Canon Joins Toshiba HD SED Venture

Canon, a brand long identified by its still cameras, will team up with Toshiba to create "ultra-thin" HD monitors beginning in the first quarter of 2008, the firms said. The HD units will tap emerging Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display (SED) technology, which Toshiba said will likely allow monitor depths that are thinner than most of today's typical LCD and PDP models.

The joint venture calls for an SED-dedicated production plant in Taishi, Japan, near Osaka, which could eventually be capable of churning out 75,000 units monthly, according to online reports in Asia.

While some observers think SED technology is technically superior to current LCD and plasma monitors, its initial production costs are expected to be relatively high because it is still a new technology.