SED TV: A Plasma Killer In the Works
By Dawn Gordon Luks
Many people think that plasma TV delivers the best picture you can get, and certainly plasma performance has increased dramatically over the last few years. But don't forget, the color CRT television most of us grew up with has been around for more than five decades, and during that time, has improved exponentially. For the best picture, the CRT still reigns supreme -- it beats plasma with a much higher contrast ratio, far better black level, more realistic colors, and faster pixel response. So, how do you get true CRT performance that you can hang on the wall? One word: SED.
SED Stands for (S)urface-conduction (E)lectron-emitter (D)isplay. You can't say it three times fast, but it's poised at becoming THE flat panel technology for the next decade. In a nutshell, it's like transforming a standard CRT-based TV into a flat-panel, hang on the wall, plasma killer.
SED works by using phosphors similar to those found in a standard CRT television, but that's where the similarity ends. Instead of a single electron gun -- the part that makes a TV tube so long -- SED uses a microscopic electron emitter to drive each and every pixel. For the best possible HDTV resolution of 1080p, this translates into over 2 million pixels, each with its own mico emitter.
Canon started researching SED technology in 1996 using an inkjet-like process to deposit the microscopic emitters. In 1999, they signed a co-development agreement with Toshiba Corporation, and SED development began. In all, the two companies have invested over 2 billion dollars on the project.
Since SEDs produce the same amount of light as CRTs, they can provide dynamic color, a sharp picture, and deliver faster video response than LCDs and plasma display panels. In addition, because SEDs do not require a large electron gun like CRTs, it is possible to create screens of more than 40" in size that are only several centimeters thick. Low power consumption is another main feature of this new display technology, as SED's energy consumption that is roughly one-third that of plasmas, and lower than CRTs and LCDs.
Toshiba execs have called SED the Ferrari of flat panel displays, and in the beginning they will be priced as such. Toshiba has announced that its first SED TV -- a 50-inch, 1080p model -- will be available late this year, or early in 2006. Prices have not been divulged, but some estimate that it might be 20 - 50 percent higher than equivalent sized plasma TVs. The good news is that Toshiba estimates SED pricing will come down in price to compete with plasma and LCD in 2007.
SED TV: A Plasma Killer
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