Its new IPS liquid crystal panel has a contrast ratio of over 1,000,000:1, which is 600 times that of conventional liquid crystal panels. The outfit claims the tech has wide viewing angles, high brightness, and high reliability.

The panel gets its high contrast ratio by integrating newly developed light-modulating cells that permit pixel-by-pixel control of backlight intensity.

The new IPS panel is designed for High Dynamic Range (HDR) monitors for broadcasting stations and video production studios. It could also end up in medical monitors that require faithful video display and automotive monitors that require clear visibility without black floating.

The tech’s advantage is that it can be manufactured using existing liquid crystal panel manufacturing facilities and it solves problems inherent in conventional liquid crystal panels.

Conventional liquid crystal panels suffer black floating, white washout phenomenon, in dark parts of the display area when the backlight intensity is increased to raise brightness. When the backlight intensity is lowered to make dark parts clearer, these panels also suffer a loss in sparkle in bright parts.

Panasonic says that a sample shipment will start in January 2017. It is not clear if the outfit has other plans for the technology, or if it will be financially superior to OLED.