14 DAY TRIAL // Seeing that its LED-backlit LCD HDTV concepts received positive critique last fall, Samsung unofficially took the wraps off several new LED panels this week at the 2007 International Conference and Exhibition on Display LEDs (ICDL) in Seoul this week.
The most impressive model was a 40-inch LCD panel destined for the HDTV market. The display is capable of 500 cd/m2 of brightness, 180-degree viewing angle, and 1366 x 768 pixel (720p) HD resolution. This is a widescreen panel which offers an outstanding 100,000:1 contrast ratio, achieved via a local dimming LED backlighting.
Unlike conventional LCD panels which incorporate cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) backlights and tend to have lower contrast because the light source is constant and subject to unnatural colors or dark grays instead of blacks, the new local dimming LEDs allow the backlight to be turned off in specific dark image areas, generating true blacks.
According to Samsung, "the LED LCD HDTV also brings a new level to the clarity of moving images, based on Samsung's exclusive LCD 100 Hz video quality enhancement technology. A TV screen displays about 50 frames per second, which can create drag in fast-moving videos. Samsung's LCD 100 Hz inserts a frame between each two frames, considerably reducing motion blur. The inserted frame maintains the detailed motion characteristic of the video, and goes through motion estimation and compensation processing."
In addition to the HDTV model, Samsung also showcased a high resolution 30-inch LCD LED-backlit panel aimed at the PC market. This one sports a 2560x1600 (WQXGA) resolution, supporting 16.7M colors, 300cd/m2 brightness, 6ms response, 180-degee viewing angle, and a 900:1 contrast ratio. Samsung also took the opportunity to display a 15.4-inch, 1440x900 resolution LED-backlit LCD panel, which makes for a portable model. Its 5.8-mm thickness and low 3.1W power consumption aim for the notebook market, offering 330cd/m2 brightness, 262k colors and a 45% coverage for the NTSC color gamut.