Since the demand for high-definition displays has reached an unprecedented level throughout the world, display technologies are constantly evolving, most manufacturers and researchers being engaged in a constant race for market leadership and the development of the best possible solutions in this field. And one of the latest breakthroughs in this particular segment comes from Dolby and SIM2, who have just announced the joint development of a very impressive HDR LCD prototype, capable of delivering nothing less than...an infinite contrast ratio.

Dolby's HDR technologies utilize the capabilities of LED-based backlight units (BLUs) to provide a very high contrast combined with crisp brightness. As part of the collaboration effort, SIM2 designed and developed the BLU, which drives the electronics of the LCD display plus the BLU and BLU thermal management system.

"This prototype is a stunning example of what Dolby's HDR technologies can bring to the LCD market," said Bharath Rajagopalan, Senior Marketing Manager, HDR, Dolby Laboratories. "We welcome the opportunity to showcase our innovative technology that delivers a dramatic improvement to LCD displays."

But just how dramatic is this improvement? Well, according to the companies' joint statement, the prototype offers a set of very interesting features, as the LCD panel generates a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, fitting a native 16:9 aspect ratio. Furthermore, the 1,838 LEDs included in the device lead to an overall brightness level of over 4000 cd/m2, 16 bits of luminance, a luminance uniformity of more than 95% through the LCD panel and, as mentioned right from the start, what Dolby and SIM2 call an infinite contrast ratio (although this particular claim should be taken with a rather large boulder of salt).

Additionally, the prototype also incorporates the Xilinx Virtex field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) chipset, which has been recently approved by Dolby for HDR innovations and enables the implementation of Dolby's complex high-dynamic-range algorithms in the SIM2 display.

"This prototype exemplifies SIM2's ability to incorporate breakthrough technology into its electronics and optical design, providing-once again-a stunning display that will be a key reference for next-generation LCD displays," said Domenico Toffoli, Director, Professional Systems Business Unit, SIM2. "We are proud to be the first to support the development of a technology of this stature."

Quite obviously, since this is only a prototype, it will be some time before a product offering at least some of the aforementioned features will actually hit the shelves. Nevertheless, the cornerstone (or better said, "corner-LED") for this technology is already in place, which gives us, the consumers, some pretty good prospects for the future.

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