Epson Imaging Devices Corporation today announced the development of Photo Fine HR transflective amorphous silicon TFT (a-TFT) liquid crystal displays (LCDs) for use in mobile devices. Photo Fine HR (High Reflect) enables both high visibility and low power consumption in a wide range of indoor and outdoor environments. Samples of two new displays equipped with this technology are scheduled to ship in late October.

Recent years have seen increasing demand for high visibility in handheld terminals, portable navigation devices, and other similar products that are frequently used outdoors, where their screens are directly exposed to sunlight.

The new transflective LCDs use a transmissive mode with light provided by a backlight in darker environments, while outdoors and in other well-lit locations their reflective mode harnesses the surrounding light, reducing backlight power consumption.

Photo Fine HR combines the high reflection technology that Epson Imaging Devices has developed over many years with an optical design that achieves dual transmissive-reflective functionality. This has enabled the company to produce displays boasting both a reflection ratio of over 6% and brightness of over 200 cd/m2, according to omnidirectional scattered light measurement. The result is seamless visibility unaffected by the surrounding environment.

The new Photo Fine HR-equipped LCDs come in two sizes, 3 inches and 3.5 inches.

Epson Imaging Devices will continue to develop clear, high-resolution displays that can be used anytime, anywhere and to pioneer new applications for its displays while creating products for a variety of uses and situations to meet its customers' diverse needs.

Epson Imaging Devices will exhibit these LCDs at the Epson Group booth at FPD International 2008, which will be held from October 29 to 31 at Pacifico Yokohama, Japan.

Specifications of the Photo Fine HR-Equipped LCDs