Battle of Flat-Screen Techs on Display

CHIBA, Japan — An intensifying rivalry between Panasonic and Sharp underscores an underlying battle over the technology behind flat-screen TVs.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., which makes Panasonic products, is showcasing the advantages of its plasma-display panels at the CEATEC consumer electronics exhibition this week. Sharp Corp. is pushing liquid-crystal display panels.

One booth makes no secret of its message: Matsushita placed a PDP TV right next to an LCD TV to demonstrate how PDPs appear to be delivering more dazzling images. Matsushita also highlighted research by an Osaka City University professor who found that people said viewing plasmas is easier on the eyes.

But in another corner, Sharp is showing off upgraded LCD panels that aren’t fuzzy even when viewed from an angle, a past drawback.

Earlier in the week in Tokyo, Sharp unveiled a new LCD that delivers excellent contrast even in dark places. It will target professional use in TV studios, though, figuring such dazzling contrast would be wasted and unnecessary in living rooms.

The rivalry comes as more people are switching from old-style cathode-ray tube to flat screens.