Samsung has announced that it has begun the production of LCD panels using a new edge-lit LED backlight. This is the first time construction of such panels aimed at the large screen TV market has been done.

The new edge-lit LED backlights are lighter weight than other LED backlighting options and are thinner, which should equate to thinner profile TVs. The thinner profile and lighter weight are much more suited to TVs that are appropriate for wall mounting.

Samsung says that a 55-inch TV using its new backlight will use 40% less power than a conventional LCD TV. The panels themselves are only 10.8mm thick making them about one fourth of the thickness of conventional LCD panels being used in mass productions today. Samsung says panels are being built in 40, 46, and 55-inch sizes.

Via Samsung