercials and the product reviews.

But maybe, like many gadget lovers, you’re still debating whether you really need this new touch-screen computer from Apple.

To help you make sense of the hype, here are answers to 12 common questions about the iPad, Apple’s much-anticipated “slate” computer, which goes on sale Saturday.

Buying an iPad? What will you do with it?

Is there anything else you’d like to know? If so, please post in the comments section below and we’ll do our best to answer your questions.

1. How is the iPad different from a laptop?

The word “laptop” is getting somewhat brushed aside for a truckload of new, confusing categories.

The Apple iPad falls into the slate (some people say tablet) category of portable personal computers, because, unlike a laptop, it doesn’t have a hardware keyboard.

Another key difference: To type and to navigate through files and photos on the iPad, you touch its screen in the same way you operate an iPhone or iPod Touch. That’s possible on some laptop models, but not many.

2. How is the iPad different from e-readers like the Kindle?

Reading digital books on “e-readers” like the Amazon Kindle is becoming increasingly popular. The iPad acts like an e-reader and like a personal computer, but there are some notable differences between the two.

For one, the iPad has a color display. The Kindle, by contrast, is only black-and-white. Some people think the iPad, partly for this reason, will be popular with students who read textbooks with colorful diagrams. Others say the Kindle’s screen, which isn’t backlit, will be easier on the eyes over long periods.

There’s an aesthetic difference, too: The iPad will display books horizontally, with two pages showing, or vertically, zooming in on a single page of text. The Kindle only works in vertical mode.

Perhaps more importantly, the devices access books from different online bookstores. iPad users buy books from Apple’s new digital bookstore, called the iBookstore, which supports an open e-book format called ePub. Kindle users must buy their books from Amazon.com.

3. How much does the iPad cost?

Prices range from $499 to $829. The more expensive versions have more storage space, which means you can put more music and videos on the device.

iPads that connect to the Internet with Wi-Fi only are less expensive than those that can connect through Wi-Fi and through AT&T’s mobile Internet network.

4. Do you have to sign-up for an AT&T contract when you buy the iPad?

You don’t have to buy an AT&T mobile Internet contract to purchase the iPad.

If you buy a Wi-Fi-only version of the iPad and have a Wi-Fi connection at home, or you want to use the iPad primarily at coffee shops or public places that have wireless Internet connections, then you probably won’t have to deal with AT&T at all.

Pricier versions of the iPad are able to connect to AT&T’s mobile 3G network, allowing them to browse the Web from many more locations.

Surprisingly, you don’t need a contract with AT&T to use this service, either.

Users can pay by the month and cancel at any time without penalty, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said at the iPad unveiling. The unlimited data plan with AT&T costs $29.99 per month.

The Wi-Fi-enabled iPads go on sale on Saturday. The AT&T-enabled iPads will ship in late April, according to the online Apple store.

5. If there’s no keyboard, how do you type on the iPad?

Instead of being a piece of plastic with physical keys, the iPad’s keyboard is a graphic that pops up on the device’s touch-sensitive screen — an interface that will be familiar to iPhone and iPod Touch users.

iPad users type by touching pictures of keys on the screen. The iPad keyboard is about the same size as the one on your desk, but you can’t feel the keys.

When he unveiled the device in January, Jobs said the iPad is “a dream to type on.” But some bloggers, including this writer, have complained that the iPad’s touch-screen keyboard is difficult to use.

6. What does the iPad do best?

The iPad is designed for consuming various types of media — reading books, browsing the Web and watching videos, in particular.

It’s also marketed as a portable gaming device, and there are hundreds of games for sale in the iPad App Store.

The device doesn’t have a DVD player, but you can download videos from Apple, or stream them from the Web.

The iPad is best suited for people who would, say, want to read their e-mail, but wouldn’t have to compose lengthy responses.

It’s better for a blog reader than a blog writer.

7. Can you create documents, spreadsheets and presentations with the iPad?

Apple created a new suite of “apps” specifically for the iPad. These iWork programs, which cost $9.99 each, let users create documents, edit spreadsheets and create business presentations from the iPad.

It’s unclear how easy these programs will be to use. Some reviewers say it’s easy enough to compose business documents on the iPad. Others say serious users will need another computer to be productive.

The iPad has a Wi-Fi connection, which, in theory, could be used for printing documents wirelessly through your printer. There is some debate online about what apps will perform this function.

8. Can you view any Web site on the iPad?

A certain format of online video, called Flash, does not play on the Apple iPad.

While there are some workarounds for this, many Web sites are redesigning themselves, using a type of code called HTML5, so they will work on the iPad.

That code allows video display on the device, but you may notice some sites will have holes because the iPad doesn’t support Flash video.

9. Will the iPad replace my current computer? Or do you need both?

Some technology writers and critics say the iPad is an all-in-one machine. Others argue that it’s more of a portable accessory, and that most computer users need a desktop or laptop computer in addition to an iPad.

What works for you really depends on what you use your computers for. If you spend a lot of time typing or creating things with your computer, it may be easier to use a laptop. If you just want to surf the Web, read books, play games, watch movies or send an occasional short e-mail, the iPad might work.

