HDTVs on show at HK Electronics Fair

     Among the HDTVs on show at this year’s Spring edition of the Hong Kong Electronics Fair, were two models from China’s Unitek Group, which started out in 1993., in Shenzhen, China.
     The company had two high definition LCD TVs on display, models 4256 and 4255. These ar both 42-inch models. They share the same technical specifications, and differ only in external appearance.
     In a 16:9 aspect ratio, both the 4256 and 4255 support a screen resolution of either 1366x768 or 1920x1080P. The contrast ratio is 1000:1, and the response time is 6ms. The life of the backlight is rated at 60,000 hours, and there can be 1 or 2 HDMI inputs. Special features of these two LCD HDTVs include support for Nacam, comb filtering, video noise reduction and Teletex(t).
     Eurotrade managed to speak at the booth with Unitek president Danny Yeung, who explaind that Unitek now manufactures its products at a relatively new facuility, in Jiangsu Province, China, that occupes over 230,000 square meters.
     Unitek’s LCD TVs, said Yeung, are sold both domestically and in overseas markerts, particulaly in Europe. Total poduction capacity for LCD TVs is now at 1 million units per year.
     LCD screens are sourced from both Taiwan and South Korea.
     Yeung also commented that the China market for HDTV is only beginning to develop, but is potentially very large, with digital TV scheduled to become a mandatory broadcast requirement in China, as of 2010.

HDTV from the Hena Group
     HDTV products from China’s Hena Group were also on show at HKEF Spring, including a 47-inch HDTV, model LTV-4702, a 42-inch LCD, model LTV-4202, and the 37-inch LTV-3702. In a 16:9 aspect ratio, these three models all support a full HD screen resolution of 1920x1080. All three models also support a built-in DVD player and DVBT tuner. For the 37-inch LTV-3702, the contrast ratio is 1200:1. For the 42- and 47-inch models the contrast ratio is 1500:1. For all three models, the response time is 8ms, and luminance is 500cd/m2. According to sales representative Ms Lucy, at the Hena booth, panels are sourced either from LG or Taiwan’s CMO.
     At show time, these HDTVs had been in mass production for 50 days and were shipping at the rate of 10,000 units per month, on an OEM basis. The target market is Europe, with no distribution in China’s domestic market. Production is at Hena’s facility in FengGang, Guangdong Province, which covers an area of 40,000 square meters, with a staff of 1,000. Hena also has offices in Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
     Sales representative Lucy emphasized that as a specialist manufacturer, Hena is able to control costs, quality and delivery. Hena Digital Technology (Shenzhen) C0., Ltd. has a website at www.hena.b2s.com.

HDTV from JND
     JND Technology, headquartered in Shenzhen, was showing four HDTV models, in sizes 32-, 37-, 42- and 47 inches. All four models support a screen resolution of 1920x1080, have a contrast ratio of 1000:1 and a luminance of 500cd.m2. The picture size can be in an aspect ratio of 16:9, 4:3, ZOOM1, ZOOM2 and Panorama.
     JND Technology has been operational for three years and has a 10,000 square-meter factory in Shenzhen, with 6 production lines for LCD TVs.
     The company is currently shipping 7,000 LCD TVs per month, according sales executive Betty Xie. Most units are for export, with a few distributed in China’s domestic market.
     JND Technology (HK) Co., Ltd. has a website at www.cnjnd.com.

Display modules on display at HKEF Spring

     Liquid crystal modules (LCMs) were among the wide product range on show at the MNR Technology booth at this year’s Hong Kong Electronics Fair (HKEF) Spring. Based in Hong Kong, MNR Technology describes itself as a specialist in human machine interface or HMI products, and these include LCMs, LCD displays and touch panels.
     MNR has in fact been involved in transparent touch panel design and production for over 15 years. The company claims its touch panels offer maximum transmissivity, linearity and uniformity, combined with minimal haze. They are targeted for applications wherever transparent digital or analog switching functions are required, including point of sale (POS) terminals, PDAs, mobile phones, handheld equipment, industrial controls, food service and scales.
     MNR Technology can supply display products utilizing the following technologies: TN, HTN, STN (Yellow, Green), STN (Grey), STN (Blue) and FSTN. The following types of IC packaging are available: COB (chip on board), SMT (surface mount technology), TAB (Tape Automatic Bonding), COG (chip on glass) and COF (chip on film).
     In addition to industry-standard LCD panels, LCD modules and touch panels, MNR can also supply display related components, including backlighting (EL, LED and CCFL), elastomer, heat-seal paper, metal bezels, PCBs and FFC.
     MNR can also supply product integration services. Beginning with a design concept, MNR will worjk with the customer to develop a variety of components, sub-assemblies of complete turnkey HMI products.
     MNR Technology (HK) Ltd. has a website at www.mnr-tech.com.hk.

Data Image Corporation
     Another display module maker on show at this year;s HKEF Spring was Data Image Corporation, headquartered in Taiwan, with an office in Hong Kong. Marc Wang, a product manager in the company’s R&D Department, explained that the company specializes in small and medium size LCMs, and these can be either industry-standard or customized units. The company started out in Taipei, in 2007.
     A first category of the company’s LCD and LCM solutions is targeted fopr HMI (human machine interface) industrial applications. These are available in sizes 5.6-, 7-, 8-, 8.5-, 9- and 10.2 inches.
     Another category, available in sizes 10.2-, 10.4 and 12.1 inches, is designed for consumer applications, including PMPs, portable DVD players and portable gaming devices. This category could also include digital photo frames, although, said Wang, the industry is currently focused on DPF products at 7 inches, a compromise between size and cost.
     Data Image makes its own modules, said Wang, obtaining glass, polarizers and backlight units (BLUs) from external sources. The module cells are available as either COG (chip on glass) or FOG (flexible cable on glass) units.
     The company is able to add mainboards, on a customized basis, for complete systems, such as industrial PCs (IPCs) and “student” PCs. Embedded systems, said Wang, would typically use Samsung ARM processors, such as the Samsung 2440, or, taking the Apple iPhone as an example, the Samsung 6440.
     Wang emphasized that Data Image provides the hardware, software and firmware for its wide range of solutions, with the system board, software and firmware normally designed according to customer specifications.
     Data Image Corporation has a website at www.dataimage.com.tw.