- Feb 27, 2003
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Finally something interesting....
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/news_archive/35.htm#panels_jan
June update
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/news_archive/35.htm#auo_panels_june
Periodically we try to bring you news on the panels in production or planning from the key panel manufacturers. Knowing what panels they are working on can give us some early insight into the type of monitors we might expect to see later on once they are adopted by the manufacturers. The dates provided below are the expected dates for production of the panels themselves, so there's normally a good few months before we then see news of any monitors making use of them, and then a few more months lag before any screens are actually available. Still, it gives us a nice indication of developments we might see this year:
LG.Display continue to invest in their borderless neo-blade panels in varying sizes including 23.8", 27" and even 31.5" it seems. The main panel of note from LG.Display is the forthcoming LM375UW1 panels. This is 37.5" in size and will offer an unusual 3840 x 1600 resolution, giving it a perfect 2:4:1 aspect ratio. This is basically the same as 21:9 ultra-wide format but it is the exact aspect ratio of Blu-ray content so perhaps this has something to do with the developments in 4K Blu-ray this year. On a screen this size the pixel pitch should be very similar to the 40" 3840 x 2160 16:9 aspect ratio panels we've seen so far. The new panel is based on LG.Display's IPS technology with specs listed as 14ms G2G response time, 1000:1 contrast ratio and 178/178 viewing angles. It is expected to go into production in Q3 2016.
The Samsung roadmaps are annoying as there’s no part numbers and limited specs listed, so it’s hard to try and decipher what panels are what. Looks like they will have a 31.5” panel with 2560 x 1440 res (QHD) with curved format and 144Hz refresh rate in Q3 2016. This is likely to be SVA technology based on the information we've seen in the past. Of interesting note also are two very large and unusual panels again planned for possible Q3 2016 production. These are 41" and 49" in size and a very, very wide 32:9 aspect ratio and FHD+ resolution as it is listed in the spec (not sure what that actually is although possibly 3840 x 1080)! Whether they will be used as monitor panels or not is questionable given the format but they were listed in the roadmap with other monitor modules. They have an 1800R curvature according to the preliminary specs. Finally Samsung have a 31.5" sized panel coming in Q3 also with a whopping 8K4K (7680 x 4320) resolution and Adobe RGB colour space coverage which clearly positions it as a premium professional grade panel.
Example appearance of the curve of the 49" 32:9 aspect ratio panels with 1800R curvature from 65cm viewing distance
AU Optronics have some limited information available as well. There are 30” and 35” ultra-wide curved panels coming in Q3 and Q2 respectively. These will be VA panel technology with 3440 x 1440 resolution and 144Hz refresh rate which would be a first at that resolution. In fact, this would push things beyond DP 1.2 bandwidth limitations as we understand it, so this might require the forthcoming DP 1.3 interface to be practical. In other specs they panels also offer 3000:1 contrast ratio, 300 cd/m2 brightness, 172/178 viewing angles and 2000R curvature.
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/news_archive/35.htm#panels_jan
June update
Full HD panels with 240Hz refresh rate - two gaming panels are in production offering 1920 x 1080 full HD resolution and a massive 240Hz refresh rate. They are available in 25" and 27" sizes and are TN Film technology. The 25" panel (M250HTN01.2) should be in production during June and the 27" (M270HTN02.3) will follow in August. The 25" sector is a new venture for AUO as well, as they've not produced panels in this size before. The 25" panel could well be the panel featured in the recently announced Asus ROG Swift PG258Q which was showcased at Computex. It remains to be confirmed, but that was advertised as having a 240Hz refresh rate and so the spec fits.
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Curved VA panels with up to 200Hz refresh rate - these are planned in various sizes, offering curved formats (1800R curvature) and VA panel technology.
Going in to production in June/July is the largest size, which is a 35" 21:9 aspect ratio panel with 3440 x 1440 resolution. This will have options for a 100Hz (M350QVR01.0) and 200Hz refresh rate (M350QVR01.1) apparently. Back in January we had information about this 35" panel which was listed with a 144Hz refresh rate, but it looks like AUO have now pushed this refresh rate even higher up to 200Hz. With a 3440 x 1440 res and that high refresh rate, DP 1.2 will not be sufficient but it remains to be seen how this screen will be connected.
In the same 35" size is another curved (2000R) VA panel but this time with a 2560 x 1080 resolution and 200Hz refresh rate (M350DVR01.2). This should go in to production during June to complement the existing 144Hz version (M350DVR01.0) already used in various screens such as the Acer Predator Z35.
Then there's a new 31.5" sized 16:9 aspect ratio panel scheduled for some time in Q4, with 2560 x 1440 resolution and 144Hz refresh rate. This is the first 31.5" sized panel we've seen mentioned by AUO up until now and will also mark the first high refresh rate VA panel we've seen in this size and resolution.
The planned 30" widescreen 2560 x 1080, VA technology, 21:9 aspect ratio panel (M300DVR01.0) has also now gone in to production and the spec has been updated slightly now with a 1800R curvature (instead of 2000R expected before) and a boost in the refresh rate from 144Hz to 200Hz.
Finally there's a 27" 16:9 aspect ratio VA panel also in the planning phase (no date or part number yet) with 2560 x 1440 resolution and 144Hz refresh rate. Again the first VA panel of this size and resolution we've seen with high refresh rate.
In fact there's been very few high refresh rate VA panels ever released, only really the 23.5" 1920 x 1080 resolution 120Hz VA panel from Sharp (as featured in the Eizo Foris FG2421 back in late 2013), and more recently the 35" 2560 x 1080 resolution 144Hz native VA panel from AUO as featured in a few screens including the Acer Predator Z35 early in 2016.
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More 4K and 5K options - AUO will also invest in more high resolution panels with 4K (ultra HD 3840 x 2160) and 5K (5120 x 2880) options available. A new line of 32" sized 'value' panels are expected to go in to production in November 2016 based on TN Film and/or VA panel technology with 4K resolutions (no part numbers yet). At some point in late 2016 the 144Hz refresh rate 27" size AHVA (IPS-type) 4K panel showcased recently at Computex is expected to go in to mass production as well which is bound to attract some attention for gamers (again no part number yet). Finally a new 32" sized AHVA (IPS-type) panel with 5K resolution is expected to go in to production in Feb 2017 with Adobe RGB colour space and will be aimed at higher end use and graphic application (part number not known).
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/news_archive/35.htm#auo_panels_june
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