NEC has unveiled a new display it says will help both for widescreen entertainment as well as for video editors and others who need a large amount of continuous screen space. Officially referred to as the CRVD-42DWX+, the screen switches from LCD to the normally TV-oriented DLP (Digital Light Projection) to allow an extra-long, curved image without bezels; two displays combine to create a single 2880x900 area. Using the technology also has the side-benefit of very intense color accuracy and performance, NEC says: where LCDs often miss colors or exhibit lag, the 42DWX+ displays as much as 170 percent of the NTSC color range with a 12-bit range (versus 8-bit for most LCDs) and draws pixels in just 0.02 milliseconds. The display also generates a much higher than usual 10,000:1 contrast ratio.

While much thicker than two LCDs, the DLP screen is relatively thin versus CRTs and weighs about 25 pounds, considerably less than dedicated DLP TVs and most similarly-sized flat-panels. NEC has formally announced the screen as a product but says it remains too early to provide a release date, price, or most other details; the use of two distinct displays is believed to require two separate DVI video connectors.

Alienware also used the Consumer Electronics Show last week to demonstrate a similar 42-inch display, but has not announced its own production details.