Samsung Ups LCD Production

In response to demand for slimmer televisions, Samsung Electronics LCD Business, located in San Jose, Calif., has begun mass producing ultraslim LCD panels suited for large size TVs. The company’s edge-lit LED backlighting offers lighter weight and thinner designs, which is preferable for wall mounting over bulkier direct-lit LED LCDs. The LED-backlit panels also are mercury-free and consume less energy. A 55-inch Samsung HDTV with edge-lit LED backlighting uses up to 40 percent less power than conventional LCD TVs. 10.8 mm thick, the new Samsung panels are a fourth the thickness of conventional LCD panels and come in 40-inch, 46-inch and 55-inch diagonal sizes. While a direct-lit LED backlight will project light forward across the full expanse of the display from the front, edge-lit LEDs emit light from a row of LEDs on the top and bottom of every panel, using less power. The edge-lit technology gathers the light toward the center of the display and bends it, reflecting it forward through a light-guide plate that precisely focuses the light for good picture quality. Samsung said it has now resolved technical issues affecting development of a marketable edge-lit LED LCD display, including inadequate brightness across the entire screen, and overheating of the outside frames and light-guide plate.