Display Monitor

Volume 14 No 30 July 30th 2007

Contents

Detailed Contents.. 2 Company News.. 3 Market News.. 7 Product News.. 11 Dynamic Focus - LCD TVs. 15 Rear Panel.. 16
Notebooks Continue To Prop Up EMEA PC Market
IDC has reported its latest findings on the PC market in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and notes that sales in Qwere "solid". A trend that drove the market was again demand for notebooks, in the consumer and SMB segments in particular, according to the researcher. It says that notebook shipments showed 31% growth year on year and that this led to a rise in overall PC sales of 13.5% compared to the same quarter last year. This took sales to 17.5 million units according to IDC's preliminary data. There was healthy competition in the notebook sector and IDC highlights the battle between HP and Acer in particular. This combined with the continued downward pressure on pricing, a wide range of product choice and a strong channel all helped to drive growth. On the other hand, desktop shipments grew by only 2.4% overall with notebooks taking share in the consumer space and relatively little corporate refresh activity. According to IDC, desktop growth was mostly driven by the continued expansion of the Central and Eastern European (CEE) and Middle East and Africa (MEA) markets, where desktop sales grew by 12% and 9% respectively. This helped to offset a decline in the west of Europe. In terms of vendor performance, HP maintained its leadership in Q2 with 29% growth in overall shipments. The vendor outperformed the market in desktop and notebook form factors and had a nearly 60% increase in notebook sales. It gained share in both the consumer and commercial markets. Dell continued to suffer from slow corporate demand and the competition from other vendors in the notebook space. It is still suffering from a lack of presence in the consumer space although it did show good growth Cont.p7
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Preliminary EMEA PC Shipments Qvs Q(000s) QHP Dell Acer Fujitsu-Siemens Toshiba Others Total Source: IDC 2,556 2,141 1,548 1,7,497 15,471 Share 16.5% 13.8% 10.0% 6.8% 4.4% 48.5% 100.0% Q3,300 2,145 2,110 1,8,163 17,566 Share 18.8% 12.2% 12.0% 6.0% 4.6% 46.5% 100.0% YoY Growth 29.1% 0.2% 36.3% -0.6% 18.7% 8.9% 13.5%
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Notebooks Continue To Prop Up EMEA PC Market... 1 Company News
Acer Rumoured To Be Eyeing Packard Bell.. 3 Profilo Telra To Cut TV Production.. 3 Samsung SDI Posts Record Loss.. 3 Matsushita Posts Highest Q1 Turnover Ever. 3 JVC Agrees Deal With Kenwood.. 3 Innolux Display Planning $2.4 Billion LCD Plant. 4 Pace Doubles Turnover.. 4 Arques Buys Actebis.. 4 Amtran To Sign $82 Million Syndicated Loan. 4 Jean Reports Strong First Half Shipments.. 4 HP Buys Neoware... 5 AUO Reports Strong Q2... 5 Skyworth Sees Massive Fall In Profit.. 5

How long can desktop PCs survive? That has to be a question that those who are still in the game of supplying such products must be asking. The evidence from our front page story suggests that notebooks are set to continue to push desktops out of the consumer market but it's not clear how far that penetration can go. In the corporate space, the lack of "lock down" on notebook systems means that desktop systems are still used in many organisations. But this market too could change as thin clients continue to fall in price and servers get more and more powerful and manageable. At Meko, we are moving to a point where we could more or less run a totally thin client and notebook only IT infrastructure. Many of our data collection team already run a remote desktop to Windows 2000 and 2003 servers and on the odd occasion that I work from home, I use a remote desktop to access the databases on our network. Bob, Jordan and Goksen use notebooks as they travel so often and our new Display Monitor reporter Adam has also been given a notebook as he'll be in and out of his home office, the Meko office and various trade shows. Having all the IT controlled centrally on the servers is great for us as we have to make very little investment in IT management. For the notebook users the rules are easy - we give them a working notebook and if they install something or change something that breaks it, they have to find a fix! We make extensive use of Lotus Notes to allow collaboration on data and we have one simple rule - "Put it all in the middle so we can all see it". In practical terms this means we have no need to back up client PCs and all the critical data is stored centrally and the use of roaming user profiles means individual desktop settings can be restored quickly and easily to a bare metal re-install of Windows XP. Meko may not be typical of all companies but we like to think of it as a fair example of a small to medium sized business (SMB). The critical point for display makers (and monitor suppliers in particular), is that we do use monitors. And the average screen size is rising steadily! Bob has a 23" HP screen to complement his notebook. Goksen has a Viewsonic 20" LCD and I use a 23" Viewsonic. We have just switched out our last CRT for our regular office workers although a few of the home workers still have the "old" monitor technology in use. And despite my scepticism of the category, we have recently bought our first 22" wide screen LCD for a member of staff that needed a wide monitor for page layout but who didn't need the high resolution of a 23"/24" display. With the likes of Matrox offering good graphic solutions to thin client makers, we can see less need to consider re-investing in desktop PCs when the need arises. After all, the money could probably be better spent on more server-side technology to help all of the company. So whilst the PC market is changing, there is still a good opportunity for desktop monitor makers but we think that some that rely on supplying to traditional markets are going to have to adapt quickly to take advantage. We are taking a short break from publishing Display Monitor in the next couple of weeks. There will be no issue published on August 6th or 13th unless there is a hot, breaking news story. Normal service will resume from August 20th. Pete

