Large computer maker Dell has filed suit against five Asian tech companies this week, alleging that all five colluded as a cartel to overcharge for LCD panels.
The suit is against large manufacturers Sharp, Hitachi, Toshiba, Seiko Epson and HannStar Display and was filed in San Francisco.
The complaint notes that Dell is taking action “on behalf of itself and its affiliates to recover for antitrust and other harms arising from billions of dollars of purchases at artificially inflated prices, over several years, of thin film transistor-liquid crystal display panels, or products containing TFT-LCD panels.”
Dell goes as far as to say that the LCD price fixing has been in effect since 1996.
In the past, Sharp was accused and pleaded guilty to price fixing, agreeing to pay a $120 million fine.
Result for: liquid crystal
Nokia has filed lawsuits this week against major CRT and LCD makers, alleging price fixing.
The companies, or their subsidiaries, named in the suits are AU Optronics, Hitachi, LG Electronics, Philips Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Seiko Epson, Sharp and Toshiba.
“The investigations are into alleged cartel activities, effectively price fixing, in the supply of both CRTs (cathode ray tubes) and LCDs (liquid crystal display) — components that we have bought in significant volumes over a number of years. Had we not been overcharged for them our profitability would have been higher,” says Nokia spokesman Mark Durrant.
Durrant did not disclose how much Nokia was seeking in monetary damages, but did say they were “not insignificant.”
Result for: liquid crystal
Showing at its booth at the High End trade show in Munich, Pioneer has unveiled its latest HD projector, the KURO KRF-9000FD home theater projector.
The “Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) KRF-9000FD is capable of displaying 1920×1080 pixel progressive video at sizes up to 14.5 by just over 8 feet.” This is comparable to a 200 inch TV with even the minimum projected image about equivalent to a 60-inch TV screen.
The unit also uses a 2x motorized zoom lens allowing large images to be displayed in smaller rooms. The unit also boasts an impressive contrast ratio, 30,000:1. Another plus is Pioneer’s focus n reproducing true blacks, which is seen in all its KURO line.
The company also claims great flexibility, “thanks to a lens that allows 80% vertical and 34% horizontal adjustments without affecting the image, leaving it square on the wall or screen. The native aspect ratio is 16:9 and movie theater-like 2.35:1 is supported. Brightness is rated at 600 ANSI lumens.”
There are two HDMI ports, and one component, composite and S-Video, as well as a PC-friendly RS-232C jack.
The projector will be available in Europe next month for about 8000 euro, and there is no word on a North American release yet.
