New LCD Flatscreen Concept: A Wedge of Plastic

SimianOverlord writes "The Register reports on an innovation in the field of flat panel LCD screens that promises cheaper screens with the same quality using existing manufacturing technology. A Flat Projection Display is created by bouncing light into a thin wedge of plastic from the bottom of the screen, at just the correct angle to allow the rebounded light to escape at the correct pixel. "We have to play around with the image to make sure that the pixels don't bunch up" explained Prof. Travis, the inventor. "If you don't do that the image can appear a little like an image reflected off water" The new technology has already attracted interest from a major TV maker, but don't expect them in your laptop until projector minaturization catches up."

If I had a dime...

[OpenSourced]

If I had a dime for every new display technology (or other kind of cool technologies) that gets in the papers, I could go to the same clubs of Warren Buffet. But if I had it for the technologies that actually reach me as a consumer, I could barely buy a film ticket, depending on city.

I don't know exactly why it is but it's a fact. I'm thinking of making a list. It may make for funny reading ten years from now.

Re:and, like all innovation and progress....

[aardvarkjoe]

this will triple the price of the hardware, instead of lowering it. right?

Yeah, of course. After all, it's not like prices for computer equipment ever goes down...

Re:HUD / glasses

[JamesD_UK]

Don't expect them in your laptop until projector minaturization catches up.

The display still requires a traditional projector to transmit the image through the display. I suppose that having two projectors attached to your glasses may induce a small amounts of neck strain.

Instead of making it cheaper

[bartyboy]

why not make screens with no dead or stuck pixels? It's a huge pain in the ass to repack the new screen and bring it back to the store because ONE pixel is not working properly.

And manufacturers, here's a clue for your QC people: there is no such thing as "acceptable amount of defective pixels". I don't care if they're not touching or not, if they work above 30 degrees Celsius or when submerged in KY jelly. If I'm buying a new car there are no dents or scratches on it, so why should your screens be any different?

Prism...

[Sai Babu]

First thing that came to mind was the film Brazil [filmsite.org] and the tiny CRTs with big lenses.

Pretty clever.

One way to acheive is mirror array at 'base' ala DLP. DOn't know if this is the approach, but if so, corrections for each pixel would be pretty easy to handle in firmware.

Re:official site:

[NanoGator]

"Looks like they still have some work to do. The picture looks fairly washed out."

To be fair, projected images don't photograph well.

Re:Still Not Cheap Enough

[Ucklak]

Injection molding plastic is cheaper than tube manufacturing.
CRT alignment is still adjusted by a human. Injection molding does not require human intervention.