Finance Results People

FSC Names New Executive Council Members. 6

Market News

MPEG SVC Allows Multiple Image Formats. 7 SEG-Hitachi JV To End CRT Production.. 8 Magnetic Field Used To Create Vivid Colours From Iron. 8 DSG Opens Irish Franchise Store.. 8 Matrox Shows Off Graphics Skills.. 9 Microvision Seals Projector Deal With Motorola. 10

Product News

Infocus IN12 Projector Is Slim. & Made By Casio. 11 Hannspree TVs Offer Style On A Budget.. 11 Benq Adds New G Series LCDs to Monitor Line-up. 11 Sanyo Has New Events and Portable Projectors. 12 Samsung Has First LCD With DisplayPort Video Interface12 Sharp TVs Receive George Lucas Endorsement.. 13 Hannspree Gets Aggressive With 28" LCD Monitor Price. 13 Fujitsu Builds Aviamo Around New Video Processor. 14
Dynamic Focus - 26~27 LCD TVs REAR PANEL

30 July 2007

Company News
Acer Rumoured To Be Eyeing Packard Bell
There were unconfirmed rumours last week that Acer is considering acquiring Packard Bell. Earlier in the year, Acer's chairman JT Wang said that the company expected to complete talks for the acquisition of a small company within three to five months, saying that the target was not a US-based company (Display Monitor Vol. 14 No 18). It had been rumoured earlier in the year that Acer was considering making a bid to acquire Gateway (Display Monitor Vol. 14 No 12). Reports suggest that Acer is looking to expand its already strong presence in parts of Europe, with the acquisition of Packard Bell giving the company a better foothold in countries such as France, Portugal and the UK. According to some sources, an announcement could be made before September.
Samsung SDI Posts Record Loss
Samsung SDI has reported a record quarterly loss of KRW138.1 billion ($151.1 million) in Q2, blaming falling plasma display panel (PDP) prices and increased competition. However, the company remains confident of stronger demand in the second half of the year and plans to expand production of 50" and above panels from its latest PDP line. According to reports, Samsung SDI expects the price decline to slow during the next two quarters as demand for PDP modules rises 47% from the first half of the year. The company's optimism is not shared by financial analysts, which were quoted as saying that Samsung SDI is likely to continue reporting losses for the rest of this year because of higher depreciation costs from its new PDP line. Turnover for the second quarter was 30% lower year on year at KRW861.7 billion ($942.8 million) and Samsung SDI's shipments of plasma panels missed the company's previous forecast of growth, rising only 15% from Q1 to 630,000 units instead of a predicted 25-30% growth. In a separate report last week, it was claimed that Samsung SDI is in talks with BOE Hydis concerning a possible acquisition. BOE Hydis is currently pursuing recovery efforts, having filed for corporate rehabilitation last September (Display Monitor Vol. 13 No 37). In May 2007, the company received court approval for its corporate rehabilitation plan and said it would now aggressively seek out investors and pursue mergers and acquisitions (Display Monitor Vol. 14 No 23). As part of a major reshuffle of Samsung executives, the company last week appointed Kim Jae-wook, head of technology operations at Samsung Electronics, to head a newly created display division at Samsung SDI (Display Monitor Vol. 14 No 29).

