Samsung Electronics has announced that it began mass production of 22-inch transparent LCD panels.

The panels have a contrast ratio of 500:1 with WSXGA+ (1680x1050) resolution. Instead of LCD units that use backlight units (BLUs) and have five per cent transparency, Samsung said its transparent LCD panel boasts a transparency rate of over 20 per cent for the black-and-white type and over 15 per cent for the colour type.

With the high transparency rates, the models enable users to look right through them like glass, Samsung said. The transparent LCD panel consumes 90 percent less electricity because it uses ambient light such as sunlight, which consequently reduces the dependency on electricity for generating power.

Younghwan Park, senior VP of Samsung Electronics LCD Business said that transparent displays will have a wide range of use in all industry areas as an efficient tool for delivering information and communication. (Hm, I want one in my car. sub.ed.)