Samsung starts mass producing transparent LCD panels, currently in a 22" format.

The panels have a transparency rate of 15-20% (compared to conventional conventional LCD panels using a back light unit and 5% transparency) and will come in 2 varieties (black and white or colour) with WSXGA+  (1680 x 1050) resolution and 500:1 contrast ratio.

The advantage transparency brings about is energy efficiency-- consuming 90% less power than regular LCD panels, due to their using ambient light instead of a back light.

The Samsung transparent panels will incorporate HDMI and USB interfaces and will probably be seen first in action in advertising and teleconferencing scenarios.

Go Samsung Becomes World's First in Mass Production for Transparent LCD Panel

The “father” of the MPEG, Leonardo Chiariglione now aims to create a specification based on open source software and standards that will accelerate the rise of Web-ready televisions.

The OCTV is an effort under his Digital Media Project, an industry group founded by Chiariglione in 2003.

The OCTV project wants to accelerate the development of a market of products, content, services and applications designed to enrich one-way TV services with interoperable multichannel 2-way content access and delivery.

But OCTV won’t develop a complete product…instead only the spec and an industry-grade software platform that implements that spec for commercial products and services.

Of course, the big multinational companies in connected TVs each prefer their own proprietary solution, in the hopes they can lock up a market in iTunes-style.

The DMP will work with ITU-T to review proposals.

Go Open Connected TV (OCTV)

Samsung lowers its Q1 2011 forecasts due to weak TV and flat panel sales according to the Financial Times.

The company's total Q1 estimate totals to 2900BN Won ($2.6BN), lower than Q1 2010's earnings of 4410BN Won.

Samsung believes its memory chip business should come to the rescue by Q2 2011, offsetting the sales decline. Chip prices are currently on the rise, following the supply chain disruption caused by the natural disasters hitting Japan in March. In fact, iSuppli predicts chip sales will rise by 7% this year, reaching $325.2BN.

Samsung currently accounts for 42% of the DRAM market, following its sharp increase in chip investment last year.

Go Samsung Lowers Forecast on Weak TV Sales (FT.com)

Go Samsung Discloses Q1 2011 Earnings Estimate

Philips expects its TV devision to report pretax losses of €100m - €120m for Q1 2011-- a record for the compnany.

While last December the company was hoping for its TV activities to restart making a profit in 2011, it now doubts they'll even manage to break even-- marking the TV division's 5th consecuitive annual loss. In Q4 2010, it recorded pretax losses of €67m.

Philips TV prices fall by almost 15% in Q1 (from Q4 2010's), while inventories fail to return to normal level.

The company's Q1 2011 earnings call is set for April 18.

Go Philips Provides Update on Financial Results Development in its TV Business

Feeling the 3D glasses landscape is not complicated enough as it is, Panasonic and Xpand 3D enter the active-shutter 3D glasses standard ring with M-3DI.

Supposed to bring about active-shutter eyewear "compatibility" among 3D displays (of the "following the M-3DI standard" at least), standard participants include Changhong, Funai, Hisense, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Seiko Epson, Sim2 and ViewSonic. Where are all the others? Working on their own active-shutter glasses technology, probably.

The announcement follows the CEA's call for proposals for the creation of an industry wide active-shutter standard-- for which M-3DI is one such proposals. A first step towards a "truly universal 3D eyewear"? Only until either passive 3D glasses or glasses-free 3D take over.

Go XPand 3D

Go The CEA Wants Glasses Standard

W.W. 3D-enabled device sales will grow by 89% in 2011, with sales reaching 95m, according to Strategy Analytics.

The analyst predicts 42% of European homes will own a 3DTV by 2014-- making it the fastest growing (and largest) 3DTV market, followed by Japan and the US.

The global market for 3D-enabled devices should also grow by 900m units by 2014; a market including not only 3DTVs, but STBs, blu-ray players, media players, phones and games consoles.

However there's one very real question poised at the market-- will there be enough content to satisfy users' desires to make use of their purchases? Without compelling 3D content, the 3D risks becoming a dormant (if much hyped) feature.

Go 95m 3D Devices to be Sold in 2011