Now showing: The future of tablet and car displays

After seeing these prototypes, you might think next-generation LCD technology looks brighter and clearer than ever.

Japan Display today revealed two exciting prototype LCD screens from the labs of the mega joint venture -- consisting of Sony, Toshiba, and Hitachi's manufacturing talents -- that could one day change the way we look at car and tablet displays.

While several vehicles -- including those by Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Land Rover, Dodge, and others -- currently utilize large screens for the instrument cluster (tachometer and speed gauges), few compare with the 12.2-inch automotive touch-screen display shown off by JDI. The mega 1,920x720-pixel resolution screen utilizes true black technology for enhanced contrast, along with 50 percent lower power consumption than existing displays.

On the other side of the announcement coin, the prototype 7-inch tablet display by JDI contains a whopping 2,560x1,600-pixel resolution and a very sharp pixel density of 431ppi. That level of pixels per inch tears apart anything on the market at this time, including the iPad 3's 264ppi display and the Kindle Fire HD's 254ppi resolution.

Additionally, the techno-wizards at JDI figured out a way to make the futuristic tablet screen only 0.05 inches thin (without glass). The display also offers a 2,000:1 contrast ratio (due to new advancements in IPS technology) and 50 percent less power consumption.