Brillian Gen II Three Panel LCoS RPTV

[PaulGo]

Brillian Announces Its BR1080HC Gen II Liquid-Crystal-On-Silicon (LCoS(TM)) Microdisplay

Ideally Suited for High-Performance 1080p Rear-Projection HDTV Applications

SEATTLE, May 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Brillian Corporation (Nasdaq: BRLC) today announced its BR1080HC microdisplay. The 0.72 inch diagonal, 1920x1200 panel features Brillian's proprietary Gen II liquid crystal-on-silicon (LCoS(TM)) technology, which delivers industry-leading image quality and contrast ratios as high as 2000:1. Brillian will demonstrate the new microdisplays in a three-panel, 65-inch, 1080p rear-projection HDTV prototype at the Society for Information Display (SID) conference in Seattle, Washington, May 25-27, 2004.
In addition to the microdisplays, the prototype HDTV leverages a three-panel LCoS(TM) light engine, based on the JDS Uniphase LCOS light engine along with Brillian proprietary drive electronics.
Each Brillian BR1080HC microdisplay contains more than 2.3 million pixels for rear-projection HDTV applications that demand the highest broadcast resolution available. With a 0.72-inch diagonal array and a mere 8.1 micron square pixel, this panel fulfills the LCOS promise: densely packed pixels in a tiny microdisplay that allows delivery of high-definition content in a slim profile, lightweight TV product.
Even with the small pixel and panel size, the aperture ratio (fill factor) is still greater than 90%. Its reflectance is greater than 65% enabling the engine to deliver over 500 cd/m2 (nits) brightness and outstanding uniformity from edge to edge on the screen. In addition, although the interface to the system is fully digital, the gray scale and color rendition are analog. This ensures that the video performance can be optimized with great precision for the smoothest, highest-quality, artifact-free image.
Robert Melcher, chief technology officer, Brillian, said, "With its outstanding image quality and price/performance, the BR1080HC panel is an ideal component for the development of 1080p high-definition television products. Brillian plans to introduce these components in its own complete HDTV products. The components and/or light engines will also be made available to selected OEMs looking for the highest-performance and highest-quality panel and/or engine solution for their next-generation 1080p roducts."

About Gen II LCoS(TM) Technology
Brillian's reflective, active-matrix-driven BR1080HC liquid crystal displays feature more than 2.3 million, 8.1 micron square pixels, each of which is capable of displaying more than 256 gray levels. As a result, HDTVs ased on Brillian's technology will feature grayscale detail at all brightness evels, even in the darkest scenes -- matching the visual response of the eye.
The technology supports a high fill factor (greater than 90%) assuring a smooth, artifact-free image. Its three-panel optical architecture, along with fast response time (less than 10 milliseconds) enables exceptional video reproduction without color break-up or digital artifacts. Importantly, the Brillian Gen II LCoS(TM) architecture supports the ability to easily scale to ultra-high resolutions to meet the highest-definition broadcast and computing tandards.

Availability
BR1080HC samples and development kits will be available to selected customers in the third quarter of 2004. Production is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2004. Complete products will be introduced in the first quarter of 2005. Brillian is taking orders now.

[PaulGo]

Additional article:

New Display Techs Unveiled at SID
Online staff -- Electronic News, 5/27/2004

At a time when consumer electronics is booming and a big screen television seems to be on everyone's wish list, display and display component makers gathered in Seattle for the Society for Information Display Conference to show off their latest advances.

National Semiconductor, Kodak, and Brillian all rolled out new technologies during the event.

National Semiconductor announced its new point-to-point differential signaling architecture and chipset for LCD televisions. National Semi said the PPDS architecture enables cinema-quality display performance and smaller bezels and can support LCD televisions of up to 90 inches diagonal.

LCD TVs 23 inches and larger will increase in volume from 3.5 million units this year to more than 47 million units in 2008, according to Bert McComas, director of display electronics research at DisplaySearch, a market research firm.

The new National Semi architecture combines a physical layer interface with high-level protocol to create an interface that reduces the overall required printed circuit board size. The new chipset includes a new timing controller and column driver to support the PDDS architecture

Kodak introduced new materials for organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays. The company has developed an OLED formulation that includes four colors – red, green, blue and for the first time, white, the company said in a statement. This lets manufacturers have the flexibility to choose panel architecture that best suits their device design and production needs, Kodak said.

The new materials are well suited for both passive matrix and active matrix displays. The company said the new OLED materials will allow delivery of displays with brilliant color, superior contrast ratio and a wide viewing angle.

Kodak also took the opportunity to demonstrate display panels at the conference, showing prototypes of a 3.5-inch AM OLED panel, a 2.5-inch panel and a 1.9-inch panel.

Kodak points out that research firms such as Stanford Resources and DisplaySearch have forecasted that the OLED display market could reach from $.15 billion to $3 billion by 2007. CE devices that are expected to incorporate OLED displays in the next five years include mobile phones, digital cameras, PDAs and DVD players.

