Sony’s Ultra-Slim TVs Owe Their Thinness to Use of Glass-Based LGPs, Says DisplaySearch Blogger

Corning’s introduction at CES of its new Iris glass-based light-guide plate (LGP) for edge-lit LCD TVs could be a “game-changer” in the display business because it will allow ultra-thin LCD TVs and enable them to better compete with the form factor of OLED TVs, Tadashi Uno, DisplaySearch director-materials and components market research, said Thursday in a blog post. Historically, LGPs for LCD TV backlights have been fashioned from acrylic, but Corning said Iris glass is 36 times stronger and can enable a super-slim TV set design, Uno said. “We estimate that glass LGP thickness is around 1-2 mm,” he said. That means a glass LGP can enable TV set designs that are less than 5 mm at their thinnest point, he said. “Although not identified,” the Sony XBR-55X900C, XBR-65X900C, XBR-75X900C ultra slim “floating style” 4K sets introduced at CES (see 1501050055), Uno speculates, owe their thinness to the use of glass LGPs, though not necessarily Corning’s. Sony didn’t comment on Uno’s speculation. But at CES, the company said the sets measure 4.9 mm (about 2/10 of an inch) at their thinnest part and that their floating design is “virtually frameless,” designed to be mounted flush against a wall. “To fight against OLED TV in the high-end market, the LCD TV camp needs an ultra-thin solution, especially tier 1 TV makers who don’t have OLED TV panel sources,” Uno said. “Therefore, it is understandable that Japanese tier 1 brands are interested in glass LGPs, especially as Korean brands continue to focus on OLED and other features.”