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Tag: sharp

  • The Slow Decline of an Industry Giant

    The Sharp Corporation has been in business for over a hundred years, and has been a major player in the home entertainment industry for decades. But last Friday stockholders showed their displeasure with the company’s recent strategy, resulting in a near 30% drop in share prices.

    This came on the heels of the company’s announcement that it might be in line for as much as a $1.28 billion loss this fiscal year. And after declaring they would cut as many as 5,000 jobs from their international payroll, industry experts are predicting the beginning of the end for this once proud company.

    Sharp laid off the entire advertising and marketing department at its American headquarters, and those looking for reasons should look no further than their bottom line. Sharp enjoyed a LCD TV/HDTV market share of about 21% just seven years ago. Last year, that number had dropped all the way to under 8%.

    A couple of years back, sensing the impending disaster, Sharp put more than $4 billion into a new fabrication facility in Sakai City. They would own more than one third of the business, giving them a huge leg up in manufacture. However, when their money dried up, they ended up having to cut that investment down to under 10% of the company, and looked for another company to bring in additional investment.

    Hon Hai Precision, Taiwan’s parent company to Foxconn jumped in. The problem for Sharp was that Hon Hai’s investment ended up costing them only twenty cents on the dollar compared to what Sharp originally paid, and Hon Hai also became the largest investor through the deal.

    Even that miserable outcome hasn’t saved Sharp yet, as the investment is still waiting to be made official. Add that to Sharp receiving a debt rating from Moody’s Investors Service of Prime-3, basically the lowest grade an investment can receive, and the writing is clearly on the wall for this once proud industry leader.

  • Sharp to Introduce VR-100BR1 Triple-Layer Blu-ray Disc Media

    Sharp will introduce the VR-100BR1 triple-layer Blu-ray Disc media (write-once) that conforms to the BDXL format specification, the new multi-layer recordable Blu-ray Disc format, a world first. These new Blu-ray Discs will be available in Japan beginning July 30, 2010.

    This disc media product conforms to the new BDXL format specification that extends the storage capacity of Blu-ray Discs to 100GB, twice the 50GB storage capacity of existing dual-layer discs.

    This new format enables recording approximately 12 hours of terrestrial digital TV broadcasts or approximately 8.6 hours of BS digital TV broadcasts. It expands the range of applications for Blu-ray Discs to include recording and saving long-duration HDTV programs or multiple episodes of serial dramas onto a single disc with the same high-definition image quality as the original.

    Major Features

    1. World’s first triple-layer Blu-ray Disc media featuring large 100GB recording storage capacity.

    This disc media is the first in the world to conform to the new BDXL format specification that extends the storage capacity of Blu-ray Discs by increasing the number of recording layers. The dual-layer structure used up to now has been augmented with an additional layer where image data can be recorded to create a new triple-layer structure.

    2. “Hard coat” process provides peace of mind for users by protecting important video data from scratches and fingerprint contamination.

    A “hard coat” process applied to the disc surface forms a protective barrier coating to protect stored data from scratches and dirt that may cause read and write errors.

    3. Users can print directly on discs down to 24 mm inner diameter.

    Wide print area of 24 mm inner diameter and 118 mm outer diameter for disc labeling. In addition to enabling vivid color labeling to be printed over nearly the entire disc, oil-based or water-based marker pens can be used to hand-write labels on these discs.

  • Sharp Develops World’s First 3D Camera for Mobile Devices

    Sharp has developed a 3D camera module for mobile devices capable of capturing high-definition 720p 3D video images, an industry first. Mass production of these modules will begin within 2010. Sharp said they will start shipping samples in July.

    3D images are composed of two views taken using two cameras that simultaneously capture separate images for the right and left eyes. Consequently, a 3D camera requires peripheral circuitry to apply image processing to the two images, for example, to adjust color or to correct positioning between the images from the two cameras. Manufacturers have thus been pursuing designs that reduce the size and weight of 3D cameras and seeking ways to shorten their development period.

    According to Sharp, their new 3D camera incorporates functions to process the image data output by the left and right cameras, including Color Synchronizing Processing to adjust color and brightness, Timing Synchronizing Processing to synchronize the timing of the video signals, and Optical Axis Control Processing to correct positioning.

    Fast Readout Technology transfers video data from the image sensor, enabling 3D images to be captured in high-resolution HD mode. In developing this camera module, Sharp also applied high-density mounting technology to achieve a compact form.

    "Embedding this camera module in mobile devices such as digital cameras, mobile phones, and smartphones will contribute to the development of a wide range of new, innovative communications tools," the company said .

