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Sony did not stop its development efforts with the GDM. The engineers aspired to create a Trinitron CRT with the world's highest display capacity, and the result was a masterpiece. In May 1988, Sony introduced a super high-resolution Data Display Monitor (DDM). It featured a 20-inch by 20-inch screen and 2,048 by 2,048 lines, and it was capable of full color reproduction. The DDM boasted twice the capacity of conventional displays then available for computer graphics and CAD/CAM-use, and it could display over 40,000 characters.
The DDM was chosen by the US Federal Aviation Authority for use in their AAS (Advanced Automation System) next-generation air traffic control system. The AAS analyzes and manages information on aviation systems throughout the US. Thus, components used in the AAS must be highly sophisticated and extremely reliable. It was a milestone for Trinitron to be selected for such an important professional application.
Trinitron technology also played a key role when NHK launched development efforts for what it called the next generation broadcasting system or high definition television. This new system was designed to process over four times the volume of information that conventional TV systems handle, by incorporating 1,125 scanning lines on the screen. This amounts to approximately double the number of lines on conventional NTSC standard screens.
The development of the super high-resolution Trinitron CRT allowed what was previously impossible--the realization of image definition on par with that of 35 mm film. In April 1981, Sony announced its High Definition Video System (HDVS), the industry's first high definition system incorporating a monitor, camera and VTR. Three years later, when HDVS was launched, it received rave reviews:  It's like seeing a glossy color photograph, and The scenery shown on the screen is so real that it's like one is looking out a window. Broadcasting professionals, film and program makers throughout the world were very impressed with this technology. The image quality was so high that it could even be used to appraise fine arts such as paintings, and antique drawings.
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Sony is the first company to commercialize the High Definition Video System (HDVS) in 1985 |
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In June 1994, a quarter of a century after the first Trinitron CRT was developed, the cumulative worldwide output of Trinitron CRTs exceeded 100 million units. The second half of this quantity was manufactured in only the last five years. The emergence of large screen, high-resolution TVs and the continuing growth in computer display demand reinforced the excellent reputation of Trinitron. Demand for Trinitron CRTs spread beyond home-use to applications in the broadcast and computer industries. This rapid increase in demand was met while Sony continued its policy of manufacturing close to its markets. Following construction of color TV plants, Sony built CRT production sites in Japan, the US, Europe and Asia. With the completion of the Singapore CRT plant in 1992, Sony could ship CRTs for color TVs from all four regions. In the United States, where demand for computer displays is extremely high, Sony set up a comprehensive production line in 1995.
By the beginning of 1995, Sony had become the world's number one supplier of color televisions. The popularity of PCs for home-use had by then increased drastically, resulting in further growth in the computer display market. Meanwhile, the broadcast environment changed radically, as satellite and high definition transmissions became widespread in some markets.
Sony introduced a new home-use television in Japan in October 1995. Known as PowerWide, this TV is capable of displaying three different sources simultaneously, including high definition television, and of serving as a PC display. The PowerWide TV is a wide-screen, 16 by 9 ratio monitor for the emerging multimedia age. The Trinitron CRT made it possible for the PowerWide product to display high definition images even in the corner of the screen.
As user demands call for even higher resolution displays, Trinitron technology continues to evolve. When thinking about Trinitron's contributions over the years, Morita often said, The Trinitron is the most important asset after the 'S*O*N*Y' brand name.
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