All-digital display promises budget HDTV

A novel silicon technology is claimed to enable high-definition, large-screen TVs with clearer pictures than current systems for less than $2000.

Last week at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Intel President and Chief Operating Officer Paul Otellini demonstrated silicon technology claimed to enable high-definition, large-screen TVs with clearer pictures than current systems for less than $2000.

The new Intel technology, code-named Cayley, is based on a technique called liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS), which is used to create small chips called microdisplays that produce images that are displayed on large-screen, rear projection TVs.

"By bringing advanced silicon technologies to consumer electronics, Intel is transforming the digital home of today to enable people to enjoy and manage their digital content in the setting that best suits their needs", said Glenda Dorchak, Vice President and General Manager of Intel's Consumer Electronics Division.

"Using Intel's silicon design and manufacturing expertise, we're helping to bring large-screen, high-definition TVs to market at lower costs, giving consumers exciting new options for consuming content in the digital home".

LCOS technology sandwiches a layer of liquid crystal between a cover glass and a highly reflective, mirror-like surface patterned with pixels that sits on top of a silicon chip.

These layers form a microdisplay that can be used in projection displays such as large-screen, rear-projection TVs.

Intel's Cayley LCOS technology uses Intel's advanced silicon manufacturing processes to produce a high-quality surface for reflecting light which creates an extremely bright display.

Intel has developed a unique fabrication process for LCOS microdisplays that enables them to track to Moore's law - the theorem first outlined by Intel cofounder Gordon Moore that states that the number of transistors on a chip roughly doubles every two years, resulting in more features, increased performance and decreased cost per transistor.

By increasing the transistor count on the silicon used in the LCOS microdisplay, Intel chip designers can integrate additional functionality to improve display performance such as brightness and image quality.

Intel's Cayley LCOS technology is based on an all-digital design that produces a sharper, more precise image than other architectures based on analogue technology.

Another key aspect of the LCOS technology is that it enables the creation of multiple microdisplays with increasing levels of resolution without changing size of the microdisplay.

The consistent and compatible display area of microdisplays based on Intel's LCOS technology will enable OEMs to re-use light engine designs for a wide array of products in various screen sizes and resolutions, thus reducing their development costs.

Intel plans to deliver microdisplays based on Cayley in the second half of this year.

A number of leading OEMs and HDTV component manufacturers including InFocus Corporation of the USA, TCL and Skyworth of China and Primax PDC of Taiwan are currently developing products based on prototype microdisplays from Intel.

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