Samsung starts volume production of 22in transparent LCD screens

Samsung has started mass production of the first 22in transparent LCD displays, a sector the company is looking to dominate in the future.

The displays eliminate the need for a backlight and use only 10 per cent of the energy of conventional LCD systems, the company claims.

The colour or black and white 1,680 by 1,050 WSXGA+ screens are capable of 500:1 contrast and have USB and HDMI connections built in.

"Transparent displays will have a wide range of use in all industry areas as an efficient tool for delivering information and communication," said Younghwan Park, a senior vice president of Samsung's 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 are 20 and 15 per cent transparent (for colour and black and white respectively) which allows them to use ambient light to reduce the power requirements.

Samsung has not issued availability or pricing, but is aiming the panels at the business, advertising and education sectors.

The company is already producing transparent 46in panels and has added touch-screen technology to the displays.