screen media news 6.21.2010

All major TV brands are rapidly replacing CCFL with LED as the light source of choice for their LCD TVs.
Sourced from DisplayBlog, major LCD panel manufacturers will be aggressively adding LED chip and packaging capabilities internally, via joint venture or by purchasing companies. But there should be some caution. LED BLU design is changing from direct-lit to four-sided edge-lit, down to three, two and eventually one. When that happens, demand for LEDs will shrink and there will be leftover capacity. On the bright side, with rapidly falling prices LED lighting might finally become affordable. Read Jin's thorough analysis of the LED market here, at DisplayBlog.

Production of HannStar displays to remain at full production in second half, 2010.
Amid rising prices of large-size LCD panels and the current shortages of capacitive touch panels, HannStar still expects monthly revenues to increase in the third quarter, 2010. The company expects LED-backlit products to account for up to 90% of its total shipments in the third quarter, and all of its new LCD TV and monitor models will be LED-backlit, HannStar said. Read the full article here, at DigitimesDisplay.

Why is supermarket digital signage so effective?
Dave Weinfeld of Digital Signage Insights offers us some reasoning behind why digital signage and supermarkets are so effective together. Here are just a few reasons: Introduce shoppers to new recipes; deliver product recommendations based on purchase behavior. Allow customers to locate desired foods and services quickly via way-finding kiosks; provide a customized store route based on a customer's shopping list. Increase sales by bringing current deals and on-going promotions to customers’ attention. Target in-store marketing campaigns based on time of day and customer demographics. Give customers the opportunity to match products against dietary restrictions through interactive shelf-edge displays. You can read Dave's further justification here.

Christie Digital Systems opens a new manufacturing facility in Shenzhen, China.
Gail Chiasson of DailyDOOH reports the new facility will significantly expand the company’s production capabilities, with the Christie Solaria projectors scheduled to roll off the assembly line in July. The new facility adheres to Christie’s strict quality standards, utilizing the same manufacturing principles as its North American operations. With plans to increase the staff in Shenzhen and to add a second assembly line in the coming months, Christie is poised to double production and leap over the competition in dedicated manufacturing capabilities. Read the full article here.