3M Launches Vikuiti.com: Online Resource on Flat Panel TV Technology

June 8, 2005 – 3M has launched a website to help consumers understand the benefits of Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) televisions over other television technologies, as the company ratchets up efforts to educate consumers about the exceptional performance of LCD TVs in real life lighting conditions, a key differentiator and advantage of LCD sets that use Vikuiti Display Enhancement Technology.

Vikuiti.com is a series of interactive pages that not only informs, but also helps consumers visualize the technology and benefits of today's modern flat panel TV's, which have continued to gain popularity for their sleek and stylish look, as well as for their better picture quality. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, LCD TV sales during 2005 will total $3 billion, up from $2 billion in 2004. Factory unit sales are expected to rise 49 percent from 2.6 million units in 2004 to 3.8 million in 2005.

Vikuiti Display Enhancement Technology makes LCD TV's significantly brighter and more vibrant in real life lighting conditions by optimizing and recycling light. In fact, LCD-TV's with Vikuiti are one and a half times brighter than TV's that do not contain Vikuiti. By enabling vivid, life-like pictures in environments ranging from natural daylight to a darkened room, Vikuiti offers consumers more flexibility to place a TV in a variety of locations in their home without sacrificing picture quality.

The website features engaging visuals with consumer-friendly navigation to demonstrate the practical advantages of LCD TVs that contain Vikuiti Display Enhancement Technology.

It will provide educational information on flat panel TV's, including a glossary of key terms, a section providing a comparison summary of different TV technologies and a link to more detailed technical information. For those consumers making purchasing decisions, it suggests factors to consider such as TV location TV will be located and the need for portability – another advantage offered by this format. In addition, the site showcases leading LCD TV brands with Vikuiti Display Enhancement Technology.

Vikuiti.com also informs consumers about the potential for "burn-in" that can occur on Plasma TV's when prolonged static images from news channel logos and video games become so stationary that they wind up producing what looks, to the average viewer, like a permanent ghost-like outline of the image that does not fade after a user switches to a different channel or game.

"Our goal is to educate consumers through the site and showcase the LCD TV brands that offer Vikuiti display enhancement technology, which provides brighter pictures in different levels of ambient light typically found in real life settings," said Andy Wong, Division Vice President, Optical Systems at 3M. "The Sharp AQUOS line is a great example of LCD sets that provide excellent display brightness in real-life settings, a key consideration for consumers purchasing a flat panel TV."

A pilot version of Vikuiti.com launched in December 2004 generated nearly 850,000 visitors within the first five months. Consumers visiting the site have access to manufacturers that use Vikuiti technology, making it easy for them to learn about specific models that offer the brightest picture quality Currently, Sharp AQUOS® line, which has won accolades including an Emmy® for its vivid picture quality, and LG.Philips LCD are linked on the site as examples of televisions with this technology.

"Vikuiti technology contributes to the superior picture quality of Sharp's AQUOS LC-TV's," said Bob Scaglione senior vice president, Consumer Electronics Marketing Group, Sharp Electronics Corp. "Vikuiti.com is a valuable resource for consumers looking to better understand the advantages of liquid crystal display technology and its use in flat screen televisions," he said.

For more information, visit www.vikuiti.com.

SOURCE 3M