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Sharp to introduce LCD monitor featuring industry's thinnest design in high-resolution display

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Sharp Corp will introduce into the Japanese market a new 32-inch-class LCD monitor, the PN-K321, a professional monitor featuring proprietary IGZO technology and delivering 4K × 2K resolution (3,840 × 2,160 pixels), four times that of full HD.

Demand for ultra-high-definition 4K2K displays is forecast to grow for numerous business and professional applications, including creating and editing graphics and video, financial-related operations requiring intensive use of graphs and small text, and CAD services for displaying detailed drawings.

The PN-K321 is Sharp's latest ultra-high-definition display and features smaller transistors (TFTs) in the LCD panel compared to conventional displays, thereby increasing the amount of transmitted light per pixel. Because 4K2K displays enable clear, crisp display of large amounts of information ranging from small text to detailed images on one screen, they boost operational efficiency by sparing users the need to scroll frequently.

In addition, Sharp's IGZO technology makes it possible to adopt a specially designed edge-lit LED backlight system that enables the depth of the main body to be reduced to a mere 35 mm to achieve the industry's thinnest design. Even though the PN-K321 features a large 32-inch-class screen, there is no sense of crowding when placed on an office desktop. In addition, this unit can also blend in when installed in public spaces. Further, input connectors are compatible with the latest DisplayPort and HDMI interface specifications, enabling the PN-K321 to be connected to a PC via a single cable for the display of large volumes of 4K2K data.

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.


14 Comments
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Anyways, they better introduce it fast before they go bankrupt..!

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professional use? well call me a pro-sumer! I get me one of those!

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Ooh I can't wait until the S. Koreans "follow suit", and produce a version that I can afford!

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@Caffeine: Samsung is a leader in the industry, has been for some time. Look at their flex-phones and screens. THERE NOW the future.

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I couldn't see a price mentioned anywhere in this article (but then I'm still half asleep)... apparently the expected price is 450,000 yen (about $5,500 US)

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Caffeinebuz and YongYang

The Korean Won is appreciating against the JPY and it is lessening Korean products competitiveness, therefore there is no assurance that their products will remain cheap forever.

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SeriouslyCreamyDec. 01, 2012 - 10:13AM JST

I couldn't see a price mentioned anywhere in this article (but then I'm still half asleep)... apparently the expected price is 450,000 yen (about $5,500 US)

That price is actually incredibly good, Sony's larger model is a whopping $25000 (but comes with 10 pretty great movies digitally remastered for 4K and a 4K player)

YongYangDec. 01, 2012 - 09:52AM JST

Samsung is a leader in the industry, has been for some time. Look at their flex-phones and screens.

Right... That's why flexible LCD screens have been around for almost a decade and nobody bothers with them. LCDs have been replaced by OLED in the flexible market, easier to produce a much more flexible item, and Samsung dropped out of the LCD market to focus on OLED. Fujitsu, LG, and even now Sharp (http://www.flatpanelshd.com/focus.php?subaction=showfull&id=1338806425) have them too though, so Sharp's still in the business.

And I guess you didn't know that Sharp still produces a huge chunk of the mobile and small screen panel market?

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Ps4 is rumored to be 4k compatible

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The Japanese Companies are always introducing new products in only Japanese domestic market. Why they can sale the products world-wide same time as Japanese domestic market? That's a fault of Japanese Companies ideology. Did Japanese Companies think consumers in other countries can't of afford to buy it? Middle class and above are longing for quality electronic products from Japan but Japanese Companies ignored. Japanese Companies are best in technology renovation, inventing and creation but Marketing Ideology is poor among Japanese Company's employees. Why Sharp can't sell new technology product to world? Are they waiting for Korean Companies to test Market demand?

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Kobuta ChanDec. 01, 2012 - 10:19PM JST

Why Sharp can't sell new technology product to world?

The iPhone 4 was a Sharp screen. HTC regularly uses Sharp screens. The Nintendo DS (i, XL, 3DS) has a Sharp screen. Not to mention plenty of TV makers that use Sharp panels.

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@basroil

When did Samsung drop out of the LCD market? They still make them, still coming out with new ones. They haven't dropped out of any LCD market, nor are they putting all their efforts solely on OLEDs.

They've been recently working on IPS panels (another LCD) and have been pumping out LED LCDs like crazy.