Apple and others sell keyboards that can be attached to the device in case you need to write a longer e-mail and don’t want to fiddle with the touch-screen keyboard.

10. Is the iPad lighter and smaller than other laptops or e-readers?

The iPad will be about a half-inch thick and weigh about 1½ pounds.

Its screen is 9.7 inches across, when measured diagonally.

That’s smaller and lighter than some laptops. A 10-inch netbook from Dell is similar in size but weighs about a pound more.

Amazon’s Kindle DX is slimmer than the iPad, at only a third of an inch thick, and it weighs slightly less: 1.2 pounds, according to Amazon.

Its screen is the same size as the iPad’s, but it doesn’t display color.

11. Can you subscribe to newspapers and magazines on the iPad?

Some magazines and newspapers have said they hope the iPad will help save their struggling industries. A number of them have reformatted their publications for the iPad’s screen and are offering new digital subscription plans.

The Wall Street Journal, for example, will charge $17.99 per month for an iPad subscription to its newspaper.

12. Are there iPad alternatives?

Apple is not the only computer maker offering a slate device. Some are on the market now and others will come out soon.

HP briefly showed off its slate computer before an audience at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Dell has announced plans to make a personal computer in the slate category.

Viliv and Asus have tablets on the market, too.

Reference: CNN News http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/ptech/04/02/ipad.preview/index.html

April 1, 2010
From ‘sensual’ to ‘disappointment,’ iPad reviews are in
Posted: 01:13 PM ET

In case you’ve been sleeping under a rock with your iPhone turned off, there’s some big tech news coming up on Saturday: Apple’s iPad goes on sale. And the pundits are already chiming in.

Here’s a point-by-point about this new “slate” computer, which is like a touch-screen laptop without a keyboard, or, as The New York Times writes, “basically a gigantic iPod Touch.”

* Overall impressions: Most tech reviewers are pretty gaga over the iPad, but there’s some variance in how much they love the device. The Chicago Sun-Times is ready for a commitment ceremony, declaring the iPad “pure innovation” and “one of best computers ever.” The New York Times isn’t as sold.
* Typing: The iPad doesn’t have a keyboard, so you have to tap on the screen the screen to type. NYT says it’s “barely usable,” plus: “When the very glossy 9.7-inch screen is off, every fingerprint is grossly apparent.” Wall Street Journal takes the opposite view: “I found the iPad virtual keyboard more comfortable and accurate to use than the cramped keyboards and touchpads on many netbooks.”
* Better than a laptop?: WSJ says the iPad is “pretty close” to being a laptop killer.
* Multitasking: You can’t run more than one program at once on the iPad, which disappoints the blog Engadget: “There’s no multitasking at all. It’s a real disappointment. All this power and very little you can do with it at once. No multitasking means no streaming Pandora when you’re working in Pages … It’s a real setback for this device.”
* Creating documents: The WSJ likes the virtual keyboard, but doesn’t think it will work for all business functions: “If you need to create or edit giant spreadsheets or long documents, or you have elaborate systems for organizing e-mail, or need to perform video chats, the iPad isn’t going to cut it as your go-to device.”
* Multimedia books: BoingBoing says colorful, clickable books and apps make the iPad. It highlights those from Marvel Comics, Reuters news agency and the Epicurious recipe site.
* Color books: USA TODAY says the fact that your can read books in color on the iPad is a big deal. You can’t do that on many e-reader competitors: “Judged solely from a sizzle standpoint: There’s no contest. Titles on the iPad such as Winnie the Pooh (which comes preloaded on the iPad) boast colorful illustrations. The 6-inch Kindle screen is grayscale.”
* No Flash: The iPad doesn’t support Flash video. NYT: “Apple has this thing against Flash, the Web’s most popular video format; says it’s buggy, it’s not secure and depletes the battery. Well, fine, but meanwhile, thousands of Web sites show up with empty white squares on the iPad — places where videos or animations are supposed to play.”
* Cameras: The iPad doesn’t have a camera, which means you can’t use it for video conferencing. USA TODAY makes another point along these lines: There’s no USB connection to hook up the camera you already have. But the paper says there’s a workaround: “Some will decry the absence of a USB port or other connectors, which might let you hook up a printer or bolster storage. Everything comes through the standard iPod-like dock connector on the bottom of the iPad. You can purchase a $29 iPad Camera Connection Kit…”
* Maps: “Maps become real maps, like the paper ones” on the iPad’s larger screen, NYT says.
* Love factor: Some writers seem to be just downright in love with the device. Scary in love with it. From BoingBoing: “The form just feels good, not too lightweight or heavy, nor too thin or thick. It’s sensual. It’s tactile … the iPad hits a completely new pleasure spot.”

Anything else you want to know about the forthcoming pleasure device known as the iPad? Let us know and we’ll do our best to find you answers. Also, if you pick up an iPad on Saturday, let us know what you think at this CNN iReport assignment.

Posted by: John D. Sutter — CNN.com writer/producer

Reference: http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/01/from-sensual-to-disappointment-ipad-reviews-are-in/