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lighting posts

Don't let retailer's lights distract you from buying the right HDTV

by Richard Lawler posted Aug 10th 2009 at 5:01PM


In case you hadn't already learned your lesson and started checking behind the displays while HDTV shopping, the HD Guru points out another element of the in-store experience that throws off buyers (and likely contributes to the LCD vs. plasma choices we find so infuriating): lighting. In case you don't recall from your last trek to a big box superstore, the lighting is quite often stuck on blinding making it nearly impossible to discern any difference in picture quality between televisions, specifically in terms of contrast and black levels (the pictures above are of the same value priced display, at left, under normal home lighting, at right, how it looks under some store lighting setups.) Tested with an illuminance meter, all the stores (except Best Buy's Magnolia showrooms) averaged well above home ambient lighting levels, with Wal-Mart and Costco measuring the highest at 411.66 and 742.77 lux. Still, there's tips on how to get a good idea of a TV's black levels even under those circumstances, plus some choice words left over for the incredible (and useless) dynamic contrast ratio numbers every manufacturer trots out these days, so go ahead and get educated.

LG world's thinnest LCD is only 0.23 inches thick

by Richard Lawler posted May 19th 2009 at 1:04AM


Looks like we've got a new record holder for world's thinnest LCD, as LG pegs its new 42- and 47-inch models at only 5.9mm thick. Apparently lacking an iPhone for the accepted measurement of thinness, this model was reduced to holding up a coin for an example of LG's edge LED lit prowess. Though you may prefer local dimming LEDs, DisplayBlog is hopeful we'll see a combo of the two lighting schemes bringing thinness and high picture quality next year. Meanwhile, compare these to JVC's magnetically mounted former champ, measuring a now-widebody 7mm thick, but at only 5kg, still holding a weight edge over these two at 6.1 and 7.3kg, respectively. LG promises 120Hz refresh technology and 80% of the NTSC color gamut, up from 72% on standard models, on these, but we'll wait for them to go from the demo stand to the store shelf before revisiting the question of whether thinner and more energy efficient is actually better.

[Via DisplayBlog]

Scientists purportedly improve blue OLED efficiency by 25%

by Darren Murph posted Mar 23rd 2009 at 3:43AM


The holy grail of OLED is upon us. With scientists around the world working to improve efficiency of the short-lived blue OLED in order to better align with lifespans of the green and red counterparts, a team from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has reportedly taken a huge leap in solving the whole thing. These gurus have conjured up new host materials for a blue phosphorescent OLED that's at least 25 percent more efficient than existing blue OLEDs, but regrettably, details beyond that are few and far between. Word on the street has it that PNNL scientists are expected to gather and discuss the findings before heading to a meeting of the American Chemical Society later this spring, and we'll be crossing our fingers that whatever they've found is both a) cheap and b) easily implementable.

[Via OLED-Display]

Philips to launch Ambilight successor Aurea

by Erik Hanson posted Aug 15th 2007 at 5:47PM

Philips Aurea
Consumer electronics manufacturer Philips will demo their successor to Ambilight -- the ambient lighting technology that generates light effects on the sides of a television -- at European expo IFA on August 30. The new technology, named Aurea, will be featured using a film by director Wong Kar called Seduction by Light. From early photos, the new sets incorporate the lighting directly into the frame, instead of using the previous method of a glass frame around the set.




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