By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter


Samsung SDI, a world-leading plasma display panel (PDP) maker, said Thursday it has developed the world’s largest high definition PDP at 102 inches, setting a new world record in the field.



Two models measure Samsung SDI’s newly-developed 102-inch high-definition plasma display panel (PDP) during an unveiling event in Seoul, Thursday. The new unit is almost three times the size of the 42-inch model which is now the flagship model in the PDP market.
/ Korea Times


The firm’s latest technologies in the areas of liquid crystal display, field emission display and electro-luminescence display, have been used to develop the 102-inch panel, the largest displayer for existing television signals, the firm said.
The new product boasts high brightness with 1,000 candela per square meter and some core parts, which have been developed for this product, were used to improve PDP’s brightness, luminescence efficiency and coloring, key characteristics of the TV panel.

``It is a monumental achievement in the PDP area. The development of 102-inch PDP has been regarded impossible, but we made it,’’ a Samsung official said. ``We will release the new product as soon as possible. As we hold the top technology in PDP in the world, other PDP makers may try to get the glimpse of the product and may wonder which technologies were used in the product.’’

Samsung SDI said first batches of the 102-inch PDP will be produced in its plant in Chonan, South Chungchong Province next year, for which some 30 billion won has been invested. Samsung will increase production depending on the market situation.

The development of 102-inch PDP is expected to make it faster for 50-inch PDPs to emerge as a flagship model in the PDP market. According to surveys, PDPs over 50 inches may stabilize the trend in the world market. The over-50-inch PDP is expected to increase Samsung SDI’s market share by more than 100 percent until 2008 to 24.4 percent, recording annual growth of 72 percent until 2008, the company said.

Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade (KIET) estimated that the PDP market scale will increase by 74.1% in annual average for 5 years afterward through the increase of demand for large size TVs and the emergence of new multi media markets. PDPs over 50 inches will reach to 600,000 units in 2005 and 4 million units in 2006, the KIET said.

Samsung SDI in January developed an 80-inch full high definition PDP for the first time in the world. For the past few years, it has invested hundreds of billions won to equip mass production lines in its plants, expecting the PDPs will replace traditional TV screens in the future.

jj@koreatimes.co.kr