Matsushita Posts Highest Q1 Turnover Ever
Matsushita reported a 9.7% increase in net profit in its fiscal Q1 and a 5% improvement in turnover, the highest first quarter revenue in the company's history. The company posted a net profit of 39.3 billion ($325.8 million) on turnover of 2.2 trillion ($18.2 billion), which compares with a net profit of 35.8 billion ($296.8 million) on turnover of 2.1 trillion ($17.4 billion) for the first quarter of last year. Matsushita made gains in all of its businesses except JVC. The companys AVC Networks unit saw sales increase 5% to 924.7 billion ($7.6 million) from 881.6 billion ($7.3 billion) a year earlier, with strong sales of flat panel TVs. Shipments of PDP TVs rose around 10% year on year to 800,000 units while LCD TV sales were 40% higher at 740,000 units. Matsushita said it is confident of achieving its sales target of five million PDP TVs this year, compared with 3.5 million last year. In a bid to reach this goal, during the past quarter the company implemented its global plasma road-show, which will see Matsushita promote its products and the Panasonic brand in over 80 cities around the world during fiscal 2008. The company also revised its forecast for the year, following the agreement reached between JVC and Kenwood (see elsewhere in this issue). For the first half of the year Matsushita now expects sales to decrease by around 3% to 4.3 trillion ($35.6 billion), compared with the previous forecast of 4.4 trillion ($36.5 billion), while net profit is now estimated to be 9% lower at 82 billion ($679.8 million) from a previous forecast of 90 billion ($746.1 million). For the year, Matsushita said it expects to report turnover of 8.8 trillion ($72.9 billion), 5% down from the previous forecast, with net profit 2% lower at 246 billion ($2 billion).
Profilo Telra To Cut TV Production
Turkish consumer electronics company Profilo Telra is to reduce its CRT TV annual production by 40%, according to reports. The company, which produces TVs for Siemens and Telefunken, as well as under its own brand at its factory in Cerkezkoy, is understood to have made the decision to reduce production two months ago but has only now decided to implement the cut. Reports suggest that Profilo previously had an annual production capacity of 4.5 billion LCD and CRT TVs and 500,000 plasma and DLP TVs. A company spokesman said that low exchange rates and high interest rates caused difficult conditions for the company to operate under. Profilo has also been affected by the growing number of Asian consumer electronics manufacturers establishing production sites in Turkey and Eastern Europe.
JVC Agrees Deal With Kenwood
JVC has agreed to a capital tie-up with Kenwood and Sparx Group, Kenwood's larg-

Pace Doubles Turnover

US sales of set-top boxes helped Pace Micro Technology to double turnover last year to $386.5 million. The company achieved volume shipments of 3.9 million units, a 77% increase year on year, thanks to significant success in the US and a continued strong demand in EMEA and Asia/Pacific. During the year, Pace's shipments to the US increased six-fold to 1.2 million units, through its contracts with DirecTV and Comcast. Pace Micro's profit before tax and exceptional items amounted to $6.1 million, which compares with a loss in the previous year of $15.6 million. Pace Micro has come a long way in twelve months, recovering from a period of sustained losses and damage to its credibility, after delays in product development came to light only two months after the company had secured its DirecTV deal (Display Monitor Vol. 12 No 31 & Vol. 13 No 36). Pace said last week that its new management team, coupled with an improved operating model, are finally delivering results. (HV)
Amtran To Sign $82 Million Syndicated Loan
Amtran Technology has signed a three year syndicated loan for NT$2.7 billion ($82 million) to fund its operations. According to reports, the company is targeting 4-5 million flat panel TV shipments in 2008, up from 2.6 million units this year. The company's new plant in Jiangsu Province, China is scheduled to enter mass production in the first quarter of next year, with a monthly capacity of 700,000 units. Amtran is reportedly planning to produce only 50" and larger TVs in Taiwan in the future.

Arques Buys Actebis

Germany-based Otto Group reported that it has sold all its shares in the German, French, Austrian and Dutch national units of its computer distributor, Actebis, to Arques Industries. The company said in a prepared statement that its "decision to sell the number three company in the European IT wholesale trade is a strategic move". The acquisition of Actebis Peacock in Soest, Germany and Actebis in France, Austria and the Netherlands gives Arques the four national units that have achieved growth in recent years. The units employ 1,300 staff, are
Jean Reports Strong First Half Shipments
Strong demand for widescreen LCD monitors helped Taiwanese LCD maker Jean to a 50% sequential increase in shipments in the first half of the year. The company shipped 1.6 million LCD monitors in the first six months of the year and 180,000 LCD TVs, which represented a 100% increase from the second half of 2006. Jean aims to ship 3.4 million LCD monitors in 200, a 30.7% improvement from 2.6 million units in 2006. Shipments of LCD TVs are expected to grow to 800,000 units this year, up
Innolux Display Planning $2.4 Billion LCD Plant
Innolux Display is considering investing NT$80 billion ($2.4 billion) in a next generation LCD plant. According to reports, the company is hoping to lease an 18-hectare plot of land on the Hsinchu Science Park in northern Taiwan and will start construction between the end of

158% from the 310,000 units shipped in 2006. Almost half of Jean's LCD monitor shipments are now 19" widescreen. units, while small and medium panels amounted to 32.23 million, a 45.6% increase from Q1. Max Cheng, AUO's VP and CFO, attributed the company's better than expected performance to its success in implementing more competitive product lines with better material cost and product mix adjustment, as well as the successful integration of Quanta Display. AUO has forecast rising shipments and prices in Q3 and expects to post a third quarter net profit in the range NT$15-20 billion ($455-607 million). However, the company remains cautious on spending for next year and plans to reduce capital expenditure to NT$70 billion ($2.1 billion) in 2008 from NT$90-95 billion ($2.72.8 billion) in 2007, even though capacity is expected to increase by over 20% next year

