Samsung strives for LCD record

Samsung Electronics' upcoming LCD could set a record for the electronics industry.

At 70 inches (177.8cm), the display is aimed at the consumer HDTV (high-definition television) market, but it will likely become available in the business market at an early stage. According to Samsung, the screen is five inches larger than any current one. The company is unveiling the 70-incher at this week's International Meeting on Information Displays 2006 in Daegu, Korea.

The screen offers a conical viewing angle of 180 degrees. The video signal is reproduced at 120Hz, compared with the 60Hz offered by conventional high-definition LCD (liquid crystal display) panels, enabling "rapidly moving video images to be reproduced with crystal clarity," the company said on Monday.

Samsung plans to begin mass production of the new 70-inch LCD during the first half of 2007. With the introduction of the 70-inch LCD, the company will be in a position to compete head-to-head with plasma and projection TV makers.

Samsung's display has a resolution of 1,920 pixels by 1,080 pixels, which qualifies it as a high-definition TV but isn't incredibly high for a screen of this size.

For example, one of the largest LCD screens seen by ZDNet Australia sister site ZDNet UK is the 56-inch (142.25cm) V562D1 display from Chi Mei Optoelectronics. That screen debuted at the CeBit trade show in Germany in March, and has a resolution of 3,840 pixels by 2,160 pixels.

Samsung has not yet named a price for its 70-inch screen. The screen from Chi Mei is expected to retail for about US$11,400.

Colin Barker, of ZDNet UK reported from London