  • Microsoft Introduces KIN Windows Phone

    Microsoft finally announced KIN, a new Windows Phone designed specifically for people who are actively navigating their social lives. The phone is brought to life through partnerships with Verizon Wireless, Vodafone and Sharp.

    KIN supports Microsoft’s new cloud computing service with an optimized GUI. The hardware design was developed in partnership with Sharp. There are two models called KIN ONE and KIN TWO. Both phones feature a touch screen, slide-out keyboard and very simple interface.

    ONE is small and compact; TWO has a larger screen and keyboard, in addition to more memory, a higher resolution camera, and the ability to record high-definition video. The 5 and 8 megapixel cameras in ONE and TWO, respectively, have image stabilization and a bright LumiLED flash.

    KIN automatically brings together feeds from Microsoft and third-party services such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. The home screen of the phone is called the KIN Loop, which is always up to date and always on, showing all the things happening in someone’s social world.

    Another new feature, the KIN Spot is a new way for people to share what’s going on in their world. It lets them focus first on the people and stuff they want to share rather than the specific application they want to use. Videos, photos, text messages, Web pages, location and status updates are shared by simply dragging them to a single place on the phone called the Spot. Once all the people and content are in the Spot to share, the consumer can choose how to share, and start broadcasting.

    KIN Studio is a phone online. Almost everything created on the phone is available in the cloud from any Web browser. Photos and videos are freed from the confines of the phone and presented in an online visual timeline.

    The KIN Studio automatically backs up texts, call history, photos, videos and contacts, and populates a personalized digital journal.

    It also gives customers tons of storage to keep all those photos, videos, contacts and texts.

    KIN will be the first Windows Phone to feature a Zune experience — including music, video, FM radio and podcast playback. With a Zune Pass subscription, users using Zune software on their PC can listen to millions of songs from Zune Marketplace on their KIN while on the go.

    KIN will be exclusively available from Verizon Wireless in the U.S. beginning in May and from Vodafone this autumn in Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.

  • Price Deals Fuelling Surge in HDTV Sales

    Sales of high definition plasma TVs have risen by 37 per cent in the third quarter compared to last year’s figures.

    A survey by DisplaySearch has shown that consumers are being enticed to buy plasma sets by sweeping price cuts, especially on 32-inch sets.

    The leading brand is Panasonic, with around 40 per cent of revenue on plasma TVs, followed by Samsung (29%), LG (22%), Pioneer (5%), and Hitachi (4%).

    The clear favorite in terms of screen-size for plasma is 42-inch sets (49%), although 50-inch sizes are increasingly popular (29%).
    Shipments of 32-inch screens accounted for 12% of the market.

  • Solar-powered and Wireless – HDTV Doesn't Come Much Cleaner


    Japan’s cutting edge electronics fair CEATAC just ended but it tossed a few interesting titbits into the mix, including a solar-powered HDTV from Sharp.

    The LED-backlit 52-inch set receives up to 220kWh of power from a solar floor panel.

    If “cleaner” technology is set to become ever more important then Panasonic was displaying a variation on this theme.

    It demonstrated a plasma Viera HDTV that was able to transmit video beamed from a Blu-ray deck via a WirelessHD at an uncompressed 1080p across a 60GHz link at up to 4Gbit/s.

    WiHD replaces HDMI wires with radio links and is designed to handle HDTV video streams between AV equipment.

    Aside from excellent picture quality, the technology does away with the need for the clutter of wires and cables that spoil the clean look of today’s often-wall mounted screens.

    Panasonic says the WirelessHD devices will be on sale within a year.

  • Symbian Foundation support continues to grow


    A further nine companies have thrown their weight behind the planned Symbian Foundation.

    Last week Nokia announced it had reached an agreement with Samsung to buy the remaining share in Symbian, clearing the way for the completion of the plans outlined in June.

    The new companies are Acrodea, Brycen, HI Corporation, Ixonos, KTF, Opera Software, Sharp, TapRoot Systems and UIQ.

    As well as comprising some well known Symbian names, the newcomers represent device manufacturers (in the form of Sharp and KTF) and a strong showing of software engineering and middleware companies.

    Since June, 40 companies have confirmed commitment to the initiative, including the ten initial board members: AT&T, LG Electronics, Motorola, Nokia, NTT DOCOMO, Samsung Electronics, Sony Ericsson, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments and Vodafone.

    Mats Lindoff, Sony Ericsson’s chief technology officer, said: “We are happy to see that so many developers and partners in the industry have expressed their support for the plans for the Symbian Foundation, as this will help drive the next level of innovation needed to deliver new user experiences on mobile phones."

