Media File: 1983
Sinclair in the News

Associated Press
September 8, 1983

British Inventor to Launch Flat-Screen TV In Competition With Japanese

Clive Sinclair, Britain's maverick inventor who has sold more than 1.5 million inexpensive home computers, says he is prepared to launch his latest product - a flat-screen television - next Friday.

Sinclair also shed new light on his decision to take an option to buy most of the assets of the failed De Lorean Motor Co.'s car factory in Northern Ireland.

He dismissed previous speculation that he might use the plant to build an electric car. Instead, he said, he wants to use the plant to produce a gasoline-powered car, which he has not yet designed. His company, Sinclair Research Ltd., recently reported a 65 percent jump in pre-tax profit for the year ended March 31, to 14 million pounds - about $21 million at current exchange rates. Sales doubled to 54.5 million pounds, or $81.8 million.

Analysts predict that flat-screen technology soon could bring about TV sets that are less than two inches thick. That would mark a major advance beyond conventional, far bulkier TV sets. But the public success of flat-screen TV remains unproven.

By year-end, Sinclair hopes to produce 10,000 screens a month at a factory in Dundee, Scotland. As with his home computers, Sinclair will use a Timex Corp. assembly plant there, licensing out its technology. (Timex also sells Sinclair-designed home computers in the United States.)

In keeping with his unusual sales strategies, Sinclair said he wants to start selling the TV sets via mail order. Eventually, he hopes to produce 1 million flat-screen sets a year.

Already, though, Sinclair faces competition in flat-screen sets from such Japanese companies as Sony corp. Sony's tiny Watchman has been on sale in Japan and the United States for seven months.

And last week, Sony introduced two more Watchman models in the United States that are lighter and smaller than previous ones, it says.

Sony's latest Watchman sells for $200, about half its earlier level. But Sinclair plans to bring out his pocket TV, called Microvision, for just under $90.