Trends In Display Technologies The Wild Ride Continues

1
Trends In Display Technologies The Wild Ride
Continues

• Peter H. Putman, CTS
• President, ROAM Consulting Inc.
• Founder, HDTVexpert.com

2
The Next Big Thing Is

• 2004 was the year of intelligent displays
• 2005 is the year of HD (1080p) displays
• 1920x1080 front and rear projection
• 1920x1080 flat panel monitors
• 1400x1050, 1600x1200, 2048x1536 displays
• 169 aspect ratios more and more popular
• 1920x1080 is a shared TV / PC resolution

3
The Next Big Thing Is

• Most significant display products shown at CES,
  CeBIT, and NAB were HD 1080p displays
  
• Sharp 65-inch LCD TV 1920x1080
• Samsung 82-inch LCD TV 1920x1080
• Samsung 102-inch plasma TV 1920x1080
• JVC 48-inch LCoS RP monitor 1920x1080
• Sony 70-inch LCoS RPTV 1920x1080
• Get the picture?

4
Higher Resolution DisplaysBoon or Pandoras
Box?Be Careful What You Ask For
5
Gimme Those Pixels!

• Everyone wants HDTV imaging resolution
• But there are trade-offs, as usual
• Decoding and deinterlacing SD/HD video
• Image scaling vs. native pixel resolution
• Bandwidth and image detail
• Accurate grayscales and color shading
• None of these are easy to do!

6
Analog Video Is Still Around

• Converting SD video
• Decode composite to component
• Convert interlaced to progressive
• Correct for intraframe motion artifacts
• Eliminate scan line artifacts
• Preserve image detail without ringing
• Detect and correct for different frame/field
  cadences (32, 2332, 2224, etc)
  

7
The Ideal Decoded Signal
8
The Sad Reality
9
Deinterlacing SD Video

• With 480p CRT displays, its not as much of an
  issue (resolution limits of spot size)
  
• With 720p/768p FP displays, scan line and motion
  artifacts are more visible
  
• With 1080p FP displays, problem is severe as all
  SD artifacts are revealed
  
• Is 1080p native resolution a good thing, or is it
  Pandoras Box?

10
Deinterlacing Video

• 480i source deinterlacing not as intense for
  processors as 1080i
  
• Most 1080i processors do not convert both fields,
  only one
  
• Result 540p scaled to 720p (fudging)
• This trick doesnt work when using a native 1080p
  display

11
Deinterlacing Video
Quality deinterlacing and motion correction
applied here
Inferior deinterlacing and motion correction
applied here
Both frames enlarged 4X
12
Image Scaling for HD Displays

• Two ways to do it
• UP in resolution (interpolation of addl.
  pixels)
  
• DOWN in resolution (decimation of pixels)
• The greater the difference in total pixels, the
  more difficult either process becomes
  
• 480p to 600p 25, not too bad
• 1080i to 600p -56, a pretty good leap!
• Composite video to 1080p HD 88 (Uh-oh)

13
Going Up In Resolution
480p source image
Not difficult to pull off while maintaining good
image quality
600p scaled image
14
Going Down In Resolution
1920x1080p source image
Picture detail is thrown away, but overall image
quality is tolerable
1024x600p scaled image
15
Flat-Out Asking For Trouble
480i source image
You dont realize how bad SD video looks until
you try this trick!
1920x1080 scaled image
16
Image Scaling Headaches

• Garbage in, garbage out
• Noise reduction (analog, digital MPEG
  mosquitoes)
  
• Field vs. frame conversion (1080i to 540p)
• Color space errors (601 or 709 to RGB)
• Higher resolution fixed-pixel projection systems
  clearly show scaling defects
  
• Poor SD video performance is 1 cause of consumer
  returns on fixed-pixel TVs

17
Bandwidth and Detail Problems

• A little known secret Many expensive
  fixed-pixel displays are short on HD bandwidth
  
• Desire to save on components
• Inclusion of video sharpness circuits
• Obsession with edge enhancement
• Designing display for 480p sources
• Mostly seen on YPbPr (analog) inputs

18
The Ideal Bandwidth Response
Full bandwidth signal processing (18 MHz)
19
The Sad Reality
Clipped bandwidth signal processing ( 20
I Want My Money Back

• Luminance detail more important than chrominance
  detail
  
• In MPEG, luminance samples at twice chrominance
  or more (422, 420, etc)
  
• Clipped BW not an issue with SD displays, but a
  big issue with HD displays
  
• With many HD displays, you are not getting the
  performance you paid for!