Meanwhile, Brillian Corp. chose the conference to unveil its first television product, the BR6501m/I, a 65-inch rear-projection HDTV monitor based on the company's proprietary and patent-pending Gen II LCoS microdisplay technology.

The Brillian product offers three 1280x720-pixel microdisplays and the highest commercially available LCOS contrast ratios – up to 2000 to 1 – that is available in a projection television, the company said in a statement.

[Dave99]

Wow, and I just bought my crummy 1380x766 Sony XBR... just kidding. I love my XBR but this is exciting news and I cant wait to see an HD DVD playing on it...

dave99

[vidkidd]

I wouldn't doubt that technology like this will drive the Sony GW V. That display coupled with the inclusion of Sony's cell processor would be one sweet setup.

Thx,
Vidkidd

[Jet Champion]

I won't believe in Brillian until I can go into a store and actually buy one! If Rogo says it's too good to be true--it probably is!

[theBike45]

If Brillian is taking orders, then Rogo's face must be red. He claimed Brillian was a fraud and ditto for another emerging technology. Rogo
needs to either keep it shut or put up some evidence for his lofty pronouncements. He's done neither so far, so I pay no attention to anything posted by him concerning future events/non-events

[genietime]

Stilll looks like vaporware to me. Until (IF) it actually ships and people can view it I'll reserve judgement.

Will it be reliable, long lasting, without weird artifacts, and at what cost? None of these questions can be answered now.

Display tech is still improving rapidly. Both 1080p DLPs and 1080p LCD (actually they'll be available this year) will be here by 2005. No new tech has a lock on the market. They must prove themselves and compete with better implementations of today's technologies (DLP, LCD, PDP, etc).

[jfischer]

Originally posted by PaulGo
BR1080HC samples and development kits will be available to selected customers in the third quarter of 2004. Production is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2004.

Widespread availability of TVs based on this device then would still be ~2 years away, assuming they stick to this schedule.

[rogo]

"If Brillian is taking orders, then Rogo's face must be red. He claimed Brillian was a fraud and ditto for another emerging technology."

Ha ha ha. If my face is red, it's from my grinning.

A press release that says, "Brillian is taking orders" can be construed only one way:

We have no OEMs to announce and so far no one has really shown a commitment to buying anything from us.

And Jfischer is right on. It's possible that if someone does sign on, you'll see this TV within a couple of years.

This announcement is typical Brillian -- it sounds great on paper, but the important information (e.g. who will build one? what will it cost?) is absent.

Mark

[Lex22]

Isn't Brillian the former 3-5, who built the (in)famous engine for the RCA Scenium debacle?

[rogo]

Yes.

[spikemike]

Well even if everything you say is true. That TV looks absolutely amazing. LCOS is the future of projection TVs (hopefully, just need to get those yields up (Intel you better get your act in gear and start building these things)) especially for 1080p since the DLP xHD3 chip uses spatial dithering and a multi angle mirror and is not a true 1080p image. The other really nice looking LCOS is made by spatialight they also had a 1080p 10bit LCOS projector that looked great. Phillips also had a very nice 1080p LCOS using a spinning prisms to distribute the life (I gathered this was a slightly new approach to the light engine, but I'm not familiar enough with the tech to know for sure). They had DLP projectors at SID also but the LCOS, the Sony high contrast projection screen, and the 50+ inch LCDs I thought were the stars of the show

[jfischer]

Originally posted by spikemike
Well even if everything you say is true. That TV looks absolutely amazing.

Since it doesn't exist yet, how do you know that it looks amazing? Anyone can throw out some impressive specifications on paper, but until you can see one on the sales floor it's pretty hard to tell how "amazing" the set actually looks..

[spikemike]

I saw it at SID (Society for Information Display) on thursday. They had a whole working LCOS 1080p television. There were 3 or 4 from different companies all around the conference. And like I said, they all look amazing.

[rogo]

They all look amazing on a trade-show floor? Showing what material? In how bright a light?

And what's with bashing the TI 1080p?

I'm an LCOS fan -- and many hear believe I'm a DLP basher -- but it's totally obvious to me that performance-wise there is nothing coming anytime soon in LCOS that will outperform the xHD3 DLP sets. I'm rainbow sensitive, so I wouldn't own one, but PQ-wise, it ain't gonna be close.

When I say outperform, here are some metrics:

* C/R -- Likely to be 2x-3x better measured on/off in DLP's favor.
* Screendoor -- both quote a similar aperture ratio but the DLP will win here because the "spatial whateveryoucallit" actually mitigates screendoor
* Resolution -- both will be equivalent in pixel count
* Shadow detail -- could favor LCOS
* Absolute blacks -- huge edge to DLP


Mark

[spikemike]

I'm not bashing TI DLP just wasn't sure if that resolution thing had been discussed (I'm new here). It was at a trade show so it was in rather bright light. Just sitting in a display but not in a room or anything and not recessed from any of the ambient light. I know brillian and i think spatialight were showing WMV9 HD source and spatialight was also showing mpeg2 sources from a hipix card.