OLEDs just aren't all that feasible for large TVs. Too costly to make. If they were to toss out a like 50" OLED tv, it'd probably range around $100k or higher. Then, they wouldn't be able to mass produce them. I doubt we'll see too many OLED Ultra HD TVs in the next 5 years.

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Korlacan KhanthavilayDec. 03, 2012 - 04:42PM JST

When did Samsung drop out of the LCD market? They still make them, still coming out with new ones. They haven't dropped out of any LCD market, nor are they putting all their efforts solely on OLEDs.

You misunderstood. I was saying they dropped out of the flexible LCD display market, and went to OLED flexible displays. Samsung got a massive flexible LCD grant from the South Korean government, but they switched over to OLED for flex displays after that money ran out (and it was found that even the best LCD wasn't good enough compared to OLED now that OLED pixel resolution has increased).

Sharp's IGZO technology is used for both LCD and OLED, but the flexible displays are only OLED (http://www.flatpanelshd.com/focus.php?subaction=showfull&id=1338806425).

OLEDs just aren't all that feasible for large TVs. Too costly to make. If they were to toss out a like 50" OLED tv, it'd probably range around $100k or higher. Then, they wouldn't be able to mass produce them.

Good thing you're behind the times! http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/lg-55em9600/4505-6482_7-35117947.html

Yup, just about $8k in Korea, or about a tenth of what you mentioned. Now, this model isn't pure OLED (does have color filters), but samsung does for just a bit more cash (http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/samsung-es9500-oled-tv/4505-6482_7-35117948.html ; about $8.7k in Korea). As expected, there are delays, but that's normal for new technology.

I doubt we'll see too many OLED Ultra HD TVs in the next 5 years.

I doubt we'll see many 4k tvs period. Most computers can't even handle it, new machines with displayport may be able to show up to 60Hz (just good enough for 3D) , and HDMI 1.4 can but only at 24p . Not to mention that a 4K movie would likely be around 100GB even using decent compression rates, maybe 25GB if you have an expensive dedicated hardware decoder with a ton of memory or a very fast computer (Core i5 would likely use nearly 100% CPU power simply to decode)

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Good thing you're behind the times! http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/lg-55em9600/4505-6482_7-35117947.html Yup, just about $8k in Korea, or about a tenth of what you mentioned. Now, this model isn't pure OLED (does have color filters), but samsung does for just a bit more cash (http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/samsung-es9500-oled-tv/4505-6482_7-35117948.html ; about $8.7k in Korea). As expected, there are delays, but that's normal for new technology.

And, not even out yet. OLED is not new technology. It's old technology. It's been around for how many years now? The problem is making it bigger. It costs a lot to do that. Then you need to price it, so you actually make a profit.

The thing was suppose to launch in 3Q12. Then 4Q12. Then 1Q13. Ya...wonder when they'll actually even come out and at what price. After that, wonder how long the thing is going to even last. Bet it'll break a lot.

I doubt we'll see many 4k tvs period. Most computers can't even handle it, new machines with displayport may be able to show up to 60Hz (just good enough for 3D) , and HDMI 1.4 can but only at 24p . Not to mention that a 4K movie would likely be around 100GB even using decent compression rates, maybe 25GB if you have an expensive dedicated hardware decoder with a ton of memory or a very fast computer (Core i5 would likely use nearly 100% CPU power simply to decode)

Displayport 1.2 can handle 4k without much problems. You'd of course have to drop down to the next resolution to be able to do 3D. Storage would definitely be an issue, as a 4k movie would be ginormous. Someone definitely needs to either increase blu-ray storage size (like multiple layers) or come out with a new storage format. I mean, TDK came out with a 320 gig, 10 layer bluray disc a long time ago. You can make a 10 layer BDXL disc, course that'd be 350 gig. Haven't a clue how you'd make it be able to read 10 layers. Streaming service is about the only thing I imagine is feasible, right now. Your ISP won't like it though.

I imagine 4k tvs will start coming out and hitting homes. Definitely not in 2013 or even 2014. I'm thinking like 2018 or so, it'll start being something common place. Computers are getting faster every year, GPUs are getting faster every year, storage is increase and getting cheaper. We are at the point that you could make a 4k player with a Core i3, midrange Nvidia/AMD graphics card, 4 gigs of ram, and that'd be enough to play a 4k res movie. The CPU isn't all that great for decoding, but the GPU makes it look easy.

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