The Hindu : National : Two-in-one television coming

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Wednesday, Jul 20, 2005

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National

Two-in-one television coming

Anand Parthasarathy

DOING "DOUBLE DUTY": A mirror reflects the second image of Sharp's dual-view liquid crystal display monitor.

Bangalore: It's 9 p.m. You want to watch the news on television and your wife wants to see her favourite serial. Relax; both can have your choice simultaneously. We are not talking about split screens or `picture-in-picture': Depending on where you are sitting, you get a different picture — and sound.

The technology is called ``two-way viewing angle LCD'' and Japanese company Sharp says the first sets, which do `double duty', will be go commercial within a month.

Sharp has succeeded in putting out two sets of video signals from one physical liquid crystal display (LCD) screen — which could be viewed simultaneously from different angles. Two viewers sitting at opposite ends of a sofa, for example, will see different content, one coming from the screen the old fashioned way, the other seemingly hovering in the air, alongside. One viewer cannot see or hear the other channel. Sound may leak through — so at least one should use headphones.

Sharp says the technology has endless possibilities. In a car, the driver may just see a road map, while his companion could view a movie. In a home with Internet via cable, one can see the TV programme, while another surfs the Net.

The price? About twice the price of a normal colour TV set. That may not be unreasonable for what one is getting, but commentators are already ruing the death of that time-honoured past-time of the young: cuddling up with a friend, in front of a television set for the pleasures of shared viewing. Tomorrow, most likely, people will veer off to opposite ends of the room for their personalised (and lonely) TV viewing, albeit from the same set.

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