Samsung Samples Hybrid LCD TFT Displays Hybrid

Electronic News, Nov 6, 2000

WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN you cross the display from an X-ray machine with one from a Web-browser? The answer is two hybrid 10.4-inch SVGA and 17-inch SXGA panels, according to Samsung Semiconductor Inc.

"We've got a little bit of a new strategy that we are going to put together, and with that comes a couple of new products," said John Seckerson, associate director of TFT marketing at Samsung Semiconductor. Samsung is trying to build on its success in the notebook display space and expand into the Internet appliance, entertainment, medical and industrial markets, Seckerson said.

These two displays are the vehicles Samsung hopes will drive it into new territory. Samsung has also inked deals with three distributors (All American Semiconductor Inc, Jaco Electronics Inc. and Reptron Electronics Inc.) to make it easy and cheap for customers to buy in bulk. Samsung has a number of other sizes planned for next year. Both displays are sampling now. Samples of the 10.4-inch display cost around $500 and the 17-inch samples are available for $1,600. Volume production is set to start in January. The 10.4-inch displays will cost about $330 each in volumes of 1,000. The 17-inch display price has yet to be set.