The latest indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) technology from Sharp Corp. may not only enable affordable ultra high-def televisions as well as extreme high-definition TVs much sooner than one could imagine.

The two main advantaged that liquid crystal displays with indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) active layer have over conventional LCDs with amorphous silicon are either very small pixels or very high reaction speed. Using IGZO technology, manufacturing of ultra high-definition displays much easier compared to traditional ways. Moreover, based on the recent demonstration by Sharp, IGZO is not only ready to power today’s (stereo-3D, 1080p) and tomorrow’s screens, but even extremely high-definition displays from the day after tomorrow.

^{Demonstration of 7680*4320 UHDTV with 22.2 multichannel sound using 85" LCD at ITU HQ by ITU staff and NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corp). A year ago, there were only two of such screens on the planet.}

Back in November Sharp introduces its PN-K321 professional display with 32” diagonal and 3840*2160 resolution. The monitor will reach the market early next year and will server various business and professional applications, including creating and editing graphics and video, financial-related operations requiring intensive use of graphs and small text, and CAD services for displaying detailed drawings. The introduction of this unit marks the beginning of Sharp's continuing commitment to strengthen its lineup of ultra-high-definition displays.

At a recent demonstration in Japan, Sharp showcased 6.1” display with 2560*1600 resolution and 498 pixels per inch density. While this particular screen will probably be aimed at professional applications, normal-sized monitors with ~500ppi density could feature resolutions like 12800*7200, 13440*7560 or 7680*4320 (which is currently known as super hi-vision or SHV), reports PC Watch web-site.

Naturally, it will take years before extreme high-definition, or even ultra high-definition, will become a reality on the mainstream market. However, it looks like beyond-HD displays – thanks to modern technologies – cease to be exotics and just enter the high-end of the market.

Tags: Sharp, UHD, HDTV, ITU, Super Hi-vision