Extending its lines to encompass the large flat-panel TV market, camera and office equipment vendor Canon has plans to start selling RPTVs (Rear Projection TVs) in the second half of 2005. It has also announced plans to produce SED (Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display) panels with Toshiba. Rollout of the first SED TV sets is to happen in late 2005, while production is to begin in August of 2005. 

 

The company is expected to produce SED panels for TVs around 50", and make TVs 60" and larger with the rear projection technology. LCD panel and lens technologies developed for the maker's business-use projectors will be adopted in its RPTV production. 

 

RPTVs are well received among consumers in the US. They are thinner, lighter, consume less power, emit no radiation, and sold at a lower price than LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) TVs. RPTVs also require no backlight as they produce their own light. 

 

As the production cost for RPTVs is significantly lower than that for LCD TVs, many Japanese players including Canon, Sony, Hitachi, victor, and Seiko Epson have been shifting focus to this market segment.