Abstract: Provided are a cutting information determination method that can use a simpler process to improve yield, and a strip-shaped polarizing sheet manufacturing method using such a method, an optical display unit manufacturing method using such a method, a strip-shaped polarizing sheet, and a polarizing sheet material. A cutting position in the width direction A2, in which a polarizing sheet material MP is to be cut along its longitudinal direction A1, is determined based on the numbers of defects counted with respect to plural points in the width direction A2 of the polarizing sheet material MP. This makes it possible to determine the cutting position in such a way that a region with many defects does not fall within the cut width, so that a higher-yield cutting position can be determined. The cutting position can also be determined using a simple process in which defects are counted with respect to plural points in the width direction A2.

Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display in which occurrence of iridescent unevenness is suppressed, even when a film with high level of mechanical properties, chemical resistance and water-barrier properties is used as a polarizer-protective-film. Also, disclosed is a polarizing plate to be used in the liquid crystal display. The liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal cell, a light source, a first polarizing plate placed between the liquid crystal cell and the light source, and a second polarizing plate placed on a viewer side of the liquid crystal cell. The first polarizing plate includes a polarizer and a first protective film placed on a light source side principal surface of the first protective film, and the first protective film satisfies following relations: (i) 0 nm?Re1?3000 nm; (ii) Nz1?5; and (iii) Rth1>2500 nm.

Abstract: Provided is an image display device including an image display cell and a polarizing plate placed on a viewer side of the image display cell. The first polarizing plate includes a polarizer and a first protective film. The first protective film is placed on a viewer-side principal surface of the polarizer and satisfies following relations: (i) 0 nm?Re1?3000 nm; (ii) Nz1?7; and (iii) Rth1>2500 nm. Re1, Rth1 and Nz1 are defined by following equations: Re1=(nx1?ny1)d1; Rth1=(nx1?nz1)d1; and Nz1=Rth1/Re1, wherein d1 represents a thickness of the first protective film, nx1 represents a refractive index in a direction of an in-plane slow axis of the protective film, ny1 represents a refractive index in a direction of an in-plane fast axis of the protective film, and nz1 represents a refractive index in a direction of the thickness of the protective film.

Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display in which occurrence of iridescent unevenness is suppressed, even when a film with high level of mechanical properties, chemical resistance and water-barrier properties is used as a polarizer-protective-film. Also, disclosed is a polarizing plate to be used in the liquid crystal display. The liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal cell, a light source, a first polarizing plate placed between the liquid crystal cell and the light source, and a second polarizing plate placed on a viewer side of the liquid crystal cell. The first polarizing plate includes a polarizer and a first protective film placed on a light source side principal surface of the first protective film, and the first protective film satisfies following relations: (i) 0 nm?Re1?3000 nm; (ii) Nz1?5; and (iii) Rth1>2500 nm.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thin polarizing film which has only a small environmental load and has excellent optical characteristics. The thin polarizing film is produced by forming a polyvinyl alcohol-based resin layer on a thermoplastic resin substrate. The thin polarizing film has a thickness of 10 ?m or less, a single axis transmittance of 42.0% or more, a polarization degree of 99.95% or more, and an iodine content of 17.6 grams per 400×700 square millimeters or less, which is measured by an ion chromatography method.

Abstract: Provided are a cutting information determination method that can use a simpler process to improve yield, and a strip-shaped polarizing sheet manufacturing method using such a method, an optical display unit manufacturing method using such a method, a strip-shaped polarizing sheet, and a polarizing sheet material. A cutting position in the width direction A2, in which a polarizing sheet material MP is to be cut along its longitudinal direction A1, is determined based on the numbers of defects counted with respect to plural points in the width direction A2 of the polarizing sheet material MP. This makes it possible to determine the cutting position in such a way that a region with many defects does not fall within the cut width, so that a higher-yield cutting position can be determined. The cutting position can also be determined using a simple process in which defects are counted with respect to plural points in the width direction A2.

Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal display in which occurrence of iridescent unevenness is suppressed, even when a film with high level of mechanical properties, chemical resistance and water-barrier properties is used as a polarizer-protective-film. Also, disclosed is a polarizing plate to be used in the liquid crystal display. The liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal cell, a light source, a first polarizing plate placed between the liquid crystal cell and the light source, and a second polarizing plate placed on a viewer side of the liquid crystal cell. The first polarizing plate includes a polarizer and a first protective film placed on a light source side principal surface of the first protective film, and the first protective film satisfies following relations: (i) 0 nm?Re1?3000 nm; (ii) Nz1?5; and (iii) Rth1>2500 nm.

Abstract: Provided is an image display device including an image display cell and a polarizing plate placed on a viewer side of the image display cell. The first polarizing plate includes a polarizer and a first protective film. The first protective film is placed on a viewer-side principal surface of the polarizer and satisfies following relations: (i) 0 nm?Re1?3000 nm; (ii) Nz1?7; and (iii) Rth1>2500 nm. Re1, Rth1 and Nz1 are defined by following equations: Re1=(nx1?ny1)d1; Rth1=(nx1?nz1)d1; and Nz1=Rth1/Re1, wherein d1 represents a thickness of the first protective film, nx1 represents a refractive index in a direction of an in-plane slow axis of the protective film, ny1 represents a refractive index in a direction of an in-plane fast axis of the protective film, and nz1 represents a refractive index in a direction of the thickness of the protective film.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal panel, in which a color shift in an oblique direction is small even when observed from any azimuth angle of 0° to 360°, and the viewing angle in the horizontal direction is wide.

Abstract: There is provided a retardation film including a stretched film of a polymer film having an absolute value of photoelastic coefficient (m2/N) of 50×10?12 or less measured by using light of a wavelength of 550 nm at 23° C., which satisfies the following expressions (1) and (2): Re[450]<Re[550]<Re[650]??(1) Rth[550]<Re[550]??(2). In the expressions (1) and (2): Re[450], Re[550], and Re[650] respectively represent in-plane retardation values measured by using light of wavelengths of 450 nm, 550 nm, and 650 nm at 23° C.; and Rth[550] represents a thickness direction retardation value measured by using light of a wavelength of 550 nm at 23° C.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal panel, in which a color shift in an oblique direction is small even when observed from any azimuth angle of 0° to 360°, and the viewing angle in the horizontal direction is wide.

Abstract: There is provided a retardation film including a stretched film of a polymer film having an absolute value of photoelastic coefficient (m2/N) of 50×10?12 or less measured by using light of a wavelength of 550 nm at 23° C., which satisfies the following expressions (1) and (2): Re[450]<Re[550]<Re[650]??(1) Rth[550]<Re[550]??(2). In the expressions (1) and (2): Re[450], Re[550], and Re[650] respectively represent in-plane retardation values measured by using light of wavelengths of 450 nm, 550 nm, and 650 nm at 23° C.; and Rth[550] represents a thickness direction retardation value measured by using light of a wavelength of 550 nm at 23° C.