The projection-related device is the LCoS microdisplay being developed in partnership with National Semi. There are a number of developers of such chips (mostly variations on a theme, I think, but still some pretty significant differences) which can be used as projector image sources. There are also a couple of report titles I recall seeing somewhere which explored the favorable economics of projection monitors. It seems to me that the projection engines based on these microdisplays ought to be in time the least expensive of all the implementations. If I were IT, I would be seriously worried about my micromirror projector market.
From the monitor standpoint, I think you've nailed it. And here's the reason. I would not expect the optics for a 1024x1080 21" monitor to be fundamentally (parts cost) much different from a 600x800 pixel 17". A little more screen material, and a slightly larger chip are the most significant differences. This is in sharp contrast, for example, to CRTs where the larger high-resolution CRTs are a lot more expensive because of both size and smaller production volume.
That scalability of size/resolution is one of the most interesting and potentially powerful aspects of these projection displays. That means that the price premium for higher resolution displays would not have to be very great, based on cost of production alone. However, actual pricing may be another matter because it is essentially market driven, and may not relate to the actual cost of parts/production. [I think there may be some very nice profits to be made there if competition does not drive the price down too rapidly).
I'm really anxious to see what a monitor will look like. It'll sure be lighter!! Most of the internal volume will be empty (to accommodate the projection of the image.
One other technical issue comes to mind. These displays need a light source. With monitors, we expect long life, many thousands of hours. Projection lamps have lives in the few hundred hour area. There needs to be a way to get the projection lamp lifetimes up in order to give the customer the kind of monitor life he is used to. Or else, make it cheap enough that he doesn't mind changing bulbs every now and again, maybe even in the middle of creating a critical presentation for the company president, due tomorrow! Just a thought.
I think we'll see the first of the monitors you envision within a year. For example, Electrohome in Canada has already indicated a deal with IBM for SXGA and UXGA microdisplay chips. A November news release said IBM had started production of the 1280x1024 and 1600x1280 projection engines for Electrohome.
JimA |