    Bob Bicksler, CEO of TapRoot Systems, said: “We’re excited about the plans for the Symbian Foundation and believe it will increase the proliferation of innovative products and services to mobile consumers.”

  • HDTV sets will need new features for sales to continue improving

    Manufacturers will have to install features currently only available as paid-for add-ons in top-of-the-range HDTV models if sales growth is to be sustained.
    That is the conclusion of a report by research firm DisplaySearch which suggests that sales of HDTVs will peak in the next two or three years.
    It goes on to say that sales will then fall unless manufacturers can add compelling features that consumers are willing to pay for.
    Calvin Hsieh, the director of research at DisplaySearch, said internet connectivity, full 1080p resolution, PVR capabilities and upgraded HDMI port specifications need to become standard fare by next year.
    “Our research shows that the growth of the market will peak between 2009 and 2011,” he said.
    “Thereafter, growth will be limited without the development of new, enhanced features for TVs.”
    Less than half the digital TVs sold in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East with screen sizes larger than 40 inches have 1080p resolution – Japan has the highest penetration, at 90 per cent.
    Mr Hsieh said that while internet access is beginning to show up in sets from Panasonic, Sharp, and Sony, among others, once network connections are integrated right into a chip instead of requiring an ungainly add-on box, more applications will emerge that take advantage of the connectivity.

  • Shift towards wireless HDTV expected to be gradual as technology evolves


    The race to perfect a wireless HDTV system is being contested by three competing technologies, each one with particular advantages without offering the complete package.
    But within three years one will have emerged as the dominant system, according to a study by ABI Research.
    This is expected to take global installations from an estimated 100,000 this year to the milestone one million by 2012.
    Steve Wilson, principal analyst on the report “Wireless Video Cable Replacement Market and Technologies”, said the wireless HDTV market was still in its “incubation” stage.
    He said a “battle of technologies” was being fought by the three contending systems, loosely characterised as 5 GHz, 60 GHz, and ultra wideband (UWB).
    “5 GHz technology is better understood and more proven but achieving the required data rates requires new approaches and more complex solutions,” he said.
    “UWB technology has bandwidth advantages at in-room distances but drops rapidly at greater ranges.
    “60 GHz allows high data rates, but so far only one company is even close to a viable solution.”
    Among the advantages of wireless HDTV are simplification of installation and the flexibility it offers in positioning TVs.
    There are both commercial applications – digital signage, for example – and domestic applications such as wall-mounting a flat-screen HDTV.
    “The initial sweet spot in the market is where wired installation would be difficult or complicated,” said Wilson.
    He said small numbers of 5 GHz and UWB devices are currently shipping, while demo products of 60 GHz systems are expected early next year.
    “Over the next two to three years, we’re going to see one or two of these wireless HDTV approaches emerge as the primary ones,” he added.
    All the wireless HDTV silicon vendors are venture-backed startups and most established wireless vendors are waiting to see how the market evolves.
    Product manufacturers are moving forward with different strategies.
    Some, like Westinghouse and Belkin, are initially targeting commercial and custom installers where there is clear value-add.
    In contrast, some TV manufacturers such as Sharp and Hitachi are targeting buyers of their latest technology, offering design-oriented, elegant products that come with a wireless connectivity option.

  • Sharp launches new line of professional LCD HD monitors

    13 May 2008

    Sharp launches new line of professional LCD HD monitors

    Sharp has broadened its line of professional LCD monitors with the announcement of its latest HD resolution display.
    The new TL Professional LCD Monitor line, a full 1920 x 1080 two-megapixel HD resolution, joins the high-end PN Monitor series.
    Sony says the new offering provides an affordable complement for display and presentation opportunities requiring accurate and precise image reproduction.
    The TL series, including the 52-inch class (52.03” diagonal) TL-M5200 and the 46-inch class (45.9” diagonal) TL-M4600, offers high image quality, features and performance.
    Sony says they are ideal for use in a wide range of settings including teleconferencing, CAD/simulation, digital signage, corporate, educational, training, hospitality, sports arenas, entertainment and house-of-worship.
    Dan Wynne, senior director of marketing, Professional Display Division, Sharp Information and Imaging Company of America, said: “The large-format display market continues to evolve, with increased needs for advanced functionality and connectivity in a reasonably priced package.
    “With the addition of this affordable monitor series, Sharp will reach a broader audience while offering superior image quality and improved compatibility, for reliability in a wider range of commercial applications.”
    The TL series features a new thin, lightweight cabinet design for easy installation as well as RJ-45 LAN Control for increased network connectivity.
    To ensure reliable operation and backlight life, Sharp has optimized the internal cooling with a unique fanless design and backlight system.