Pixel Qi Flat-Panel Displays: Cheap, Hi-Res, Color, Low Power—Pick any Four

The ideal technology (any technology) delivers high performance and low cost. To hear new flat-panel display maker Pixel Qi (that’s pronounced “chee” as in the Chinese life force) tell it, their new LCD-based flat-panel technology is pretty darn close to ideal. Here are the opening remarks from the home page of the company’s Web site:

We are a fabless developer of a new class of screens that use standard LCD manufacturing materials and processes. 

The screens will be available for mini-laptops and ebook readers in high volume mass production in late-2009. Our mainstream laptop screens will be available thereafter based on demand.  

The readability and legibility of our new screens rival the best epaper available today. What’s new about our screens: fast video rate update (refresh), and fully saturated color at low pricing because we use standard manufacturing materials, processes and factories. Our screens use 1/2 to 1/4 the power of a regular LCD screen, and when integrated carefully with the device can increase battery life between charges by 5-fold. You can use our screens in laptops outside in bright sunlight. Look for this dramatic power savings in 2010, in 2009 we are focused on being a run-in change into the existing electronics in netbooks and ebook readers. 

With that sort of invitation, makers of devices that use flat-panel displays will find it darn hard to ignore Pixel Qi. But how good is the display? Here’s a video to back up the company’s claims: