Kwon Young-soo, fifth from right, LG Display CEO and Zhang Xue Bin, third from right, chairman of Skyworth, ring a bell at an opening ceremony of LG Display-led “IPS Camp,” held in China last month. Chinese TV makers such as Changhong, Haier, Hisense, Konka and Skyworth opt for LG’s IPS. / Courtesy of LG Display

Yoon Dae-yi
Senior Manager in IPS Promotion Task

Picture quality has long been a buzzword in the worldwide display market.

Competition in the display industry kicked off with the race for larger panels and then the focus shifted to picture quality. The basic function of TVs and notebook PCs is to receive video signals and display them.

Video signals evolved from HD to full HD, and high-speed video has now come under the spotlight. Given the rise in consumers' visual needs, the picture quality of display devices inevitably evolved as well.

LCD is a state-of-the-art display system in which liquid crystals, a material between a liquid and a solid, adjusts the amount of light that passes through it in order to transmit data.

The method of driving liquid crystals is broadly classified into the following three: TN, IPS and VA. LG Display has adopted the IPS (In-Plain Switching) method, which boasts a wider viewing angle.

Based on the horizontal arrangement of liquid crystal molecules, IPS provides a wide viewing angle and fast response speed which always produces crisp and vivid moving images.

IPS Provides Better Quality

LG Display's IPS is the most appropriate technology in the era of full HD 120Hz TV. It allows for vibrant images when viewing sports events like the Olympics, World Cup and Super Bowl.

In particular, you can enjoy clear picture quality from any angle up to a side-to-side viewing angle of 179 degrees.

There's hardly any change in color or brightness from the left, right, above or below.

The use of low-resistance copper wiring aids high-speed performance, such as full HD 120Hz, and means sharp and lively images.

Moreover, low power consumption leads to energy savings of 30 percent.

IPS also offers stable picture quality in touch screens needed for the interactive function, which will be important in future display devices.

Thanks to the advantages noted above, LG Display products have received positive reviews from global display industry experts.

IPS panels go into all of Apple's premium monitors, which are widely used by graphic designers. Most displays for medical usage, where precise and stable pictures are vital, also use IPS panels.

Start of 'IPS Brand Marketing'

To promote the superior IPS technology, LG Display has shifted away from an emphasis on production and kicked off ``Brand Marketing,'' an area traditionally reserved for B2C companies.

That is an unprecedented move among B2B companies. IPS panels offer benefits over competing products such as sharp picture quality even in fast moving pictures and from any viewing angle, as well as stable touch screens.

When consumers recognize the superiority of IPS panels, they will position IPS panels as products with a competitive edge.

Early this year, LG Display conducted training for its employees to understand the technology and strengths of IPS.

The training enhanced employees' knowledge on IPS technology and their marketing mindset to turn them into ``IPS promoters'' who can publicize the superiority of IPS to their acquaintances and customers.

LG Display has also carried out a wide range of promotional activities.

It invited Korean HDTV community members and Chinese reporters to a special event, placed ads on the company's commuter buses, set up an IPS Zone inside the Paju exhibition hall, and formed the ``IPS camp'' in China.

IPS Gets Momentum in China

China is an important market for LG Display. According to DisplaySearch, the market share of flat panel display in China will reach 72 percent by 2011.

Of that figure, LCD TVs will account for more than 95 percent.

Thus, LG Display has selected China as the outpost for promoting the advantages of IPS technology in order to gain the lead in China's fast growing LCD TV market.

Emphasizing that ``panel=picture quality'' in the marketplace, the ``Ying Ping'' (pronunciation of IPS in Chinese) logo was newly created to launch in the Chinese market.

LG Display emphasizes the advantage that a liquid crystal returns to its original location quickly in IPS panels. That means no lingering afterimages even when the screen is touched.

A joint promotion using the logo was carried out with LCD TV set makers.

The promotion got a better-than-expected response from LCD TV set makers and consumers.

In September, LG Display formed the ``IPS Camp" with Chinese and global LCD TV set makers in Beijing and set off to promote the superiority of IPS. The participating TV set makers were Changhong, Haier, Hisense, Konka, LG Electronics, Panasonic, Philips and Skyworth.

The camp participants are featuring the ``Ying Ping'' logo, which represents the superiority of IPS technology, in TV, newspaper and POP (point of purchase) ads, and other promotional materials.

They are also conducting training on the advantages of IPS technology for promoters at retail outlets and holding demonstrations at exhibitions and roadshows to promote the strengths of IPS to consumers.

The superiority of LG Display's IPS technology has been officially acknowledged by China's national research centers and expert groups.

IPS technology received praise from China Research Center No.4 and China Electronics Association's Consumer Electronics Chapter.

An analysis by industry watchers of LG Display's 42-inch full HD panel featuring 120Hz technology shows that it conforms to China's electronics industry standard (SJ/T 11343-2006, digital TV).

With the fast response speed, no afterimages and little color distortion, it provides sharp and clear images.

IPS Fits Well in Next-Generation Displays

With the application of IPS, 120Hz technology for fast moving pictures also boasts a faster motion picture response time (MPRT) than competitors thanks to the fast response speed of liquid crystals relatively simpler pixel structure and low-resistance copper wiring.

Further, LG Display has incorporated scanning technology into 120Hz to introduce a product which has the same performance as 240Hz but is superior in terms of cost.

Scanning backlight is an innovative product that sequentially turns on and off the light source (backlight) to markedly improve the response speed.

It is also less tiring on the eyes, enables more realistic images and lowers MPRT to 6ms. There are no limits to the display's technology. The only issue is whether or not it is IPS.

Bigger Hope for IPS Camp

LG Display will continue with IPS promotional activities in China and is preparing to carry out such activities in emerging markets like South America and Southeast Asia.

This implies that LG Display is reaching out further to inform more consumers of the benefits of IPS technology.

LG Display uses differentiated IPS technology to produce and deliver LCD panels that are most ideal for high-speed moving images and high picture quality.

In doing so, the company is expanding the LCD TV market and providing customers with good quality LCD TV panels.

Taking pride in such efforts, LG Display will continue to develop IPS technology and provide products and service to realize win-win relations as the best partner to its customers.