Canon and Toshiba have announced a joint venture, to be named SED Inc., which will produce SED (Surface-conduction Electron emitter Display) for TV applications. Manufacturing is slated to begin in October 2004, with a monthly output reaching 3,000 50-inch panels.

 

Each company will invest half of a 200 billion Yen sum in the new company, with Canon taking a 50.002% stake, and with the remaining 49.998% going to Toshiba. Both companies will own half of all panels produced, and will be using them in their branded TV offerings. The new venture is considering supplying panels to other makers, but is not yet sure when external supply would begin.

 

Canon says that during the first two years they will outsource TV production to Toshiba. Following this initial phase, Canon will manufacture its own TVs along with graphic processor chips. Toshiba plans to use SED panels for their larger TVs, while continuing to use LCD panels for TVs 32" and smaller.

 

SED Inc. also plans to build a 180 billion Yen factory with a monthly capacity of 15,000 panels in early 2007, yet the location has not been determined. Capacity is expected to be expanded to 75,000 panels by the end of 2007, and doubled beyond that in 2008. By 2010, the companies believe total annual capacity will reach three million units.

 

SED is a variant of FED (Field Emission Display) technology that uses less power than plasma or LCD panels, yet boasts brightness and color performance on par with CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) TVs.