SED TV at CES 2006

The public finally got their first opportunity to take a look at SED displays up close and personal at CES 2006 held in Las Vegas in January. If the initial reaction of most of the reports coming out of the Toshiba and Canon booths is anything to go by - they are so positive and enthusiastic - you have to wonder why companies such as Pioneer, Panasonic, Samsung and the like are even bothering to invest in new facilities to manufacture LCD and Plasma displays.

The screens on display, according to a Toshiba press release, were 36-inch prototype models. According to Canon and Toshiba sources at the show these prototypes supported 720p definition and featured a contrast ratio of 10,000:1.

The production models available later in the year, according to the same sources, will debut at 55-inches, will have a contrast ratio of 100,000:1, will have a 1- millisecond response time, will support 1080p and will consume a third of the power of an equivalent sized plasma panel.

No price has been determined yet, and even if SED managed to be competitive with Plasma straight off the bat, which is unlikely, we are still talking a minimum of five figures.