Televisions not only are getting bigger but thinner. And the latest techno set is the flat panel TV. In the thick of thin TV
These are five to six inches thick -- about one-tenth the width of a conventional television set -- so it occupies less space even with a large screen.
The sets have flat monitors as opposed to conventional screens, which are curved. Sony's has a 42-inch-wide screen with a letterbox format.
The Sony set is light for its size -- just 106 pounds for the 42-inch screen -- and compact so that it can even be wall mounted. A similar size Fujitsu set weighs in at about 85 pounds.
The flat screen also insures no distortion even when the set is viewed from the side. That's no small feat for a 160-degree viewing surface. The cleaner, more even picture is due to the linear alignment of light-emitting pixels and more resistance than a normal set to magnetic influences.
Although the set is light, the price is heavy: about $10,000.
The majority of buyers right now are primarily the professional market, corporate board rooms, hotel lobbies and public information displays where a visual impact is desired.
The sets, available at Long's Audio/Video in Hawaii Kai (not associated with the drug store), has sold a few for residential use, according to owner Dan Long. For the curious with money, the Sony set will be on display tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Computer City on Auahi Street.
Tim Ryan, Star-Bulletin
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