21
I Want My Money Back

• In a typical HD display
• Inferior scaling of low-rez video
• Poor de-interlacing and motion correction
• Poor noise reduction (digital and analog)
• Clipped bandwidth above 12 MHz
• Too much edge enhancement with SD HD
• Result An expensive HD display no better than a
  cheaper SD display

22
Grayscale Color Purity

• Perhaps the two hardest things for any HD display
  to handle well
  
• Digital systems have it tougher (PWM)
• Shadow detail always difficult to render
• Expansive grayscales are problematic
• Industry obsessed with contrast ratio
• White detail crush very common

23
Grayscale Problems
False contouring and white crush are seen
24
Color Purity Problems

• Color purity across HD image is a must
• Color shifts can be caused by
• Poorly designed mirrors, integrators
• Refraction in imaging devices
• Inconsistency in color filter materials
• Low-cost optics and lenses
• Uneven spectral output of illuminants

25
Projector Color Shifts
Projector was set to Middle or Normal WB in
each case
26
Projector Color Shifts

• Not as noticeable with business graphics
  (saturated colors go pastel)
  
• More noticeable with mid/high gray tones
• Definitely noticeable with flesh tones!
• A difficult problem with short-arc lamps
• Fix with filtering, but lose light
• Move to xenon imaging? Cost issues?

27
Contenders and PretendersEveryones Got a
Better Mousetrap
28
?
????
E M I S S I V E
???
transmissive
?
Reflective
???????
?
29
Contenders for the Throne

• Emissive - You view the light source directly
• CRT, plasma, SED, FED, LED, O-LED
• Transmissive - You view shuttered light
• TFT LCD monitors, HTPS LCD projectors
• Reflective - You view reflected light
• DLP, LCoS and variations (D-ILA, SXRD, etc)

30
E M I S S I V E
31
Emissive Contenders

• CRT (cathode-ray tube) technology the oldest and
  best-known variation
  
• Limitations in brightness and physical size
• Resolution always tied to brightness
• High voltages required
• Power consumption issues

32
Emissive Contenders

• Plasma display panels (PDPs) are a step forward
• Resolution and brightness link is broken
• Higher native resolutions, high brightness and
  contrast
  
• Saturated phosphors, wide viewing angles
• Light weight, thin profile
• Power still an issue

33
Emissive Contenders

• Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are a step further
• Lower operating voltages for luminous energy
• Thinner profile, high brightness and contrast
• Resolution still coarse
• High current consumption
• Modular and durable display

34
Emissive Contenders

• Organic light-emitting diodes (O-LEDs) push the
  envelope farther out
  
• Super-thin, low-voltage technology
• High contrast, brightness
• Bright colors and wide viewing angles
• Current consumption and uniformity are problems

35
Emissive Contenders

• Surface-conducting Electron-emitting Displays
  (SEDs) have promise, but
  
• Super-thin technology with CRT-like image
  quality
  
• High contrast, brightness
• Bright colors and wide viewing angles
• Can Canon and Toshiba actually deliver it?

36
transmissive
37
Transmissive Threats

• Liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) are mature
• Link between brightness and resolution broken
• Low voltage technology, scalable over various
  sizes
  
• Viewing angles and black levels are issues
• Color filter imaging not as intense as phosphors

38
Transmissive Threats

• High-temperature polysilicon (HTPS)
• Enabled the portable projector market
• Low-cost imaging technology at high resolution
• Monochrome, requires outboard color filters
• Questions as to durability of panels and filters

39
Reflective
40
Reflective Challengers

• Digital light processing (DLP)
• High resolutions possible
• Efficient technology, lightweight projectors
• Monochrome, needs color filters / wheels
• Black levels good, high brightness / contrast
• 100 digital system, unaffected by analog stimuli

41
Reflective Challengers

• Liquid-crystal on silicon (LCoS)
• High resolutions possible
• Efficient technology, lightweight projection
  systems
  
• High resolution to 4K
• Black level / contrast issues
• Manufacturing issues - yields

42
Never A Dull MomentSignificant Display News -
2005
43
Significant News - 2005

• So Far This Year
• Fujitsu exits plasma and LCD fab businesses
• The LCD plasma war continues
• LCoS fights for respectability, market share
• HTPS projection engines strike back
• LEDs are used as -- projection lamps?
• 1080p is the latest display buzzword
• ELVs, iMods, P-OLEDs grab attention at SID

44
Significant News - 2005

• Plasma FUJITSU CRIES UNCLE!
• Falling prices, declining profit margins in both
  PDP and TFT LCD manufacturing to blame
  
• Competitive advantage to Korean, Chinese fabs
• Sells all but 19 of FHP interest to Hitachi
• Sells all IP and patents outright to Hitachi
• Sells LCD fabs, IP outright to Sharp
• Just another OEM now.

