Media File: 1983
Sinclair in the News

Financial Times
September 17, 1983

Sinclair declares mini-TV war

By Jason Crisp

Sir Clive Sinclair's remarkable pocket-sized, black and white television marks the beginning of a battle with Sony, the leading Japanese electronics company.

Earlier this year Sony launched the Watchman, a similar flat screen pocket TV which costs £249 in the UK. Sinclair's TV at £80, is cheaper, lighter, smaller and, particularly important, the batteries last longer. Sony is launching a smaller version of the Watchman in the U.S. costing $200 (£133). Next year Sinclair Research will also launch its flat screen TV in the U.S., the first market outside the UK. The date and price has not been fixed although it is likely to cost less than the straight exchange equivalent of £80 ($120).

Sir Clive, who has pioneered the world's cheapest home computers, started talking in detail about the proposed flat screen TV about three years ago. The launch was planned for early last year. Yesterday Sir Clive said the main reason for the delay was that the company had underestimated the time to establish the production line for the special tube.

This is like a long match box and the technical breakthrough has been in the vacuum forming method of making the tube. It is being made by Timex, at Dundee, with automatic equipment developed and owned by Sinclair Research. Timex also makes Sinclair Research computers - the ZX81 and the Spectrum. A labour dispute at Timex earlier this year set back the launch of the TV, although the main reason for delay was production difficulties.

The other technical achievement has been to reduce the electronic circuitry of the television on to one integrated circuit, or microchip, which is being made by Ferranti. Sir Clive claims it is the first television to use a single chip for its circuits. All television producers have been cutting back on the number of components as more and more are crammed on to microchips.

A number of clever features have been included on the microchip. The TV can detect which system of broadcasting is being used and will automatically adjust itself. This means the TV can be used in most countries other than France, which has the SECAM transmission system.

The set can also be used in the U.S. where there is a 525-line system, unlike the 625 system used elsewhere. However, the UK version receives only UHF broadcasts, whereas most television in the U.S. is broadcast on VHF so a different version is being developed for that country.

The flat-screen TV is the latest in a long line of innovations by Sir Clive. In the 1970s he was the first to develop the pocket calculator. His company at that time, Sinclair Radionics, rapidly got into difficulties because the Japanese quickly outpaced it with mass production which drove prices down.

Sir Clive believes he can forestall the Japanese this time because he has developed a fully automated production process. Sinclair Research also claims to have taken out a large number of patents worldwide on the television and the microchip.

Sinclair Research, founded in July 1979, has been highly successful making cheap computers. Earlier this month the company reported pre-tax profits of £14m on sales of £54.5m. The cheapest computer, the ZX81, costs £40 and the company sells a number of peripherals, such as a cheap printer.

Sir Clive is also developing a cheap electric town car and is working on a number of applications for the flat-screen technology, including a colour television.