Samsung claims to have developed the first 3in. (75mm) VGA (640x480) LCD that directly meets the 30Hz interface standard used for digital still cameras.

“Digital camera makers use an interface known as ITU-R601, an international standard for CRT TVs that operates at 30Hz,” said the firm. “This standard is incompatible with LCDs, which normally run at 60Hz.”

Manufacturers have had to reconcile the difference either by compressing the images or by manipulating the signal. However, said Samsung, such approaches will only work with LCDs having a resolution of 320x240 pixels or less.

“Our LCD operates on 30Hz, allowing VGA images to be obtained from a digital camera without having to create another interface,” said the firm, which will show the display next week in South Korea.

Commercial production is slated for the first half of 2007.