HP Buys Neoware

HP has signed a definitive merger agreement to acquire Neoware, a provider of thin client computing and virtualisation solutions, for approximately $214 million. The company said the acquisition was part of its strategy to expand into growth markets, with the aim of becoming the preferred brand of thin clients and software for virtualised client computing. HP claimed the deal would also help to reduce its environmental footprint through reduced noise, power and packaging compared to a desktop PC. The acquisition is subject to a number of customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals and the approval of Neoware's stockholders. HP expects the closing to occur in the fourth quarter of this year, at which time the company plans to integrate Neoware into the business desktop unit of HP's personal systems group. Neoware was the third largest supplier of thin clients to the EMEA market in 2006 according to IDC (Display Monitor Vol. 14 No 15) with HP in second place. This acquisition could put HP ahead of Wyse in terms of market share although Neoware was reportedly struggling to maintain its position. The company recently added a notebook without a hard drive to its product line - something which we thought might be a success but which we've seen little about since its introduction! (PG)
AMD has reported its second quarter results, posting a net loss of $600 million on turnover of $1.4 billion, which compares with a net profit of $89 million on turnover of $1.2 billion for the second quarter of last year. In the first six months of the year, AMD posted a net loss of $1.2 billion on turnover of $2.6 billion, while the corresponding period of last year saw the company achieve a net profit of $274 million on turnover of $2.5 billion. Apple Inc. posted record Q3 results, reporting a net profit of $818 million on turnover of $5.4 billion, which compares with a net profit of $472 million on turnover of $4.4 billion for the third quarter of last year. In the first nine months of the year, Apple's net profit reached $2.6 billion on turnover of $17.8 billion, while the corresponding period of last year saw the company record net profit of $1.4 billion on turnover of $14.5 billion. Apple shipped 1.7 million Macs in Q3, representing 33% growth year on year and exceeding the previous company record by over 150,000. Barco n.v.'s second quarter net profit rose 26.8% year on year to 14.3 million from 11.1 million a year earlier, while turnover was 15.6% higher at 192.3 million from 166.3 million last year. In the first six months of the year Barco's net profit increased to 21.8 million on turnover of 348.7 million, which compares with a net profit of 18.8 million on turnover of 322.2 million for the corresponding period of last year. Sharp Corporation posted a net profit of 24.2 billion ($201.1 million) in the first quarter of the year, on turnover of 796 billion ($6.6 billion), lifted by strong sales of LCD TVs. In the first quarter of last year the company reported a net profit of 23.9 billion ($198.6 million) on turnover of 693.7 billion ($5.7 billion).

Skyworth Sees Massive Fall In Profit
Skyworth Digital Holdings' net profit fell 42% last year to HK$128 million ($16.3 million), according to reports from China. The company's overseas business, RPTV and mobile phone businesses all suffered losses as monthly production fell and the company was slow to respond to changes in the market, though Skyworth's domestic TV and set-top box businesses performed well. Turnover for the year rose 17.4% to HK$12.56 billion ($1.6 billion), with the company's domestic sales volume reaching HK$11.3 billion ($1.4 billion), accounting for 90% of total turnover. Reports suggest that in the first quarter of this year, Skyworth returned to profit though the company experienced a fall in turnover.

