Media File: 1983
Sinclair in the News

Popular Science
December, 1983

Little flat-screen TV

By David Scott

Sinclair's long-awaited flat-screen TV has recently been introduced here. The diminutive set breaks new ground with single-chip circuitry that cuts the price to nearly half that of its nearest competitor - about $120, including Britain's value-added tax. According to Sir Clive Sinclair, the TV could sell for well under $100 when it's introduced in the U.S. in 1984.

The tiny TV's single integrated circuit provides worldwide multi-standard reception of most 625- and 525-line video systems. Power consumption of the two-inch picture tube is far less than that of any rival, and a new slim lithium battery from Polaroid gives 15 hours of viewing - up to six times the usual life. The batteries now sell in Britain at $15 for three.

The set's ¾-inch-thick monochrome tube is formed from two glass pieces: a faceplate and a vacuum-formed phosphor-coated backplate (see drawing). An electron gun is offset to one side of the screen. Two pairs of electrostatic deflection plates provide horizontal and vertical scanning; a third, flat set between the phosphor screen and front glass bends the beam toward the screen. The picture is viewed through a Fresnel lens and the transparent electrode plate under the front glass. Connections to the electron gun and deflection assemblies are screen-printed onto the faceplate, a lower-cost design than a CRT's.

The single chip is a complex linear-digital circuit with several original , advanced features, and it combines many functions. It takes the IF output from the tuner, recovers the video and audio signals, and feeds them to the picture tube and speaker, respectively. It also extracts information from the video signal to synchronize a multistandard line and field-scan system. This generates control signals, creating the correct picture on the tube for any transmision system.