The introduction of the laptop computer has created a need for a thin panel display with good readability and low power consumption. The display is the major cost in HDTV sets, which require very large screens for the improved resolution to be appreciated.
Some Japanese companies are in both the television and computer businesses.
They view the consumer television business as the high-volume market that will drive the cost of displays down, providing the critical display component for the new generation of computers that will make them competitive in the computer market. The Japanese have recognized that new display technologies are critical to making their electronic products highly competitive in the world market. During the 1980s, the Japanese electronics industry achieved worldwide preeminence in FPDs and, in particular, LCDs. This preeminence is due to their technical achievements and broad industry base in research, development, and manufacturing. This has been achieved almost completely within Japan, where there is industrial participation, government guidance, a larger domestic market end use, and a complete infrastructure.