The first generation of e-paper displays for digital signage are functional but fall short in terms of design and size. In Tokyo, Sharp showcased a preview of their Nextgen e-paper – based on the company’s own Igzo TFT technology.
It was quiet for a long time, too quiet around Sharp/NEC. The Taiwanese-owned Japanese display manufacturer was busy integrating NEC Display Solutions into the Sharp organization. There was little capacity for thought leadership and cool new digital signage solutions – not unusual for company integrations.
But now, Sharp seems to be back with bold ideas, cool design, and innovative solutions. Last week’s Sharp Tech Day in-house exhibition not only saw the presentation of the first Sharp EV minivan, but also a preview of Sharp’s new e-paper (EPD) generation.
Almost all e-paper displays, including those used for digital signage, rely on e-paper films from E Ink, which makes it difficult for products to stand out in the market. These films are usually powered by TFTs to create high-density images on an e-paper display (EPD) without needing energy-consuming backlights, as e-paper depends solely on ambient light reflection.
Sharp uses its own Igzo TFT technology, which enables extremely thin bezels and a cool design. In Tokyo, the corporation presented its EPDs in various sizes – corresponding to the paper formats A1 to A3. The modular design of EPDs also enables e-paper video walls, which were also presented to the public at the Sharp Tech Day in Tokyo.
The Sharp product presentation even inspired E Ink’s CEO Johnson Lee, who published some photos on Linkedin.