AUO Reports Strong Q2

AU Optronics (AUO) reported a better than expected Q2 net profit and record panel shipments for a single quarter. AUO's net profit of NT$5.9 billion ($179.6 million) compares with a net profit of NT$182 million ($5.5 million) in the second quarter of last year and was higher than AUO's forecast for Q2. Turnover for the quarter of NT$106 billion ($3.2 billion) was 74% higher year on year from NT$60.9 billion ($1.8 billion). The company also achieved record high panel shipments, with large size panels increasing 22.2% sequentially to 19.48 million
Corning Incorporated reported a second quarter net profit of $489 million on turnover of $1.4 billion, bringing net profit so far this year to $816 million and turnover to $2.7 billion. In the second quarter of last year Corning reported a net profit of $514 million on turnover of $1.2 billion, while for the first six months of last year Corning posted a net profit of $771 million on turnover of $2.5 billion. The company's display technologies business contributed $610 million to total turnover, a 32% increase year on year, with glass volume increasing 58% over the weak second quarter of 2006. Equity earnings for Q2 include $132 million from Samsung Corning Precision Glass. Microsoft Corp. recorded a 13% increase in turnover in Q4 to $13.4 billion from $11.8 billion in the final quarter of the previous year, while the company's net profit for the quarter rose 7% to $3 billion from $2 billion. For the year, Microsoft reported a net profit of $14.1 billion on turnover of $51.1 billion, which compares with a net profit of $12.6 billion on turnover of $44.3 billion for fiscal 2006. NXP Semiconductors, formerly Philips Semiconductors, has reported its second quarter results, posting a net loss of 266 million on turnover of 1.1 billion, which compares with a net loss of 5 million on turnover of 1.2 billion for the second quarter of last year. In the first six months of the year, NXP recorded a net loss of 532 million on turnover of 2.2 billion, while for the corresponding six month period of last year the company reported a net loss of 22 million on turnover of 2.4 billion.
Sony Corp. doubled its net profit in the first quarter of the year, from 32.3 billion ($268.3 million) a year ago to 66.5 billion ($552.5 million) this year, on strong demand for digital cameras and Bravia LCD TVs. Turnover increased to 1.9 trillion ($15.8 billion) from 1.7 trillion ($14.1 billion) in the first quarter of last year. Sony's electronics business contributed 1.4 trillion ($11.6 billion) to total turnover, 11.6% higher than a year ago. Sales of Bravia LCD TVs increased outside of Japan but Sony saw a decrease in sales of LCD RPTVs and CRT TVs. STMicroelectronics n.v. reported a Q2 net loss of $758 million on turnover of $2.4 billion, which compares with a net profit in the second quarter of last year of $198 million on turnover of $2.5 billion. Year to date the company's net loss widened to $684 million on turnover of $4.7 billion, while the same six month period of last year saw the company post a net profit of $299 million on turnover of $4.8 billion. Texas Instruments (TI) Incorporated posted a net profit of $610 million in Q2 on turnover of $3.4 billion, bringing net profit in the first six months of this year to $1.1 billion and turnover to $6.6 billion. The corresponding periods of last year saw the company record a quarterly net profit of $2.4 billion on turnover of $3.7 billion, with a net profit for the six months period of $2.9 billion on turnover of $7 billion. TI's net profit for Q2 of last year included $1.65 billion from discontinued operations, almost all of which was a gain on the sale of the company's former Sensors & Controls business (Display Monitor Vol. 13 No 32).

Video Display Corporation set a new record for its first quarter turnover, reporting revenue of $21.5 million, an increase of 16% over the previous year's Q1 turnover of $18.6 million. The company reported a net profit for the quarter of $853 million, which compares with a net loss of $235 million in the first quarter of last year.
FSC Names New Executive Council Members
Fujitsu Siemens Computers (FSC) has appointed Herbert Schnebeck and Heribert Gggerle to its executive council. Schnebeck, who leads the consumer business, will also assume the responsibility for the display and peripheral business, in his capacity as senior VP of consumer devices. Gggerle will represent the supply operations business in the executive council. FSC also announced that Peter Eer, who had led both consumer and devices as well as supply operations, will leave the company.
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Notebooks Continue To Prop Up EMEA PC Market (cont from front page)
overall in the CEE and MEA regions. IDC expects to see some recovery for Dell as it adjusts it sales strategy. Acer posted another strong quarter and showed a 36% increase in overall shipments. Fujitsu Siemens' notebook business rose in line with market growth but IDC says that the vendor suffered a decline in desktop shipments and in particular in the consumer space. This meant overall sales were slightly down year on year. Toshiba stayed in fifth place with notebook sales growth slightly behind the overall market trend. The vendor continued to display a strong performance in central and eastern Europe. Lenovo and Asus were in sixth and seventh place with Lenovo showing 22% growth overall and while Asus showing "outstanding growth and gain share in the EMEA notebook market".
Preliminary EMEA PC Shipments Qvs Q2 2007

9,000 8,000 7,000 6,000

Thousands

60.0% QQYoY Growth 40.0%

5,000 0.0% 4,000

Source: IDC

3,000 2,000

-20.0%

-40.0% 1,HP Dell Acer Fujitsu-Siemens Toshiba Others -60.0%
MPEG SVC Allows Multiple Image Formats
Chip and systems research and development company IMEC says that it has produced source code for the upcoming scalable video coding (SVC) H.264 extension and that this code is ready for licensing to the industry. The extension will allow a single MPEG video stream to contain a range of resolutions and image compression quality as well as providing multiple camera angles. The standard is being worked on by the joint video team of MPEG and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). It will be backwards compatible with AVC H.264 technology. The company says that its new optimised

