Sharp Intros IGZO 32-inch 4K2K (3840 x 2160) Display

On Wednesday Sharp introduced the PN-K321, a 32-inch professional LCD monitor featuring the company's IGZO technology, a 3840 x 2160 (4K2K) resolution, and the industry's thinnest profile design to date. So far pricing and availability is unknown, but the company said that it plans to unleash this display into the Japanese market first.

"The PN-K321 is Sharp's latest ultra-high-definition display and features smaller transistors (TFTs) in the LCD panel compared to conventional displays, thereby increasing the amount of transmitted light per pixel," the company said. "Because 4K2K displays enable clear, crisp display of large amounts of information ranging from small text to detailed images on one screen, they boost operational efficiency by sparing users the need to scroll frequently."

Sharp said the upcoming 4K2K display features a main body approximately 35-mm deep thanks to Sharp's IGZO technology. This tech is defined as "a semiconducting material which can be used as the channel for a transparent thin-film transistor." It replaces amorphous silicon for the active layer of an LCD screen, and offers smaller pixels to produce the higher resolution.

The company also stated that the input connectors will be compatible with the latest DisplayPort and HDMI interface specifications, enabling the PN-K321 to be connected to a PC via a single cable. The company states that DisplayPort can handle the high resolution at 60 frames per second via one cable, but HDMI can only do 30 frames per second on a single connection – two cables are required for 60 frames per second.

According to the spec list, the display will feature one DisplayPort, two HDMI ports, two 2-watt speakers, a 3.5-mm stereo jack, a 3.5-mm input jack, and a brightness of 250 cd/m2. The overall dimensions are approximately 750(W) x 35(D) x 441(H)-mm and the weight is approximately 7.5 kg.

"Demand for ultra-high-definition 4K2K displays is forecast to grow for numerous 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 company said on Wednesday.

This new 4K2K display won't land on Japanese retail shelves until February 15, 2013, so don't expect to see it in the States until next spring at the earliest.

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