Kolin to Debut 65-inch LCOS TVs in January 2006

Taipei, Dec. 1, 2005 (CENS)--Taiwan Kolin Co. Ltd. (Kolin), one of Taiwan's leading manufacturers of home appliances, will introduce 65-inch high-definition LCOS (liquid crystal on-silicon) television sets to the markets of the United States, Taiwan and mainland China in January 2006.

Kolin said it acquired a controlling stake in Brillian through a share swap deal with its U.S. strategic partner-Syntax Corp. Currently Kolin has two seats in Brillian's board of directors. With the acquisition of Brillian's research and development and patent resources, Kolin will be able to accelerate its penetration of the world's LCOS market.

With the introduction of the new product, Kolin will see its product lines of digital TVs spanning from 20-inch up to 65-inch models.

Kolin noted it would launch 60-inch and above TVs in cooperation with Brillian Co., one of the well-known manufacturers of LCOS TVs in the U.S., which has advantages over others in the development of key parts used in TVs. The company estimated it would target at selling 10,000-strong units of 60-inch and above TVs next year.

Besides Kolin, Tatung Co., another domestic manufacturer of home appliances, has completed deployment in the production of 65-inch LCOS TVs through its subsidiary Chunghwa Picture Tube Co. The new product will be introduced within a year. The company said its involvement in the production and sales of LCOS TVs would help it boost the revenues in digital TVs.

Kolin vice president T.J. Lee stated digital TV-related products would become the major force for his company's overall revenues. By cooperating with the government-backed Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Kolin has become the first domestic firm to launch red-ray digital DVD player dubbed HD FVD which bears a price tag of NT$7,990 (US$237.7 at US$1:NT$33.6).

Lee said the HD FVD could help boost the resolutions of LCD (liquid crystal display) and plasma TVs.

Kolin president C.L. Liu said the prospect for the LCOS TVs in the global market is very promising, with an estimated consumption volume of four million units a year. He said the U.S. and mainland China would be the largest markets for LCOS TVs