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At first, I couldn’t think of a good title for this article regarding the new LCD monitor from Sharp. So, end up using the name how Sharp calls the new technology LCD : “Two-Way Viewing-Angle LCD” !! B-)

Sharp revealed this new LCD during the company’s preview of its new LCD technology in Tokyo on Thursday, July 14, 2005.

Quoted:
The technology that enables the device is called a “parallax barrier.” When superimposed on the LCD, it causes “the light from the backlight to separate into right and left directions, which makes possible a display in which the view differs depending on the angle at which the screen is viewed,” Sharp said in a statement.

According to Sharp, this new LCD monitor will the first mass-produced monitor capable of displaying different images at the same time depending on the angle at which viewers are watching. The LCD monitor will hit the shelves this month !!

Quoted:
Sharp says the technology, which it calls “two-way viewing-angle LCD,” is useful for a number of things. For instance, one person could watch a TV program while another surfs the Web with the same monitor. In a car, the monitor might display a map for the driver while playing a movie for passengers.

The screen could also function as a double-duty billboard, displaying different advertisements at the same time. A salesperson could use it for meetings with customers, keeping certain confidential data from view, Sharp said.

Besides, Sharp also addressed some problems too, such as overlapping of sounds while watching different TV shows or movies at the same time. But then some thoughts came into my mind, can we separate 2 sources voice from one earphone jack? :D

Anyway, I think this kind of LCD is quite useful in some situations, take for instance, at the Cashier counter while customer and the cashier are viewing different information from different angles, hence, keeping certain confidential data from view.

Well, this dual-image LCD won’t come cheap, it is expected to cost about twice as much as Sharp’s standard display, according to an Associated Press report.