Shinoda demos 1mm-thick, ultra-wide plasma

Upping the stakes in displays, Shinoda Plasma on Friday showcased one of the thinnest and most unique yet. The example display measures 125 inches diagonally but is just 1mm (0.04in) thick at the actual display itself, or just a fraction of the depth of most plasma HDTVs. Shinoda's invention not only reduces the bulk of the screen but also allows the company to curve the screen and maintain a direct viewing angle even for the edges of the display.

The display is fully functional and is said to already be near production-grade, though the company notes that the display has the functional brightness of a plasma display from between 1999 and 2000. The company will need to improve the quality of the screen if it hopes to compete against modern screens, according to company chief Tsutae Shinoda.

The company expects to this to happen sometime in the near future and has already been investigating between two and three Japanese companies that would help translate the display to a shipping product.