code shows a factor of two speed improvement compared to the standardisation reference code. There are also improvements in power consumption and in optimising bandwidth usage. The process for standardising the SVC extension is said to be nearing completion with an official international standard release expected in the course of this year. It is reported that the MPEG group is also working on content protection standards for still and moving images. These will be contained in the MPEG7 standard. http://www.mpeg.org
SEG-Hitachi JV To End CRT Production
Shenzhen SEG Hitachi Color Display Devices, a joint venture between Shenzhen SEG Zhongdian Color Display Devices and Hitachi Displays, is to end all of its CRT TV production in China. According to reports, the company stopped CRT TV production at three of its four lines at the end of June, because of slow demand and a decline in orders. Reports now suggest that the company will pull out of CRT TV production completely and may instead consider manufacturing backlight modules for LCD TVs.
Magnetic Field Used To Create Vivid Colours From Iron
Iron oxide suspended in water can be made to change colour by applying a magnetic field, US scientists have discovered. The discovery could potentially improve the quality and size of electronic display screens and enable the manufacture of products such as erasable and rewritable electronic paper and ink that can change colour electromagnetically. Experiments resulted in different colours being produced according to the strength of magnetic field applied. When the strength of the magnetic field is changed, it alters the arrangement of the suspended spherical iron oxide particles, thereby modifying how light falling on the particles passes through or is deflected by the solution. The technique has been developed by a team of nanotechnologists at the University of California, Riverside. "The key is to design
the structure of iron oxide nanoparticles through chemical synthesis so that these nanoparticles self-assemble into three-dimensionally ordered colloidal crystals in a magnetic field", said Yadong Yin, an assistant professor of chemistry who led the research. A nanoparticle is a microscopic particle whose size is measured in nanometers, a nanometer being a billionth of a metre. A pin head is 1 million nanometers wide. A colloid is a substance comprised of small particles uniformly distributed in another substance. Milk, paint and blood are examples of colloids. According to Yin, by reflecting light, these crystals project vivid colours. "Ours is the first report of a photonic crystal that is fully tuneable in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum, from violet light to red light", added Yin. http://www.ucr.edu

DSG Opens Irish Franchise Store
DSG International has opened its first Currys franchised store in the Irish Republic. The store will trade under the Currys brand and has been set up in collaboration with an electrical company in County Donegal. According to reports, DSG believes that franchising allows the company to extend its brand into the region, while working with existing independent businesses. A spokes-
man was quoted as saying that there are no plans to extend franchising to the UK, but did not rule out the idea completely. DSG already operates franchised stores in a number of European countries, including the Elkjp chain in the Nordic region and some of the Kotsovolos retail outlets in Greece. http://www.dsgiplc.com
Matrox Shows Off Graphics Skills
We recently had the chance to visit Matrox in the UK to discuss both its existing products and also to talk about trends in the displays market. The company had assembled a small group of press people from the UK and gave an update on its position. It currently employs 950 people world-wide and there are 22 at the UK office which looks after UK, Benelux, Spain, France and Portugal. Matrox continues to provide graphics products from design through to service and it re-iterated its commitment to the 2D graphics sector. Matrox is also fiercely proud of the support it offers to its customer base and in particular the stability it can provide both to corporate and vertical market customers. For example, the G450 (or variants of it) has been around for seven years (Display Monitor Vol. 7 No 17) and is still selling. Although the company holds a relatively tiny market share in graphics when compared to the likes of AMD/ATI, Intel and Nvidia, it still has a comprehensive portfolio and offers over 100 products in several categories as shown in the table. During the afternoon we got an overview of the company's range of products with emphasis on the extended/remote desktop lines that include its GXM, Extio and Epica products. We picked up on some features in the company's supporting software that we'd not fully appreciated before. For example, there is a function that allows up to nine virtual desktop layouts to be saved and selected by hot key. It's too easy to overlook the fact that pure graphics horsepower is not the be all and end all of productive working! There's a new version of the TripleHead2Go product which offers DVI outputs. There was a question raised about the need to support DVI out when the inputs are analogue although we can understand that the company wanted the ability for the product to support both analogue and digital displays without the need to supply dongles. Also, most analogue graphics outputs are of good quality and the price/performance of the unit suggests it's not targeted at those who want the very best in dual head digital display solutions. As a notebook desktop extender the solution works very well indeed. The Extio products have been well received in a number of vertical markets and we were given an insight into how well the company is doing in the process control sector. It has design wins with the majority (if not all) of the major suppliers to this market including ABB, Siemens and the like. As Matrox moved out of the war of 3D graphics, it made a conscious decision to attack business sectors that fitted with its own business model. Whilst this more conservative and steady method of working does not appeal to those that look for "whizz, bang" features in graphics cards, it appears to have enabled the company to survive, profitablty in a sector that has seen decimation in the number of suppliers over the years.

