Samsung Display to end LCD production by 2021

By Paul Squire March 31, 2020

Samsung Display is ending production of its LCD panels in South Korea and China by 2021.

“In an effort to enhance core business capabilities and to expedite adoption of next-generation display technology, Samsung Display will accelerate transition of its large-sized panel business from liquid crystal displays (LCDs) to quantum-dot (QD) displays,” Samsung Display told Digital Trends.

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In a statement to Reuters, Samsung Display — a division of Samsung — said it would fulfill its current orders for LCD displays “without any issues.”

In October, the tech giant announced it would suspend one of its two LCD production lines, Reuters reported, and invest roughly $10.7 billion in facilities and research to upgrade its production.

The investment will focus on converting one of its South Korean LCD lines into a facility to mass-produce advanced quantum dot displays, according to Reuters.

Quantum dot technology is the latest industry buzzword but basically translates to providing better color accuracy and extra brilliance while addressing a major shortcoming of LCD screens.

Normal LCD displays use a white backlight to shine light through color filters that are then blended through a grid of tiny pixels to create an image. But LCDs are notoriously bad at producing clean white light. Quantum dots solve that problem.

The dots are actually tiny phosphorescent crystals that glow in a variety of colors when you shine a light on them, depending on their size.

Quantum dot displays use precisely calibrated crystals to glow specific shades of red and green which, when paired with a pure blue LED light, create a purer white.

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Paul is the News Editor at Digital Trends. Before joining DT, Paul spent 3 years as an editor on the New York Post's digital…

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