Samsung’s started producing a range of LCD panels which are transparent enough to see through, and which are claimed to cut energy consumption by 90 percent.
The 22-inch screens are claimed to have a transparency rate of 20 percent for the monochrome and 15 percent for color, compared with just five percent for standard LCDs.
The company says that the panels’ transparency could open up new applications in advertising and education. They could be used for outdoor billboards or store windows, for example.
“Transparent displays will have a wide range of use in all industry areas as an efficient tool for delivering information and communication,” says Younghwan Park, a senior vice president of Samsung Electronics LCD Business.
“”With the world’s first mass production of the transparent LCD panel, Samsung plans to lead the global transparent LCD market by developing various applications.”
The panels have a contrast ratio of 500:1 with a resolution of 1680 by 1050. They come with HDMI and USB interfaces built in.
Samsung says that because they use ambient light such as sunlight, they consume 90 percent less electricity than a conventional back-lit LCD panel.
