According to the Japanese press, Toshiba plans to eventually end its PDP (Plasma Display Panel) TV business both in Japan and overseas. Future efforts to develop its flat-panel TV business will center on LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) TV as well as SED (Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display) TV production and marketing. If all goes as planned, the company will be launching its first series of SED TVs produced with Canon in the second half of 2005. 

 

SED is a next-generation panel suited to larger-screen TVs. Toshiba is said to be adopting SEDs in TVs over 40", and to continue using LCD panels in TVs around 30" and under. 

 

Mass production of LCD panels for the company's LCD TV sets is to take place in a joint venture between Toshiba, Hitachi and other firms. Toshiba has not introduced new PDP TVs in Japan since the second half of 2003.