Toshiba Pushes Back SED

Toshiba announced today that its high-color SED TV sets would miss the expected late 2007 launch window. The company explained that Canon, which will produce the actual panels for the sets, says it no longer expects to deliver the essential parts on schedule due to the patent suit from Nano-Proprietary. The suit isn't fatal to the project in part due to a partial victory in court. However, no new timetable has been established in its place, Toshiba says, and both companies are also hoping to reduce the production costs to make the sets more viable challengers to LCDs and plasma TVs.

The delay confirms the concerns raised earlier this year about the promising displays, which are intended to combine the color accuracy and response of CRTs with the thin size and precision of LCDs. SED demo units had been absent from CES despite earlier examples and a commitment that would have released production models through Toshiba no later than early 2008.

By Electronista Staff