45
Significant News - 2005

• NO PRISONERS TAKEN IN LCD PLASMA MARKET SHARE
  BATTLES
  
• Average MSRP of 42 ED plasma TV ranges from
  1500 to 2500 - ED going away in favor of HD
  
• 50-inch plasma TV now well under 5K SRP
• LCD dominates to 32, no mans land at 37
  size
  
• 32 LCD under 1500, 37 at 2500
• Average 42 ED plasma sold at 50 loss in 2004

46
Significant News - 2005

• LCOS JUST WANTS TO BE LOVED
• More companies pursuing LCoS as alternative
  technology to DLP (multiple sources, cheaper)
  
• Yields still a big problem for all LCoS types
• Some companies just hanging on by fingernails
• Sony, JVC continue battles at high end (2K, 4K)
• Push in China and Korea to build LCoS TVs
• 1080p seen as tipping point for LCoS

47
Significant News - 2005

• HTPS LCD HAS A FEW TRICKS LEFT
• Sony, Panasonic, Sanyo all introduce new color
  correction systems
  
• Dynamic iris and gamma correction (Panasonic)
• Adoption in more 720p RPTVs (Mitsubishi)
• .9 1920x1080 panels coming from Epson for front
  and rear projection
  
• Front projection systems (Fujitsu, Sanyo, Barco)

48
Significant News - 2005

• YOUVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!
• LumiLEDs light engines (RGB stripes) now in
  pocket projectors
  
• Models from Mitsubishi, Samsung, BenQ, InFocus
• Light output 30 50 lumens on small screens
  (12)
  
• Single chip DLP (800x600) designs
• Question Why not just use a laptop instead?

49
Significant News - 2005

• THROW OUT YOUR 720P DISPLAYS
• Industry becoming obsessed with 1080p imaging
• Support across all display technologies
• DMDs 2K professional, 960x1080 consumer
• LCoS 1920x1080 D-ILA, SXRD, others
• HTPS 1920x1080 panels
• TFT LCD now as small as 37 diagonally
• Plasma 71 screens to 102 screens
• Silicon Optix field / frame deinterlacing issues

50
Significant News - 2005

• HOW DID THEY EVER COME UP WITH - -
• Electrowetting light valve (ELV)
• Uses oil and water
• Simple monochrome light shutter
• Polymer organic light-emitting diodes (P-OLEDs)
• Colors can be fluorescent, phosphorescent
• Ink-jet printable
• Interferometric Modulator (IMod)
• Bends light with refraction, reflection

51
OK, Back To RealityThe Rough Waters Ahead
52
The Battle Lines are Drawn

• Plasma vs. LCD
• New plasma fabs coming on-line in Korea, China
• Plasma has edge in price across competitive
  sizes
  
• 37 is current battleground, also 40 42
• LCD still limited in sizes above 46
• Materials cost lower in plasma screens
• Color rendering still better than LCD for now
• Popular choice as consumer TV screen

53
The Battle Lines are Drawn

• Plasma vs. LCD
• Full court press by plasma manufacturers to
  correct misconceptions about panel life, burn-in,
  cost
  
• New gas mixtures (xenon and neon) improve
  phosphor life and brightness
  
• Plasma tube technology may allow larger sizes
• Caveat Plasma technology may be reaching the
  limit of improvements!

54
PDP Technology Enhancements

• Plasma Tube Structure
• Breaks the link between glass size and imaging
  elements
  
• Reduced costs in manufacturing
• May allow curved screen plasma displays
• Shown Fujitsu tube demo

55
The Battle Lines are Drawn

• players / partners in PDPs
• Japan Panasonic, Hitachi, Pioneer
• Panasonic 1 WW in sales
• May partner with Hitachi on PDP projects
• Pioneer owns ex-NEC fabs, OEMs NEC glass
• Hitachi now in charge of FHP factory
• No new VC investment in plasma is likely

56
The Battle Lines are Drawn

• players / partners in PDPs
• Korea Samsung, LG
• Samsung 1 WW in PDP shipments (200K/month)
• LG and Samsung have both expanded fabs
• Both companies make largest PDPs in world
• China Chungwha Picture Tube
• Building 46-inch SD/HD panels (Mitsubishi design)

57
The Battle Lines are Drawn

• LCD vs. PLASMA
• LCD is aggressively marketed across all channels
• Many OEM partners selling into US market
• LCD manufacturers working hard to address
• Viewing angles (could be better)
• Black levels (still 10x that of best plasma)
• Color accuracy (needs to emulate CRT gamut)
• Motion smear

58
LCD Technology Enhancements

• Viewing angles
• New polarizing films being shown
• Close to 170 degrees in any axis possible
• Improves off-axis color and black levels
• Scalable to any sizes
• Shown Nitto Denko

