Samsung, RADVISION develop HD videoconference multimedia LCD monitor

InfoComm 2009, ORLANDO, USA: RADVISION and Samsung Electronics America, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corp., unveiled the VC240, their first product on the market to integrate all the components required for high definition desktop video conferencing into a single unit at an affordable price.

The VC240 can operate as a standalone desktop HD video conferencing device and as a 24 inch high resolution monitor.

“Samsung is well-positioned in the future of telepresence and digital convergence, and this partnership with RADVISION brings to market a unique solution with the ability to scale,” says J.H. Kim, President of Samsung Electronics America, Information Technology Division. “The VC240 highlights our ability to provide superior display technology for any current or future display application.”

Ideal for conference rooms and businesses who want to conduct in-person meetings without the complexities associated with travel, the VC240 is an all in one video conferencing solution.

A Video and Voice over Internet Protocols (V2oIP) enabled network monitor, it is fully compatible with other VoIP systems including Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) based Multipoint Control Units (MCUs) and Unified Communications (MS). It can also function as a one to multipoint video conference with its built-in VoIP module.

“The VC240 breaks down barriers in the desktop market by allowing users to enjoy all the benefits of the high definition video communications experience at a fraction of the cost of existing hardware desktop solutions,” says Boaz Raviv, CEO of RADVISION.

“With the introduction of this product Samsung and RADVISION are literally changing the playing field by enabling wide scale deployment of HD video on the desktop. We are honored to partner with the world’s leading expert in LCD technology and together we will bring the market a new level of desktop video communications.”

New network technology
Leveraging Samsung’s renown front-of-screen performance, the VC240 also incorporates H.264 codec and a 5 megapixel camera and noise-cancelling microphones. The VC240 provides excellent video compression and high resolution images.

Special video and voice functions enhance the user experience in a video conference environment, including adaptive jitter buffer, lip synchronization, acoustic echo cancellation and voice activation detection while a 5ms response rate assures users of motion clarity with reduced blurring. A 1000:1 contrast ratio reduces eye fatigue and provides sharper text, deeper shadows and brighter colors.

The VC240 is fully interoperable with RADVISION’s SCOPIA line of products and complements RADVISION’s other desktop video solutions. It will also offer RADVISION’s latest advanced video features including SVC (Scalable Video Coding) and Forward Error Correction features ensuring the highest quality possible.

The VC240 also supports a rage of video and audio inputs, including DVI-I and VGA component connections.

SI and brand monitor shipment growth weaker than expected in April

TAIPEI, TAIWAN: Following the notable inventory replenishments during 1Q09, it started to cool down a bit during Apr09. By also taking into account the continued monitor panel price increases, these developments should help further shed light on the extent of downstream vendors’ overbooking and the actual market demand.

Amid a possible slowdown in the sales momentum and no evident rebound in the global economy, suppliers continue to hold a conservative attitude for fear of seeing their inventory running too high again, as witnessed during 2H08.

Thus, the monthly SI shipment growth momentum was not as strong in Apr09. Instead, most SIs saw a small decrease over Mar09. According to WitsView’s survey, in Apr09 the aggregated shipments by the Top 10 SIs reached 12.9 million, up slightly by 2.7% MoM.

According to WitsView’s top 10 monitor brand survey, given the slower inventory replenishments in Apr09, the stock of the downstream retailers and brand vendors returned to healthier levels.

However, as the end market sales were not too strong, the shipment growth of the top 10 monitor brand vendors was weaker than expected, where they reached 10.5 million, slightly down by 0.8 percent MoM.

An interesting aspect in Apr09 was the varying shipments of the vendors, due to the different quarterly end. For the Taiwan and Korean players, such as Acer, BenQ and LGE, the figures were lower over Mar09. By contrast, as Apr09 was the quarterly end for Lenovo, it sought to more aggressively push up shipments.

Samsung's new slim touch of color LCD monitors

RIDGEFIELD PARK, USA: Samsung Electronics America, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corp., the number one worldwide brand of LCD display products, has released its 70 Series Monitors: the P2070, P2370 and P2370HD.

These slim LCD monitors, with screen depths of 30 mm (1.18 inches) for the P2070 and P2370 and 65.5mm (2.58 inches) for the P2370HD and Touch of Color (ToC) design, are the latest release of Samsung’s high performance displays.

“The 70 Series offers our customers a sophisticated-looking LCD monitor with the performance capability of our televisions,” said J.H. Kim, President of Samsung Electronics America’s Information Technology Division. “The 70 Series is the new standard as more people upgrade their monitors for additional uses, like watching television programs and playing video games.”

