"Dual-view displays will change the life style," said Mikio Katayama, corporate executive director in charge of LCD business. "One family can sit together in a living room and enjoy different TV programs. The dual-view display TV solves the TV channel squabble," he said.

Dual-view displays used for billboards and information displays will also be able to provide different information to viewers on the right and left sides.

The display has the same switching LCD used in its 3D LCD displays. The switching LCD functions as a parallax barrier that separates the direction of light from each pixel of the LCD panel into two directions.

In case of the 3D display, the angle of light direction is about 6 degrees and it displays almost the same images for right and left eyes. But for the dual-view display, the angle is about 40 degrees and right and left images differ. When the parallax barrier is off, the display functions as an ordinary display.

As the display act as a double role as if it were two displays, we want to sell it less than twice but more than the same price as conventional displays, said Katayama.

Though Katayama emphasized possibilities of large panel applications in his presentation, the first application for the dual-view displays will apparently be for car navigation systems.

The display at the center of the console will be the best position to show what it can do. It can deliver map information to the driver while entertainment or some other information to a person sitting in the front passenger sheet.

Sharp also announced LCD panels whose viewing angle is switchable as another application of its 3D technology. By controlling the viewing angle, the LCD prevents snooping.

Sharp will soon start producing these panels at its Taki fab in Mie Prefecture within this month. The Taki fab is dedicated for small to middle sized panel production.