LiquavistaVivid Epaper/color Displays Take On Pixel Qi

Look out, Pixel Qi, Liquavista are looking to take on your 3qi indoor/outdoor viewable displays with some slick multi-mode panels of their own.  The company has been demonstrating their new LiquavistaVivid technology, a dual-mode display which can automatically flip between a paper-like monochrome setting – ideal for ebook reading indoors and out – and an LCD-like full color video-capable setting.

Meanwhile it's also more power frugal than regular LCD, with Liquavista claiming users will see up to 4x the battery life compared to traditional panels.  It's based on the company's electrowetting technology which, while sounding like the experience you'd have losing bladder control while lying on an electric blanket, is actually a manufacturing technique that is 100-percent compatible with traditional LCD production.

Unfortunately, while Pixel Qi display panels are expected to show up in devices on the market soon, Liquavista's LiquivistaVivid displays won't be commercialised until 2010/2011.  Possible products include ereaders and notebooks, though there's no word on which manufacturers Liquavista might be working with.

[via Lesen.net]

Press Release:

Liquavista launches ground-breaking transflective product platform

LiquavistaVivid offers the next generation of transflective displays with high performance monochrome reading combined with the vibrant colors of tv-like quality images

20 May 2010 – Liquavista BV, today announced the launch of its next product platform LiquavistaVivid. Bringing a level of performance unparalleled by other transflective displays, LiquavistaVivid is the ultimate, highly versatile, intelligent adaptive display; specifically developed to support a broad range of feature rich, multi-functional consumer electronic devices.

"With LiquavistaVivid consumers can now experience an intelligent, adaptive display that offers the highest levels of optical performance, whether in paperlike eReading applications, or hi-fidelity multimedia. Eliminating the compromises necessary with other technologies and, supporting true mobility. No other technology can offer these levels of performance, intelligence and versatility!" stated Guy Demuynck, Liquavista's CEO. "We offer the ultimate, durable full multimedia experience: natural vivid colors in video and photographic applications to paper like quality eReading, and the freedom to use the same device indoors and outdoors with no compromise on image quality, readability or power consumption."

LiquavistaVivid offers the best high brightness monochrome reading experience both indoors and outdoors, while also offering hi-fidelity video and super-rich colors on demand. Depending on environment and application, LiquavistaVivid displays can intelligently switch from a sharp, paperlike monochrome mode, to a vivid color-rich multimedia mode, with TV like color in order to provide the highest level of performance in each intelligent user mode. Each mode comes with seamless interactivity and hi-fidelity video capability. As with all Liquavista technology platforms, LiquavistaVivid displays come with the added benefit of the widest dynamic addressing range of any display technology. This allows Liquavista displays to support hi-fidelity video without compromising on power, whilst at the same time supporting ultra-low power static reading modes.

"LiquavistaVivid displays adapt to the consumers needs by offering saturated colors in addition to a great reading experience." Added Johan Feenstra, Liquavista's CTO "Furthermore, the very low power consumption enables users to be truly mobile by benefitting from longer operating batteries or lighter devices due to less battery capacity being required. Device makers will no longer need large battery packs on the one hand and compromised display performance on the other.

"The arrival of LiquavistaVivid represents the next step in our roadmaps and demonstrates that electrowetting is a highly versatile 3-mode display technology, just like LCD, capable of significantly improving on performance in all modes, truly making this LCD 2.0." added Guy, "Our full range of products brings increased advantages such as low power and up to four times the performance over LCD and is the ultimate choice for consumer electronics manufacturers. It offers the best choice for the consumers – a life without compromises on battery lifetime, readability or outdoor viewing.

LiquavistaVivid combines a high brightness reflective mode with a brilliant high contrast, high brightness transmissive mode, based on Field-Sequential Color principles. When operated in reflective mode, the same high front of screen performance as LiquavistaBright displays is produced. On the other hand, when the backlight is operated, the display is capable of showing vivid colors without compromising the battery's life thanks to the high efficiency of the electrowetting optical switch and to the power management algorithms.

Based on the principles of electrowetting Liquavista's LCD 2.0 product ranges offer a full spectrum of choice for manufacturers. Combined with the 100% compatibility with existing LCD display manufacturing equipment and processes, our partners can quickly re-use their manufacturing assets and bring exciting, highly differentiated products to life with enhanced usability and performance.

Liquavista are developing three technology platforms, LiquavistaBright™, LiquavistaColor™ and LiquavistaVivid™ planned for product implementation throughout 2010/2011.

Liquavista will be showing the latest prototypes of the LiquavistaVivid product at SID 2010, 25 –27 May, Seattle Washington on stand 405.