We do like the features that Matrox has in its PowerDesk and PowerSpace software and I use some of them in my day to day work as I have a Parhelia in my PC driving a Viewsonic VP2330wb 23" screen over DVI. Much of what we do here at Meko relies on good 2D processing and software stability, both of which the Parhelia manages to provide.
Microvision Seals Projector Deal With Motorola
Developer of miniature display and image capture technology, Microvision has signed an agreement with Motorola to develop pico projectors for mobile applications. Based on Microvision's PicoP ('pico' meaning very small and 'P' presumably standing for projector) miniature laser-based display engine, the concept is to enable images to be projected from handheld devices, such as mobile phones, onto walls and other surfaces. This would enable images such as those of websites, movies, personal videos, mobile TV, photographs and presentations to be shared with friends or business colleagues. Neither Microvision nor Motorola have disclosed the terms of the agreement. However the companies did reveal that they will work together initially to integrate Microvision's latest PicoP projector inside a functioning mobile device for demonstration purposes. This prototype handset will utilise Microvision's new 0.4 megapixel (854 x 480) wide angle colour scanner, first demonstrated in May 2007 at the Society of Information Display annual conference. http://www.microvision.com
Microvision and the development of its miniature projection technology in particular have been followed with interest by Display Monitor. We reported in Display Monitor Vol. 14 No 3 that the PicoP projection module uses RGB laser LEDs from Novalux and a single element MEMS scanner to create an image. Because lasers are used, there is no need for a focusing lens, so the unit is tiny and has no focal point for the image - it's in focus at every point. Brightness and resolution are very low, with an image of around 10" diagonal being created with the device in a very dark environment. "This projection module is really amazing and looks as though it could be integrated into a handheld device with some comfort", said Display Monitor's Senior Editor, Bob Raikes at the time he saw the device at CES earlier this year. (AE)
Need to know about desktop monitor warranty in Europe?
The DisplayCast Special Report on LCD monitor warranty report aims to answer four key questions: What are the warranty policy and terms of the major suppliers of CRT and LCD monitors in Europe? What warranty terms do I need to offer my customers to be competitive in the European monitor market? How can I deliver this service? How do I know if I am achieving my target service levels at the lowest cost? The report includes tables, charts and analysis of information collected from the major warranty service providers and monitor suppliers across Europe. This DisplayCast Special Report will be available in September 2007. For further details on the report, contact Bob Raikes on +44 (0) or visit http://www.meko.co.uk

Infocus IN12 Projector Is Slim. & Made By Casio
Infocus seems to have turned from supplier to buyer with its Work Big IN12. The new slim projector looked very familiar and it didn't take long for us to spot that it is an OEM version of the Casio XJ-S30 (Display Monitor Vol. 13 No 27). Specifications are identical to that model with 2000 ANSI lumens brightness, 1800:1 contrast and only a 15-pin D-sub analogue PC and composite video connection available. The company is promoting this new model at around $1,500 or local currency equivalent. Warranty is three years for the engine and one year for the lamp. http://www.infocus.com
Hannspree TVs Offer Style On A Budget
Hannspree is adding two LCDs to its Xv range of TVs. Aimed at the price conscious, both additions are built around an analogue rather than a digital receiver. This means that they are most suitable for use with existing devices, such as Sky/freeview boxes, media centres and PVRs that already have DVB-T. The new Xv models are the 32" Xv32 JT0132E2-000G and the 37" Xv37 JT01-37E2-000G. Many features are shared between the two TV sets. These include 1 megapixel (1366 x 768) resolution, 500cd/m brightness and a contrast ratio of 1200:1. Similarly, both Xv TVs
have an 8ms response time. Viewing angles for the 32" are 176 and 170 for the 37". Connectivity includes dual SCART sockets, composite, S- and component video and HDMI. The new Hannspree TVs are covered by a 2 year pickup, repair and return warranty. The 32" Xv32 JT01-32E2-000G costs 305 ($610) while the 37" Xv37 JT01-37E2-000G costs 425 ($850). Both models are available now. http://www.hannspree.com
Benq Adds New G Series LCDs to Monitor Line-up
Benq is adding 10 flat panel displays to its LCD monitor range. The new G series models offer 5ms response times, aspects ratios or 4:3 or 16:10 and viewing angles of 160. The 17" G700 and G700A have a contrast ratio of 700:1 and brightness of 300cd/m. The two 19" models G900 and G900A and two 19" widescreen models G900W and G900WA all have a contrast ratio of 800:1 and brightness of 300cd/ m. The remaining 20" widescreens G2000W and G2000WA and 24" widescreens G2400W and G2400WA have a contrast ratio of 1000:1 and brightness of 250cd/m.
Included connectivity varies from analogue only to analogue plus DVI-D and analogue, DVI-D with HDMI depending on screen size. All new models feature Benq's Senseye+Photo technology. Colour stability within the sRGB colour gamut is also said to be enhanced. The new G series monitors are due to be available now but pricing was not available at the time of going to press. http://www.benq-eu.com
Sanyo Has New Events and Portable Projectors
Sanyo has two new business projectors, one intended for events use and the other for portable networking. The 15000 ANSI lumens brightness of the PLC-XF47, which is delivered by four 330W lamps, makes it particularly suitable for public viewings such as outdoor events requiring large projections. Eleven adjustment options provide flexibility for adapting the projector to different venue environments. Colour management software is available from Sanyo for the PLC-XF47. Weighing less than 12kg, the PLC-XP100L delivers 6500 ANSI lumens brightness through a single 490W lamp. This is the first projector to come equipped with Sanyo's "Automatic Maintenance Filter" system (AMF) which renders manual replacement of the air filter redundant until 10,000 hours of operation. Both projectors feature Sanyo's DIOS (Durable Inorganic Optical system) which is based around 3LCD panels. The DIOS panels improve contrast, delivering a contrast ratio of 2000:1. Resolution is 0.8 megapixel (1024 x 768) in either case. It is possible to operate both projectors over a network connection. The PLC-XP100L is available starting at the end of August for 6,555, while the PLC-XF47 is available from the end of September for 19,580. Both projectors are covered by a three year warranty, as well as a free exchange service for the PLC-XP100L, which makes spare equipment available within 24 hours for the duration of any repair. http://www.sanyo.com