? New Filter ? Old Filter
59
LCD Technology Enhancements

• Color Gamut
• Use of LEDs expanding
• Color-corrected CCFL and HCFL backlights
• Hybrid LED / CCFLs also shown
• Power savings with brighter whites
• Shown Philips Aptura

60
LCD Technology Enhancements

• Color Gamut
• Use of LEDs expanding
• Color-corrected CCFL and HCFL backlights
• Hybrid LED / CCFLs exist
• Power savings with brighter whites
• Shown Samsung 46 1080p LCD TV with LED stripe
  backlights

61
LCD Technology Enhancements

• Cleaner Motion
• Scanning backlight
• Black frame insertion
• Effect is similar to a motion picture shutter
• Techniques can be combined
• Shown LG Philips combo scanning backlight and
  black frame insertion
  

62
The Battle Lines are Drawn

• Plasma OR LCD WHO WINS?
• LCD making huge jumps in image quality each year
• LCD offers 1080p imaging in smaller screen sizes
• Plasma will always be limited by brightness
• Predictions
• Plasma migrates to consumer TV market on lower
  price, competes with microdisplay RPTV
  
• LCD captures 37-inch battleground in 2005,
  becomes display of choice for DS, pro AV channels
  to 42 inches
  

63
The Battle Lines are Drawn

• DLP vs. LCOS
• DLP now shipping in two 1080p variations
• 2048x1080 for digital cinema, large venue
• 960x1080 for consumer RPTVs, uses wobbulation
• LCoS panels all ship with full 2K resolution
• Consumer RPTVs (JVC, Sony, eLCOS, LG)
• Professional monitors (JVC)
• Front projectors (Sony, JVC, Canon)

64
DLP Advancements

• More DLP at lower cost
• 1080p monitors
• Uses single-chip engine
• Expanded multi-segment color wheels with faster
  sequencing
  
• Improved light sources and color correction
• Shown Samsung 70-inch 1080p DLP RPTV

65
LCoS Advancements

• Expanded use of LCOS
• 1080p monitors
• Uses three-panel engine
• Dichroic filters for wide color gamut
• No sequential color wheels or scanning
• Xenon light source
• Shown JVC 48-inch D-ILA reference monitor

66
The Battle Lines are Drawn

• DLP OR LCOS WHO WINS?
• DLP yields are typically better than LCoS
• More DLP product in production its mainstream
• LCoS has potentially lower costs, no IP issues
• Many Asian manufacturers entering LCoS business
• Predictions
• LCoS needs more time before significant
  penetration
  
• DLP will rule the lower-price roost for several
  years

67
The Battle Lines are Drawn

• DLP vs. HTPS LCD
• DLP has achieved 2K resolution, but only full
  2K with professional displays
  
• HTPS LCD has achieved full 2K resolution with .9
  panels for all types of displays
  
• DLP limited to single-chip with color wheel in
  smaller projection engines
  
• HTPS LCD is three-chip with color filters in all
  projection engines

68
HTPS LCD Advancements

• Visual Quality Issues
• Screen door effect is being minimized
• Lower black levels due to dynamic irising of
  content
  
• Color gamut accuracy is greatly improved
• Shown Panasonic PT-AE700U front LCD projector

69
The Battle Lines are Drawn

• DLP OR HTPS LCD WHO WINS?
• HTPS LCD improvements for 2005 are dramatic!
• HTPS LCD still has price advantage
• Typical 720p LCD projector is 2500
• Lowest-cost 720p DLP projector is 4500
• Predictions
• LCD remains strong, affordable projection
  technology
  
• DLP prices must drop to compete in 720p skew
• Issues with full 1080p imaging will surface

70
Oh, and By The Way Better Living Through Displ
ays?
71
Oh, and By the Way.

• On-board OS
• Integral piece of a network
• Faster LANs allow remote file access
• Maintenance and status updates enabled
• Diagnose and fix many operator error issues

72
Oh, and By the Way.

• 100 digital video interfaces
• Smart set-up between monitor and display card or
  video source
  
• Best match to pixel resolution and refresh rate
• DVI for pro markets
• HDMI for consumer

73
Oh, and By the Way.

• Improved on-board video processing
• More functions on one chip set
• Scaling, de-interlacing, motion correction,
  cadence correction
  
• Enables a true resolution-independent display

74
Oh, and By the Way

• Power Saving Modes
• Larger displays consume lots of electricity!
• Need to improve luminous efficiency (lumens/watt
  or nits/watt)
  
• Smart backlights
• Pulsed backlights
• Low power modes

75
Trends In Display Technologies The Wild Ride
Continues

• Peter H. Putman, CTS
• President, ROAM Consulting Inc.
• Founder, HDTVexpert.com