The 70 Series Monitors are ideal for office applications and entertainment with its dynamic contrast ratio (50,000:1) for deep, rich colors, while the 2ms (GTG) video response time minimizes blurring for watching sports and fast-moving gameplay. The crystal-like bezel frame with ToC reduces the reflection of light and glare. The glossy stand offers a polished design, while the clear, crystal-like acrylic neck gives the illusion the monitor is floating.

Samsung’s Startlight Touch Controls integrate the On Screen Display (OSD) buttons into the bezel for a seamless look and feel, eliminating obtrusive buttons on the front or sides on the panel. Gently touching any of the buttons illuminates the controls which automatically disappear after a set period of time, minimizing distractions.

The P2370 offers full HD 1080p resolution (1920x1080) for optimized viewing of HD content. For full HDTV capability, the P2370HD builds on the 1080p capabilities of the P2370 with the addition of a HDTV tuner, integrated speakers with SRS TruSurround HD(r) and remote control. In addition, the P2370HD also has HDMI and component inputs for additional connections such as Blu-Ray, set-top boxes and game consoles providing users with a display that is ready for work and play.

“The 70 Series is a great monitor for someone looking a full range of color, sharpness and response. It also has an added benefit for those concerned about the environment. We were sensitive to the impact computers monitors have on the environment and have developed a manufacturing process for the 70 Series that would minimize this,” said Tony Yu, Display Product Manager of Samsung Electronics America’s Information Technology Division.

The 70 Series offers a suite of eco-conscious features including reduced energy consumption, requiring about a third less power to operate compared to typical monitors of similar size. The ToC manufacturing process eliminates harmful paints and sprays, increasing the monitors’ recyclability. The slim footprint also dramatically reduces transportation costs and requirements for a smaller carbon footprint.

Large-area TFT LCD shipments grew 29 percent M/M in March

AUSTIN, USA: March 2009 shipments of large-area TFT LCD panels reached 37.9 million units, showing strong M/M growth of 29 percent, according to the most recent DisplaySearch Monthly TFT LCD Shipment Database.

In addition, large-area TFT LCD revenues reached $3.9 billion, up 31 percent M/M. While shipments were down only 5 percent Y/Y, revenues were 47 percent lower than March 2008, indicating the magnitude of price declines over the past year.

All three major applications—notebook PC, monitor and TV—showed over 20 percent M/M growth, and total shipments were the highest in six months. February shipment results indicate that the TFT LCD industry had reached the bottom of the cycle, and March’s results show some recovery.

DisplaySearch’s research found that notebook panels had the highest M/M growth at 38 percent, followed by LCD TV at 30 percent and LCD monitor at 24 percent. However, monitor panel shipments are still lower than the same month last year. Notebook panel shipments were flat and TV panels were 14 percent higher than March 2008. Table 1 shows monthly shipments by application.

Table 1: Monthly Large-Area TFT LCD Panel Shipments by Application (Millions)Source: DisplaySearch April 2009 Monthly TFT LCD Shipment Database

In addition to large-area TFT LCDs, the Monthly TFT LCD Shipment Database also tracks 5.0” to 10.2” mini-note (netbook) panel shipments. Mini-note PC panel shipments were 2.7 million in March 2009, up 79 percent M/M; HannStar continued to be the leader in mini-note panel shipments in March. The Premium Version of the Monthly TFT LCD Shipment Database includes shipment data by suppliers for each application and screen size.

For the notebook PC application, shipments of 16:9 panels reached 2.8 million, a 24 percent share of the 11.6 million notebook panels shipped, up from 17 percent in February. In monitors, 16:9 panels reached 4.3 million units, a 28 percent share of the 15.4 million monitor panels shipped, up from 26 percent in February. Meanwhile, 32” TV panel shipments reached 4 million units in March, which is the highest monthly volume ever.

According to David Hsieh, Vice President of DisplaySearch: “March results are encouraging for panel makers as they reflect a good recovery in demand.” Looking forward, Hsieh added, “Considering the current end-market demand and the low panel inventories, we expect that shipments will continue to grow in Q2’09, and we forecast that panel makers will reach 80 percent capacity utilization in Q2’09.”

He concluded: “We previously predicted that March would show double-digit growth over February, as panel makers have been increasing capacity utilization, and these results bear out our forecast. However, the key challenge for panel makers is to evaluate the supply/demand balance, which will be determined by the amount of production increase and by whether the growth in demand is sustained in Q2’09.”

For information on the DisplaySearch Monthly TFT LCD Shipment Database, contact Carl Holec at info@displaysearch.com!

Source: DisplaySearch