Samsung Electronics announced that it has developed a 4-inch screen digital interface LCD with a 16:9 screen ratio exclusively for Portable Media Players (PMP).

PMP is a next-generation multimedia player that can play video images downloaded from the Internet at any time, any where in a convenient format. Market anticipation for a full-scale portable video player has increased dramatically in recent months. PMP's expanded capacity allows for variety of media player features including music and video.

Made exclusively for the PMP market, Samsung's 4-inch widescreen LCD with a 16:9 ratio provides an outstanding digital interface with excellent color gamut and brightness. The LCD panel used for existing PMPs is generally 3.5 inches and has 4:3 ratio. When a 16:9 Digital Internet Video eXpress (Divx) file is played in the current format, the screen is not fully utilized, particularly at the top and bottom of the screen.

Research into the most appropriate screen size has found that 4-inch screen work best. A 3-inch screen is hard to view due to its small screen size; a 5-inch screen is too large to fit into a pocket. Since a 4-inch screen offers good view-ability and is easier to carry, it is expected to meet consumers' needs. In addition, its 8-bit digital interface allows for 16.7million-color video images, and its 50 percent color gamut offers a clear and crisp image display.

Considering that many consumers use PMPs outdoors, the brightness has been enhanced from 150cd/m2, the general brightness of mobile handsets, to 180cd/m2. Moreover, visibility is enhanced through TMR (Transmissive with Micro Reflective) mode, which reduces the reflection of sunlight.

"We are planning to take the lead in the display industry by developing various small- and medium-size applications with advanced technology and product competitiveness," said Yun Jin-Hyuk, senior vice president of the Mobile Display Business Team for Samsung's LCD Business. "Our goal is to take the #1 position in mobile LCD market share by year 2006."