LG designs extra-slim, 120Hz HDTV display

LCD display partnership LG-Philips today promised to tackle the challenge of shrinking LCD displays even further by demonstrating a new screen for HDTVs that would shave much of the bulk without sacrificing the features. The improvements reduce the thickness of a 42-inch screen to just 19.8mm (0.78 inches) -- roughly 40 percent thinner than a typical set and valuable for fitting a TV in a shallow cabinet or on a wall, LG-Philips says. The smaller frame also drops the weight by 10 percent. This is possible despite using a more conventional fluorescent backlight and a fast 120Hz panel that refreshes twice as fast, eliminating much of the blurring and ghosting found in older sets.

The Dutch-Korean hybrid firm says it fully intends to produce slimmer TVs using the newfound process and plans to release both a 42-inch set and other sizes sometime in 2008, though a more specific timeframe was unavailable. Thinner, more efficient LED backlights were mentioned but labeled as unlikely for the current model due to their high prices compared to fluorescent-lit displays.