Trinitron

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Picture of a Dell-branded Sony Trinitron, still bearing the Trinitron logo.
Picture of a Dell-branded Sony Trinitron, still bearing the Trinitron logo.

Trinitron is Sony's brand name for its line of aperture grille cathode ray tube televisions and computer monitors. Sony patented the design, which was invented by E.O Lawrence at Autometric Laboratory, and called "Chromotron", in the 1960s and held the patent until 1996[citation needed]. See pg 42-48 of "SONY" by John Nathan for more info on the birth of Trinitron.

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[edit] Chronology

"Trinitron" is sometimes used as a generic term for CRT monitors equipped with an aperture grille tube. After the expiration of Sony's Trinitron patent, manufacturers like Mitsubishi (whose monitor production is now part of NEC Display Solutions) are free to use the Trinitron design for their own product line without license from Sony although they cannot use the Trinitron name; for example, Mitsubishi's are called Diamondtron.

Trinitron televisions were regarded as the best available in terms of picture quality and were therefore more expensive than the equivalent shadow mask CRT screens. Trinitron designs provide vivid colors and high contrast with good across-the-screen electron focus. However, with the emergence of gas plasma, liquid crystal display and other display technologies Trinitron and similar brands have been in decline. The remaining advantages of the Trinitron are a wide colour palette and dot pitch comparable to LCD and plasma screens. This ensures their continuing popularity in graphic design applications.

At the time of their introduction in the late 1950s, color CRTs included complicated dynamic convergence systems which were responsible for merging the three electron beams onto one triad of phosphors. Part of the revolutionary nature of the Trinitron's design was the virtual elimination of dynamic convergence circuits, replacing them with bonded permanent magnets on the bell of the tube. Another feature was a three cathode single electron gun arrangement, in contrast to the then-dominant (and still common) three gun arrangement. Single gun systems are easier to manufacture reliably, simplify beam focus and control, and are less prone to inter-electrode short circuits.

As a result, in the mid 1980s Eizo became well known as a successful manufacturer of CRT based computer monitors due to their use of grading; the company picked only the best performing and most consistent Trinitron tubes from the Sony production line for use in their products. Sony Trinitron computer monitors have also been rebranded and distributed by Apple Inc., Dell, Digital Equipment Corporation, Mitsubishi, Gateway, IBM, Silicon Graphics, Sun Microsystems and others. The monitors have an identical chassis to the Sony-branded counterparts, and most bear the silver "Trinitron" logo upon the top-left corner of the bezel.

In 2007, Sony announced that it would no longer market or sell Trinitrons in the USA or Canada, but currently continue to sell the Trinitron in China, India, and regions of South America.

[edit] Visible Support Wires

Monitors using this technology have one or more thin, barely visible horizontal wires used to hold the aperture grille in place over the electron gun. Displays of 15" and below have one wire two thirds of the way down the screen. Monitors greater than 15" have 2 horizontal wires; the first between one quarter and one third of the way down and the second between two thirds and three quarters of the way down the screen. These wires are in similar positions on television screens using the Trinitron format. This is a minor drawback of the Trinitron standard which is not shared by similar shadow mask CRTs.

[edit] Partial list of other aperture grille brands

  • Diamondtron (NEC/Mitsubishi, a licensed reproduction of Sony Trinitron technology)
  • SonicTron (ViewSonic, a licensed reproduction of Sony Trinitron technology)
  • Technitron (MAG Innovision, a licensed reproduction of Sony Trinitron technology)
  • Vivitron (Gateway Computer, a licensed reproduction of Sony Trinitron technology)

[edit] End of Production Announcement

Sony has completed production of all Trinitron CRT models at its Singapore manufacturing plant. Trinitron CRT production ceased in Japan at the end of March 2008. Sony removed all Trinitron CRT models from the Japanese product catalogue as of 2006.

Sony's estimated production of Trinitron screens is greater than 280 million units (incl. computer peripherals) since the Trinitron technology began shipping in 1968. The sales peaked at the turn of the 21st century with sale of more than 11 million units as of 2000. The yearly sales figure steadily declined to 2.8 million units as of 2007. Sony has subsequently shifted focus to the manufacture of LCD and EL based models; these can be considered successors.

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