MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC and NEC-MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC VISUAL SYSTEMS ANNOUNCE COLLABORATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF WINDOWS(r) COLOR QUALITY SPECIFICATIONS FOR LCD MONITORS

Tokyo, April 25, 2000--Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (President:Ichiro Taniguchi) (Mitsubishi) and NEC-Mitsubishi Electric Visual Systems (President:Yoshi Takayama) (NMV) will collaboratively develop with Microsoft Corp. specifications and test methods for color quality in liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors. The new specifications will be based on international standards for color management technology (IEC 61966-2-1(sRGB)). The color quality specifications will be used to ensure LCD monitors that carry the Microsoft Designed for Windows logo meet a specific quality standard for accurate sRGB color representation.

The respective roles of the three companies will be:
1) Microsoft will provide reference data, administrative and procedure methods for accurately testing color quality for LCD monitors to ensure that Windows Integrated Color Management (ICM) can manage a more accurate color workflow on a Windows-based PC.
2) Mitsubishi will use its extensive experience in the development of color management technology to assist Microsoft with the specifications and will verify the feasibility of the required LSI.
3) NMV will verify the appropriateness of the specifications for liquid crystal monitors to ensure that the requirements are attainable in today's manufacturing environment.

Mitsubishi will develop the LSI for liquid crystal monitors required to handle these specifications and NMV will develop the monitors themselves. Microsoft plans to demonstrate the new LSI-compatible liquid crystal monitors at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) 2000 to begin April 25 in New Orleans (US) and May 17 in Taipei, Taiwan.

Purpose of Collaborative Development
Until now, LCDs were unable to produce the subtle color quality of Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs). However, the color management technology developed by Mitsubishi preserves the screen white balance, while allowing independent control of red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, and yellow. This makes it possible for LCDs to reproduce the same natural color tones as CRT displays. Mitsubishi's new technology also can handle International sRGB standards.

Mitsubishi's technology and products lead the semiconductor industry in terms of advanced memory, system LSI, and microcomputers. In color management and other image information technology, Mitsubishi is engaged in wide-ranging R&D activities in the effort to help establish international standards.

Within this context, Mitsubishi and NMV will introduce a monitor control LSI for LCD monitors that are compatible with Microsoft Windows and sRGB. With increased satisfaction due to compliance with the new Windows color quality specifications, customers will likely be more satisfied with color performance on LCD monitors.

The collaborative development of sRGB test methods takes advantage of the strengths of all three companies. The goal is to provide a better user experience and increase rendered color accuracy, while promoting the healthy development and expansion of various related business ventures.

"Mitsubishi and NMV, working with Microsoft, are taking the steps necessary to provide WYSIWYG color for the consumer;" said Carl Stork, general manager for Hardware Strategy and Evangelism for Microsoft Corp. "This collaboration is an opportunity to set the bar for acceptable color quality in LCDs, based on sRGB, the default color space on the Windows platform."

Background of Collaborative Development
The reproducibility of accurate color is a critical issue in all color imaging equipment, including scanners, digital cameras, monitors, and printers. Each piece of equipment has its own unique color range based on principles of operation and the properties of the elements it uses. Without accurate color management, a consumer might order a vivid yellow shirt online that appears tinged with green on a different monitor while the printed image of the shirt appears to look dark yellow. Thus, differences between the color of the actual product and the color as it appears on the various pieces of rendering equipment can reduce customer satisfaction. In some cases, the color can take on a quite unnatural appearance.

While it is impossible to completely eliminate all color differences between imaging equipment, the differences can be greatly reduced through the application of color management technology. Color management technology such as ICM converts input device-specific color image data to a color space understood by the rendering equipment, whether rendering to the screen or the printer.

sRGB is a new international standard established in October 1999. It is a system of color spaces to make the color expressions from all imaging equipment easily understandable by computer operating systems and the Internet. By applying sRGB in all imaging equipment, all input equipment such as a scanner and all output equipment such as a monitor will be able to achieve the same high-quality color reproduction.

Microsoft is already using sRGB in the Windows operating system and is advocating the use of sRGB in all imaging equipment.