In related news, the company says that it has developed an environmentally friendly product development system which it is calling G-PAS (Green-Product Assessment System). The system uses a database to consolidate the management of information about component materials, manufactured articles and environmental laws and regulations and this is intended to all Sharp to make real-time quantitative assessments of the environmental performance of potential products at development sites. The first product to be produced based on G-PAS will be a 32" G series Aquos TV for the Japanese domestic market. The company claims that the use of the process reduced time to market by approximately 30% and contributed to reducing product power consumption by approximately 43% compared to previous generation equivalent TVs. (PG)
Hannspree Gets Aggressive With 28" LCD Monitor Price
Hannspree has entered the 26"/27"/28" LCD monitor segment with the introduction of its HG281DP. The unit appears to be available already and is being quoted at some very aggressive prices in the region of 520. The screen is 27.5" in size with 2.3 megapixel (1920 x 1200) resolution. Response time is 5ms black to white (3ms grey to grey), contrast ratio is 800:1
and brightness is 500cd/m. There are both analogue and HDMI inputs and component video connection. There are dual integrated 2.5W speakers and the company has applied a gloss black (or piano black) casing. This adds to the consumer feel of the product and makes it worthy of consideration as a second TV. http://www.hannspree.com
This price point is very, very aggressive and could significantly change the outlook for this sector if followed by other suppliers. At present there are only a few others supplying the market at this size (Acer, Dell, Samsung and NEC Displays) and they have positioned their products as high end CAD or graphic design models rather than aiming at the second TV or general consumer sector. (PG)
Fujitsu Builds Aviamo Around New Video Processor
Fujitsu has added a 37" and 65" display to its Aviamo TV range. The Aviamo 37" LCD TV and Aviamo 65" plasma TV have been built around Fujitsu's AVM III chip. The latest video processor from Fujitsu, the AVM III has been enhanced and fine-tuned for 1080p scaling, processing and display in order to deliver full HD. Enhancements provided by the AVM III processor include 24p/30p film mode to improve motion delivery smoothness, gamma adjustment for improved colours and contour correction. Both displays have a screen resolution of 2 megapixels (1920 x 1080) and provide connectivity for HDMI, Composite video, S-video and Component video, RS232 and stereo audio. The 37" model comes with an integrated stand which includes 1300cc bass reflex speakers. This is optional on the 65" model to allow for wall-mounting. Fujitsu told us that the Aviamo screens are currently available on a build to order basis as the company is experiencing high demand in the US. The 37" Aviamo P37FT05AEB costs 2,760 ($5,655), while the 65" Aviamo P65FT00AEB costs 10,210 ($20,920). Fujitsu has also upgraded two of its 58 series HD plasma screens to include improved video processors and glass. Denoted by a small 'b' on the end of the model name, the new B specification 50" P50XHA58EBb and 42" P42XHA58EBb screens are equipped with the AVM II video processor and 10th generation Matsushita PDP glass. The AVM II video processor includes many of the features of the AVM III chip in the new 37" and 65" additions to Fujitsu's Aviamo range. According to Fujitsu, its AVM II video processor has been enhanced to deliver improved processing of both high definition and standard video and TV signals, particularly interlaced formats that must be transformed to progressive format for display. Like its big brother, the AVM II video processor supports 24p/30p film mode for image smoothness, gamma adjustment and contour correction. Specifications common to both 58 series displays are 0.8 megapixel (1024 x 768) resolution, 3000:1 contrast ratio and connectivity including HDMI, Composite video, S-video and Component video. The P42XHA58EBb has a brightness of 1000cd/m and 900cd/m for the P50XHA58EBb. Both models are currently available. These models are available now, with the 42" P42XHA58EBb costing 1,615 ($3,310) and the 50" P50XHA58EBb costing 2,465 ($5,050). http://www.fujitsu.com