[muzz]

Unless it makes it to market they will be hailed alongside bitboys!!

[rogo]

The resolution thing has been discussed all over AVS and more than a little ad nauseum.

The TI will fully resolve 1920 x 1080 pixel test patterns. It is -- therefore -- a 1920 x 1080 display.

I said in the other thread, so I'll say it here: If people are claiming the xHD3 is only a million pixels because it has only a million mirrors, than a CRT only hass one pixel.

[padlock]

Originally posted by rogo
The resolution thing has been discussed all over AVS and more than a little ad nauseum.

The TI will fully resolve 1920 x 1080 pixel test patterns. It is -- therefore -- a 1920 x 1080 display.

Rogo, are you sure about that? I remember reading on one of the image analysis threads in the front projector forum that a checkerboard pattern of alternating single black and white pixels would resolve to a completely gray image. In fact, I believe there would be artificats with any single pixel wide diagonal lines.

I doubt very much it would have much of a noticable affect on video quality, but I don't think that the TI can really resolve 1920 x 1080 test patterns.

[rogo]

"I don't think that the TI can really resolve 1920 x 1080 test patterns."

I do.

My sources told me it would.

I believe the Gary Merson report in the current issue of The Perfect Vision says the same thing -- perhaps someone can confirm?

Can you find the posts in question, by any chance?

Regardless, the TI will be a true 1920 x 1080 display. They are marketing it merely as 1080p to avoid constant haranguing about the mirror count.

[profjoe]

I don't recall exactly where it is or how I might best search for it, but I am guessing padlock is talking about the "simulated images" (over in the high end FP forum?). IIRC, the fellow making these simulated images suggested that a checkerboard test pattern would fool the set.

[Barrybud]

Originally posted by rogo
"I don't think that the TI can really resolve 1920 x 1080 test patterns."

I do.

My sources told me it would.

I believe the Gary Merson report in the current issue of The Perfect Vision says the same thing -- perhaps someone can confirm?

Regardless, the TI will be a true 1920 x 1080 display. They are marketing it merely as 1080p to avoid constant haranguing about the mirror count.

OK,

I know I fell off the turnip wagon some time back, but how can a 1920X540 chip produce a 1080P image? Really, I am not bashing! My dozen remaining brain cells say that could only do a half screen progressive scan.

[profjoe]

I think the post I was talking about (that *he* was talking about ) is here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...HD3+simulation

Barrybud: It "interlaces" at 120 half-frames per second to still give you the full 1080 pixels for 60 full frames per second.

[padlock]

Originally posted by profjoe
I think the post I was talking about (that *he* was talking about ) is here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...HD3+simulation

Yes that's the one. Thank you.

[rogo]

Well, I'm not going to quibble over exactly which test image it will fail or succeed on. Indeed, Wiggles notes there is just one he believes it won't succeed on.

I am pretty confident it will handle the one-pixel lines test in either direction. It might handle the grid as well. It >>might not<< handle the 1 x 1 checkerboard, but I'm not saying it won't.

It is, however, a 1920 x 1080 pixel display. And if it isn't because of the mirror count, then -- again -- every CRT is a one-pixel display. So the DMD is still kicking ass.

[spikemike]

Originally posted by rogo
Well, I'm not going to quibble over exactly which test image it will fail or succeed on. Indeed, Wiggles notes there is just one he believes it won't succeed on.

I am pretty confident it will handle the one-pixel lines test in either direction. It might handle the grid as well. It >>might not<< handle the 1 x 1 checkerboard, but I'm not saying it won't.

yeah that could be, often those sort of tricks will get the resolution in one direction but not both at the same time. I know of a LCD tech that does similar stuff and for video or super high dpi it is totally unnoticeable so we'll just have to wait and see. Hopefully it will look great, cause i don't want to wait for LCOS, once I get my good job I'll want my nice big TV.

[Barrybud]

Brillian wins for its demonstration of two top-quality 1920 x 1080 resolution LCOS-RPTVs. CopyrightŠ 2004 Insight Media

Some interesting news located here.



Insight Media Announces “Best Buzz” Awards for SID

[rogo]

FYI, Insight Media's most important product is a report about the LCOS industry. They are big fans of the industry because without it, they sell no reports.

[htwaits]

This link will work.

Click here.

[KenLand]

Samsung's 5 color DLP? Whazup? R, G, B, Dark Green. That's 4. What is number 5?

I hope its a Neutral Density. I've always thought the best way out of rainbows would be to make the dominant DLP color on the color wheel Gray. Then the majority of the image would be properly (and simultaneously) mixed color. (But I have no idea about this report)

Anybody see it? Or have a link to more info?

Ken