On Monday, we published the February issue of Large Display Report, (LDR) which documents the activity in the display industry for monitor-sized and larger displays, components and finished products.  Traditionally, the February issue of LDR is our CES issue.  It's a time for stepping back and looking at the recent events, both at the show and elsewhere, and analyzing what all the press announcements and news actually mean.  Here is a quick summary of some of those trends and events that we think will have an impact going forward. 

      We all know the economy is in the tank, but rather than just bemoan our collective fate this month, we looked for the silver lining in the display industry.  And, surprisingly, there is a lot to report at both CES and beyond.  At the show, perhaps the overriding trend was a huge focus on the green ecosystem.  These issues include low carbon footprint manufacturing, components made from non-hazardous materials, and sustainability/recyclable (or end of life ''take back'') initiatives.  The biggest issue for manufacturers was on power savings and overall energy efficiency of their displays and products.

      At every major CE manufacturer's press conference on the pre-show ''press day,'' green was a significant part of the messaging.  This extended to the show floor, with some companies dedicating tens of thousands of dollars in prime CES real estate to bring the green message home. 

      On the display side of green, we delve into the specific company initiatives from the CES show floor and beyond.  Thin and green initiatives are deeply interrelated, and beyond being the right thing to do for the planet, they also make very good business sense.  That point is also underscored in an article on the Business of Green that documents this growing trend, including consumer expectations and an understanding of the ''green attributes'' in CE devices.  Specific devices are also examined, like the power-hungry PDP displays and just how much they have progressed in energy reduction. 

      Our conclusion: green is here to stay.  As a result, we plan to continue to report on a number of related activities all under the ''green'' banner in our new Green Displays section each month.

      Another bright spot for the display industry was stereoscopic 3D.  At CES, 3D was everywhere.  Best 3D image at the show, you ask?  We think a strong contender is the massive 103-inch Panasonic plasma full HD ''system'' that included a Blu-ray player with ''jaw-dropping'' content from full bit-depth 1920 x 1080 images at 120Hz.  This peak at the future showed us not only where PDP has to go, but showed us the future of 3D home viewing, much like the first HD sets did when they were shown at CES in the 1990's.

      3D gaming is now set to become a major influence in the home, too.  Previously, NVIDIA offered cards to convert 2D games to 3D, letting the end user figure out the system solution.  At CES, this changed with the launch of a new 3D accessory kit and a series of 3D displays that NVIDIA is certifying.  Suddenly, NVIDIA wants to control the 3D gaming experience and this will impact adoption.  In LDR, we describe this in more detail and provide news about the first two NVIDIA certified LCD 3D monitors from Samsung and ViewSonic.

      3D broadcasts were in the news this month with the broadcasting of the BCS game in 3D at CES and the broadcasting of 3D advertising during Super Bowl and the comedy ''Chuck'', shown just this week.  The 3D Standard's section has coverage on new initiatives from Dolby, Panasonic, Sensio and TDVision.  All of this is detailed in LDR.

      In LED and laser projection, we found evidence of a coming shift in the consumer and professional projection segments.  LEDs will enable projection systems with over 700 lumens this year, with some reaching as high as 1300-1400 lumens.  This is the low end of the traditional lamp projector, so replacement of this segment of the market could begin in earnest in 2010.

      The current issue is 95 pages, so there is a lot more detail than can be summarized here.  Suffice it to say, we hope you will join us throughout 2009 as we continue to track the progress and help define the future of the display industry.

Click here for the January Large Display Report Table of Contents

To purchase the February issue of Large Display Report for $250.00, click here.

To request a free sample of a back issue of Large Display Report, click here.