Philips Electronics transfers its TV business to TPV Technology, forming TP Vision-- a joint venture developing, making and selling Philips-branded TV sets.

TPV owns 70% of the joint venture, while Philips owns the remaining 30%. As part of the transaction, Philips TV Innovation and manufacturing sites, commercial organisations, HQ and employee base of close to 3300 is transferring to TP Vision.

So Philips is back (again) in the consumer TV business.

TP Vision will be selling Philips TVs worldwide, with the exception of mainland China, India, USA, Canada, Mexico and certain countries in S. America.

Go Philips and TPV Announce Start of TV Joint Venture

Will TVs and devices carry high-density pixel displays later this year? Electronics manufacturing equipment maker Applied Materials is introducing machinery making the large-scale manufacture of such displays possible, the MIT Technology Review reports.

Apple already manufactures high-density pixel displays (dubbed "Retina" displays) for in the iPhone 4S and the new iPad-- but Applied Materials claims its process for the creation of high-clarity screens is both cheaper and easier than the one Apple employs.

The Applied Materials method uses plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) to deposit thin films of material onto surfaces, allowing the production of displays with indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) backplanes. IGZO is the secret behind cheaper-- and larger-- high-density pixel displays, at least according to Applied Materials.

Current LCD displays use a TFT backplane made in either amorphous silicon or partially crystallised silicon (LTPS).

DisplaySearch reports 2011 WW TV shipments are down after 6 consecutive years of growth-- slipping by -0.3% Y-o-Y to 247.7M units, as weak LCD TV growth fails to offset declines in plasma and CRT shipments.

LCD TV shipments for 2011 reach 205M units with just 7% growth, a far cry from the double-digit growth of previous years. Meanwhile 2011 plasma shipments are down by -7% (the biggest decline yet according to DisplaySearch) totalling 17.2M units, and CRT shipments fall by -34% Y-o-Y.

“The causes of slow demand in 2011 were complex, and although LCD TV showed growth, results were well below industry expectations,” the analyst says. For instance excessive inventory levels in early 2011 caused low shipments for both European and US markets.

Global shipments in Q4 2011 see a -4% Y-o-Y decline, reaching 74.2M units-- with the most pronounced decline in units being in W. Europe and Japan. LCD TVs make 86.5% of Q4 2011 WW shipments (up from 83% in Q3), with larger screen sizes (40" and over) seeing the most aggressive growth.

China-- not only the most populous country in the world, but also home to the biggest 4K resolution LCD 3DTV... the "China Star," a 110-inch behemoth from TCL subsidiary China Star Optoelectronics Technology.

The giant display carries 4K by 2K (4096 x 2160 pixels) panels, active 3D technology and dynamic backlighting. It also has multi-touch functionality, and produces 800 nits of brightness while reproducing 92% of NTSC colour gamut.

TCL gives no details on pricing or whether China Star displays will be available for retail, two of which it donated to the Great Hall of the People at Tiananmen Square.

The China Star displays could simply be a bold display of Chinese superiority-- Gu Zhihua, director of the flat panel display centre at Fudan University claims “China will replace Japan and South Korea as the world leader in TV display screens in terms of manufacturing and R&D in three to five years, and will provide a higher level of quality and more cost-effective products to the global community.”

Go World's Largest HD 3D LCD Screen Launched by TCL

According to DisplaySearch Q4 2011 LCD 3DTV panel shipments total 7.8M with 26% Q-o-Q growth-- with 2011 3DTV panel shipments reaching 21.2M, or 10% of total LCD TV panel shipments for the year.

As a result panel makers are predicting strong 138% Y-o-Y growth for 2012 3D panel shipments, or 50M units shipped with a penetration rate of 21.6% of all LCD TV panel shipments.

“As brands continue to promote 3D, end-user awareness and interest is growing. While there are still concerns about the lack of 3D content and services, as well as end-users' needs, LCD TV panel makers have pushed 3D capability via lower prices and the introduction of new, cost-effective technologies,” the analyst says.

Shutter glass technology accounts for 6.2% of total 2011 LCD TV shipments while patterned retarder shipments make 3.9%, with DisplaySearch forecasts saying 2012 penetration rates will increase to 11.6% for shutter glass and 10% for pattern retarder.

Sanus is shipping the VMA401-- an on-wall component shelf with thick tempered-glass construction mounting directly below HDTVs.

Supporting weights of up to 7kg, the VMA401 holds DVD players, gaming systems, cable boxes or audio gear and features an integrated cable management system hiding and organising cables.

The veritical column is 1.34" (3.4cm) thick and includes a micro-adjustment feature so it can be fixed to level with all sorts of walls. Installers can also combine multiple VMA401 units to create multiple shelf solutions.

The package includes all hardware for installation on sheet rock, wooden studs or concrete.

Go Sanus VMA401