Digital Media Group (President & Chief Executive Officer: Yoshinori Fujimori) of Hitachi,
Ltd.(TSE: 6501) today announced the release of three plasma display models, with the first
going on sale July 1. The three models are the industry's first 25-inch SXGA display with a
screen aspect ratio of 5:4, a 41-inch XGA display with a 4:3 aspect ratio, and a 42-inch Hi-
Vision-ready display with a 16:9 aspect ratio, all with the highest resolutions available for each
display size. The new displays thus encompass a range of display resolutions and screen sizes
that make them suitable for a broad range of market needs.
Pricing and product release
Product Model Price Product release Sales target
Plasma display (25-inch) CMP205SX Open October 1, 1999 Total of 20,000 units
Plasma display (41-inch) CMP401X " July 1, 1999 "
Plasma display (42-inch) CM402HD " August 1, 1999 "
Plasma displays are set to become one of the mainstream display devices of the future, and as
such are expected to enjoy good market growth. To speed up development of a new
generation of plasma display panels and differentiate its products from those of other companies,
Hitachi joined with Fujitsu Limited to establish, on April 28, a joint venture, Fujitsu Hitachi
Plasma Display Limited (FHP) for developing, manufacturing and selling plasma display panels.
The three plasma displays, to be sold by Hitachi, will use panels manufactured by FHP, thereby
becoming the first products from the new joint venture. Hitachi plans to expand the market for
plasma displays through an aggressive program of product development that will include the
development of plasma displays for TVs.
Plasma displays have a number of features which include a slim, space-saving form factor, self-
illumination, digital operation and wide viewing angle. The thinness of the displays allows them
to be used in a wide range of installation configurations, and their wide viewing angle means
that many people can view the screen at the same time. Thus, plasma displays create a new
visual image space that is unlike that of a conventional CRT or projection TV. The ability to
display small text and graphics, as well as moving pictures, at high resolutions makes plasma
panels suitable for large-screen displays able to handle the fusion of data and moving pictures
that is developing through a process of media digitization.
Another feature is that since the displays do not use magnets, they can be moved and oriented
in different directions without having to adjust the colors and focus each time.
The main target of the 25-inch SXGA model is the market for large-screen PC displays. The
screen aspect ratio of 5:4 matches the SXGA resolution format of 1280 by 1024 dots, making
the display ideal for CAD and other such high-resolution applications. With a thickness of
about 12 cm and a weight of around 20 kg, the display fits easily on a normal desktop. The 41-
inch XGA display has a 4:3 aspect ratio, providing a display area that is larger than a wide
picture format of the same size. This makes the display ideal for conference-room
presentations to groups of people and for displaying information in public spaces. The 42-inch
Hi-Vision compatible display has the 16:9 aspect ratio used by the high-definition format, and
is aimed mainly at the market for moving-picture viewing applications.
Hitachi will also be offering for full sound and video configurations to go with the display,
including digital broadcast receivers and DVD as well as VCRs
Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is one of the world's leading global
electronics companies, with fiscal 1998 (ended March 31, 1999) consolidated sales of 7,977
billion yen ($65.9 billion*). The company manufactures and markets a wide range of
products, including computers, semiconductors, consumer products and power and
industrial equipment. For more information on Hitachi, Ltd., please visit Hitachi's Web site
at http://www.hitachi.co.jp.
* At an exchange rate of 121 yen to the dollar.
<Main specifications>
Model CMP205SX
Effective screen size (mm) 499 wide by 399 high
Pixel resolution 1280 horizontal by 1024 vertical
Aspect ratio 5:4
Dot pitch (mm) 0.39 horizontal, 0.39 vertical
Display colors (gradations): 260, 000 colors (64)
Brightness 90 cd/m2 at white peak (with screen filter)
Contrast ratio 50:1 (darkroom)
Viewing angle 160 degrees minimum
Video inputs R, G, B, H, V (13W3D - Sub)
Power consumption 360W
Dimensions of display unit(mm)
Width 590
Height 496
Depth 122
Weight (kg) 20.5
Model CMP401X
Effective screen size (mm) 829 wide by 622 high
Pixel resolution 1024 horizontal by 768 vertical
Aspect ratio 4:3
Dot pitch 0.81 horizontal, 0.81 vertical
Display colors (grayscale shades) 260, 000 colors (64)
Brightness 120 cd/m2 at white peak (with screen filter)
Contrast ratio 150:1 (darkroom)
Viewing angle 160 degrees minimum
Video inputs
RGB analogue 1 R, G, B, H, V (mini D - Sub 15 pin)
RGB analogue 2 R, G, B, H, V (BNC x 5)
Composite video Video or S video
Component video Y, PB, PR or Y, CB, CR (RCA pin x 3)
Sound output 2W + 2W (with two 10 x 3 cm speaker inside)
Power consumption 420W
Dimensions of display unit (mm)
Width 940
Height 742
Depth 97
Weight (kg) 33.5
Model CMP402HD
Effective screen size (mm) 922 wide by 522 high
Pixel resolution 1024 horizontal by 1024 vertical
Aspect ratio 16:9
Dot pitch (mm) 0.90 horizontal, 0.51 vertical
Display colors (gradations) 16,700,000 colors (256)
Brightness 250 cd/m2 at white peak (with screen filter)
Contrast ratio 350:1 (darkroom)
Viewing angle 160 degrees minimum
Video inputs
RGB analogue 1 R, G, B, H, V (mini D - Sub 15 pin)
RGB analogue 2 R, G, B, H, V (BNC x 5)
Composite video Video or S video
Component video Y, PB, PR or Y, CB, CR (BNC x 3)
Sound output 8W + 8W (speaker not included)
Power consumption 450W
Dimensions of display unit (mm)
Width 1036
Height 648
Depth 89
Weight (kg) 33.5
<Trademarks>
-XGA is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
-Other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective owners.
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