Plasma screen bowed
The prototype flat-panel PALC comes out of a joint development project the three companies embarked upon in July to develop products and technology in the PALC field. The test display panel, unveiled last week at the Japan Consumer Electronics Show, is the first product the trio has produced since their collaboration began.
The cooperation pact runs through Sept. 30, 1999. The terms of the agreement, schedule for commercial release and the amount of money each company will invest in the project was not disclosed.
The three companies are planning to work together to develop the next generation of PALC flat-panel displays, which can be used for applications such as wall-hanging TVs and space-saving computer displays.
Sony said the most important application areas for the displays covered in the agreement are the next-generation 20- to 50-inch, wall-hanging TV sets.
In the future, the three companies are planning to develop a low-cost manufacturing process for the displays, which will fully utilize capabilities of PALC technology.
Other Japanese electronics companies, such as Matsushita and Fujitsu, also are developing plasma displays, but their technology is different from the PALC format.
