Thread: Transreflective Upgrade - The Review

HERE IS THE OFFICIAL TECHICAL FAQ:

1. Can you make my notebook/tablet PC transflective?

Absolutely. we routinely perform our trioLCD transflective enhancement services on rugged and semi-rugged notebooks as well as various business notebooks that companies would like their field reps to be able to use outdoors.

2. Can you please provide a general overview of the trioLCD technology?

Our trioLCD technology is a passive enhancement/modification process applied to a standard transmissive LCD display. This process provides a fairly unique proposition in that it turns a normally transmissive display into one which can be used in outdoor applications as a transflective display without any change to the electrical or mechanical characteristics of the display.

We apply this technology to various transmissive displays including those from the manufacturers Sharp, NEC, Samsung, Quanta, Sanyo, Toshiba, CPT, Chi-Mei, Hannstar, LG, PVI, BOE/Hydis -and maybe a couple other manufacturers that may be skipping my mind. That being said, the trioLCD process works better with some screens than others. Generally, those using a PVA, MVA, or other wide viewing angle technology have not taken so kindly to our process as the tranmissivity of the displays are very low to start with (in the 3-5% range compared to that of a normal TN TFT LCD with a transmissivity around 7-10%).

We have had very good results with many of the NEC displays for 5.5" to 10.4", Sanyo/IMES/and sometimes LG in the 12.1 & 13.3" range, and Chi-Mei/CPT in the 15" category. However, every new model display that a manufacturer comes out with seems to have slightly different to completely different optical characteristics -so, the generalities from manufacturer to manufacturer could change with newer models.

Also, in addition to transflectivity, the trioLCD enhancement generally allows for 20-100% increased light throughput from the original backlights due to more efficient flow of light -again, we do not change any of the mechanical or electrical aspects of any of the displays.

3. Can you recommend some displays to start with?

New displays come out pretty much every month -and some displays that worked great with our technology have since gone obsolete -so it's impossible to give a completely accurate response to the best display for you to use for your application.

In general, the overall rough breakdown for the best manufacturers display (best meaning that it takes well to our ehancements) are as follows:

By size:

5.5" -NEC
6.4-6.5" -NEC, followed by PVI, LG, and Sharp (respectively)
8.4" -NEC, followed by Toshiba and AU (respectively)
10.4" -LG, followed by NEC and Sharp (respectively)
12.1" -Hydis followed by Toshiba, Sanyo, and Samsung
15.1" -Chi-Mei & CPT

4. Do the LCD polarizers have to be removed from the display?

Polarizers are sometimes changed, however, this is not always the case.

5. Does the assembly of the LCD into a standard computer change with the use of this product?

No change to the assembly process. All mounting configurations, dimensions, and connector locations remain the same as on an un-enhanced display.

6. Does this enhancement change the test methods or require additional functional review of quality or unit under test requirements?

While the materials used are to military grade specifications, you may want to conduct some of your own testing on the effects of temperature & humidity. We have not run into any problems in these area’s with any of our customers, however, our testing in this area has been limited.

7. How do I order an evaluation/testing/sample display?

The procedure for getting these initial testing/eval units done is as follows:

1. Place the order through www.fpdgroup.com/samples.php

2. Send purchase order for eval unit (unfortunately, it makes for a little bit of double-work, but usually works out best in that it keeps accounting records straight for both parties) -please include the address to which we will be shipping the enhanced display to (most likely your address at your company)

3. Ship the LCD and related electronics (if available) to the address listed above.

4. We'll contact you as soon as we receive the LCD, verify the items that we have recieved, and confirm an estimated ETA (which will be less than 2 (two) weeks from when we receive the LCD from you.

If any additional questions come up in the meantime, please do not hesitate to shoot us a call at 909.548.0020

8. How does the trioLCD process work?

TrioLCD displays take a standard transmissive display as you would normally purchase from a major manufacturer (such as Sharp, NEC, Samsung or others) and replaces the layers behind the glass with the proprietary trioLCD optical stack. Once replaced and optimized, the LCD display will not only provide strong reflective aspects for direct sunlight readability, but will also result in a dramatically increased luminescent output. Each display is painstakingly analyzed to determine critical optical characteristics to enhance to effectiveness of the trioLCD process.
9. What are the ECO or form / fit / function change expectations?

Materials can be cut to any size display up to about 22 or 23.” It generally takes 2-3 weeks from the receipt of a new display to determine the best optical set up for the display to take advantage of the trioLCD technology. We cannot control the actual LCD manufacturers roadmap, however, we are very agile when it comes to working around sudden changes.

10. What are the lead-times for the materials and the cycle times for the enhancement?

2-3 weeks for smaller orders, up to 4 weeks for 500 to 1,500 units. Larger orders can be discussed by the project.

11. What are the minimum order quantities and lot size requirements?

Single unit orders are taken at FPD's Evaluation/Sample Unit order page.

As far as lot sizes go, 500 units a month or more will all be handled through US production, whereas larger orders (up to 20k/mo. to date) will be manufactured and shipped directly from our facilities in Taiwan -which is likely closer to your OEM/ODM/EMS provider at that level.

12. What is the warranty support on the enhancement?

1 year warranty from us. No support currently from LCD manufacturer.


13. What is trioLCD?

trioLCD is a novel new display technology that creates of some of the most efficient flat panel displays in the active matrix TFT LCD realm. TrioLCD is readable in any condition of ambient light, including direct sunlight, yet utilizes about the same power as your typical notebook or monitor LCD display. The general theory behind trioLCD is nothing new in and of itself. TrioLCD is a type of transflective display, however, the trioLCD transflective technology sets a new standard for what is to be expected from a display providing the benefits of both a transmissive & a reflective display. Readability in all conditions of ambient light, a wide viewing cone, accurate colorization, and excellent contrast are all maintained with trioLCD and all without compromising power consumption concerns or creating significant additional heat.

14. What LCD specifications does the current LCD enhancement process change or deviate?

Increased brightness, increased contrast and a slight add-on to weight. Mechanical & electrical characteristics remain the same as before the enhancement/modification.

15. What user instruction requirements exist or limitations does this enhancement provide?

The process may put additional requirements on what touchscreen may be integrated. Also, “smudging” is very common with the trioLCD enhanced displays (as with any display that will have a polished A/R coating on front). Users may have to clean these displays more often.

16. Will this work on all TFT LCD displays

Each LCD has different optical characteristics, which will affect how well the display will be able to utilize the benefits that trioLCD technology has to offer. Many of the new, ultra-wide viewing angle technologies (such as MVA, PVA, ASV, IPS, etc.) greatly reduce the transmissivity of the display. Displays utilizing these technologies will often have less than spectacular results when combined with our technology due to this drastic decrease in transmissivity. Those listed in our standard line have generally turned out excellent when combined with trioLCD technology in relation to hundreds of other LCD panels that we have tested.