Past Editions of “LCD TV Matters” - Veritas et Visus

LCD TV Association LCD TV Matters May 2012
Atmel introduces LED driver that enhances LCD TV picture quality, eliminates 3D ghosting
Atmel announced a new high-performance family of 16-string LED drivers with integrated timing algorithms that
improve picture quality of LCD TVs by eliminating 3D ghosting and flickering effects. With these capabilities, the
Atmel MSL2164 and Atmel MSL2166 devices are ideal for delivering the most compelling viewing and video
gaming experience via new 3D and 2D scrolling backlight TVs.
Featuring highest efficiency power management and backlight control along with multiple dimming modes for 3D,
scanning and zone dimming edge-lit LCD TVs, the MSL2164 and MSL2166 devices drive up to 16 parallel strings
of LEDs and offer comprehensive system and fault management to support high-performance backlight design.
With this new driver family, high-end TV OEMs can deliver high screen resolution and greatly enhance picture
quality using internal lighting timing algorithms that improve the backlight timing accuracy, with higher resolution
vs. other solutions on the market today. At the same time, since OEMs will be able to choose from smaller form
factor MCUs, such as tinyAVR devices, they can lower their system overhead. Historically, TV OEMs have had to
calculate the appropriate parameters to effectively illuminate a desired area in the backlight of a display. LED
drivers would generate algorithms to set the appropriate string phase to optimize synchronization of the backlight
to the LCD panel. Often, OEMs had to perform additional calculations to adjust the string phrase to ensure that the
backlight was properly synchronized within the frame refresh. The MSL2164 and the MSL2166, with multiple pulse
width modulation (PWM) modes—including forward, inverse, trailing and center—reduce design complexity
because the timing algorithms are integrated into the devices. This ensures that the backlight is illuminated at the
most optimal moment, when all of the LCD pixels have settled. http://www.atmel.com
DisplaySearch reports LCD TV shipment growth to improve in 2012 driven by 40-inch and larger sizes
Consumer demand for TVs has been softer than expected in 2011, but showing signs of improvement late in the
year. However, inventory pressure plagued the industry through much of early 2011 and led to a sharp reduction
in shipments to retailers. The result is that global TV unit shipments are expected to rise only 0.1% in 2011.
According to the latest forecast released in the NPD DisplaySearch Advanced Quarterly Global TV Shipment and
Forecast Report, growth is expected to improve in 2012, rising 2% to 254 million units. Flat panel TV continues to
grow, but at a more gradual pace of 2-4% per year as the rapid transition from CRT to LCD and plasma nears an
end. LCD TV continues to be the dominant technology on a unit and revenue basis, and in fact seems likely
capture even more market share due to a weaker outlook for plasma TV going forward. As LCD narrows the
pricing gap with plasma at many sizes, the demand for plasma has fallen; NPD DisplaySearch expects this to
continue and has reduced its forecast for plasma TV.
Large TV sizes also continue to show strong growth, with shipments of 40-inch+ and larger sets expected to grow
12% in 2012 while