Samsung’s Ultra Large LCD

Samsung has raised the stakes in the ultra-large TV segment with plans to build a 178cm (70-inch) liquid crystal display (LCD) to go head to head with plasma and projection televisions, reports EE Times magazine.

The largest LCD screen currently in production is 165cm (65-inches), and this latest model will strike yet another blow into the heartland of plasma which has traditionally dominated the 101cm (40-inch) and above TV segment.

Due to enter production in the first half of next year, the company also claims the 178cm TV will set a new benchmark in terms of video image reproduction, viewing angle and image quality.

The panel will have 1080p resolution and video signal of 120Hz to enhance moving images, doubling the 60 Hz video signal used on conventional LCD TVs. The screen also has a conical viewing angle of 180 degrees.

"We've designed it to dramatically enhance the large screen LCD TV user's viewing experience," said Kim Sang-Soo, a vice president of Samsung Electronics.

Last month Matsushita Electric announced plans to ship a 261cm (103-inch) plasma TV early next year, with a screen size that is bigger than double mattress.

Although plasma has retained its market edge based on unit size and pricing, LCD has been making inroads into the smaller-screen segment. But LCD screens are getting larger and cheaper all the time, and fast overcoming technical challenges such as the ability to handle fast moving images and ghosting, while the problems with plasma technology have remained. These include the burn-in of images on screen and a significantly shorter product lifespan.

Worldwide sales of LCD TVs rose 135 per cent year on year in the second quarter, and now claims a 13.5 percent share and now account for 22 percent of the world's TV according to US researcher, DisplaySearch.

Sophie Lo, research analyst at IDC, recently said that while plasma was still ahead of LCD in terms of shipments during 2005, data suggested the LCD market was expected to show higher growth over next five years and surpass plasma as early as this year.

"LCD TVs come in small screens all the way up to 45 inches, which caters to the entire TV ecosystem, and is why we are predicting stronger growth," she said.

Philips leads the market with 13.5 per cent unit market share, followed by Samsung with 13.1 per cent.