OTHER TECH

Panasonic's CES offerings overwhelmingly focused on plasma. It recently finished expanding its second plasma plant, near Osaka, Japan, and overall produces 150,000 plasma displays per month, or 1.8 million a year. It plans to increase that output to 2 million a year by March 2006, giving it a 40% share of the flat-panel market. It introduced five new Viera models (sized 37, 42, or 50 inches) that are said to have 30% greater horizontal resolution and a higher contrast ratio than previous plasma displays. They'll be available between March and June at prices to be announced. However, Panasonic believes that below 37 inches, LCD remains a respectable alternative to plasma, and to cover all bases it introduced a few new LCD models. It also markets 56- and 61-inch DLP rear-projection sets. Panasonic's wall of new plasma displays is evidence of its faith in the technology.

Pioneer pinned its future to plasma to an even greater degree, offering no other type of TV at CES. It announced four new plasma PureVision models in 43- and 50-inch screen sizes, with the choice of an internal or external digital tuner. The 50-inch PDP-5050HD (external) and PDP-50A5HD (internal) cost $7,500 and the 43-inch models $2,000 less. They'll be available this spring.

Toshiba showed its greatest commitment to DLP rear-projection models, which it considers most cost effective. The top-of-the-line, 62-inch 62HMX94, available now for $4,300, uses the company's proprietary Talen (Toshiba Advanced Light Engine) technology along with the new Texas Instruments HD2+ DLP chip. But the real news from Toshiba is that it's convinced the new standard for flat-panel displays will be set by a new technology called SED (surface-conduction electron-emitter display ) that it's been developing together with Canon. The technique uses phosphors painted on glass as in conventional picture tubes but needs no electron gun, and according to Toshiba, it permits an 8,600:1 contrast ratio and a 1-millisecond response time - better than any LCD and as good as the best plasma displays. SED screens can be as thin as plasmas but will ultimately be less expensive to manufacture. Toshiba said it will offer TVs using this technology in the U.S. by next year and expects it to reach a 20% to 30% market share by 2007.

Sony leans toward LCD and touted its proprietary 3LCD technology, which it said minimizes digital glitches and breakup compared with DLP sets. Its 3LCD front projector has a rated 6,000:1 contrast ratio. Sony also proclaimed its new SXRD engine, currently used in a 70-inch LCD rear-projection model, "the Trinitron of the future" (referring to the company's standard-setting CRT technology). It provided no information on price or timing for its new products.

Thomson Consumer Electronics, which sells mainly under the RCA brand, strongly stated its preference for DLP in large-screen HDTVs. Introduced at last year's CES as the slimmest DLP TV, the 61-inch, 6 7/8-inch-deep Scenium Profile is now available for $7,000. Thomson thinks the ol' CRT still has plenty of life, though, and offered a CRT-based rear-projection HDTV, the 52-inch HD52W68, for only $1,100. It also announced a line of seven standard-definition CRT-based digital TVs with built-in digital tuners, five 27-inch and two 32-inch, starting with the 27-inch 27V414T for $300. < < Back to the International CES 2005 index