Double The LCD Fun

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,115204,pg,1,RSS,RSS,00.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,115204,pg,1,RSS,RSS,00.asp</a><br /><br /></div>"In the research and development corner this month is a new LCD panel that can be viewed from both sides, designed by Mitsubishi Electric. Traditional LCD panels have a backlight that prevents them being seen from the rear; however, Mitsubishi has replaced this with two transparent panels on either side of the screen. The panels have micro prisms on the surface that redirect light from a source above the display, while also allowing the screen to be viewed from both sides. The company hopes to use this LCD in products such as clamshell mobile telephones, many of which currently feature a main display and smaller subdisplay back-to-back. Using the new single panel as a display could serve both purposes."<br /><br />This sounds amazing from a conceptual point of view, although I have to wonder about the impact on battery life - if you wanted to have a screen up on the outside of your clamshell phone, that would mean the phone wouldn't be able to go into sleep mode, which would decimate the battery life. Isn't it sad that it always comes back to the limitations of battery life? :?

[Berylium]

Jason,

Isn't the backlight what draws most of the power in displays? And why would the backlight (I guess it's not really a backlight in this example, but you know what I mean) necessarily need to be on when the phone is closed? I'm sure this design would probably draw a bit more power since the outside screen would have all the area of the inside screen but I doubt the power drain would be too significant.

I'd be more concerned about damage to the outside screen. I like clamshell devices because I envariably drop the gadget at some point and that plastic, external shell is quite handy for protecting the screen.

-berylium

[Jason Dunn]

Isn't the backlight what draws most of the power in displays? And why would the backlight (I guess it's not really a backlight in this example, but you know what I mean) necessarily need to be on when the phone is closed?

Yes, the backlight/sidelight is what takes the most power, but in order to see the screen (either side of it), you'd need some light, right? :wink: If you combine this approach with OLED, you might have something though. :-)