Sony has been showing off a 19.2inch flat screen display in Japan that uses a technology called FED (Field Emission Display). FED is similar to the SED technology that Canon has been trying to perfect for some years now.

The really interesting part is that the screen has a contrast ratio of 20,000: 1, which means it has vastly better contrast performance than the best plasma and LCD tellies currently available. The high contrast ratio means the display can show more shadow detail in darker scenes and produce much more naturally looking skin tones. The other advantage of FED displays is that they consume less power.

Unfortunately, Sony says that the high price of the technology means that FED screens will initially be targeted at professionals rather consumers. The company doesn’t expect to ship its first FED display until 2009.