Introduction
Welcome to Another Edition of rAVe Editorial: The Final Sayye by Gary Kayye
Hey, This Networking Thing's Catching On
Please Adopt It, Quickly
Kayye Consulting's AVJob Resume Posting Service
News: 1. Tech Data Nudges IT Dealers Into AV
2. Announcement From VMI Co.: Passing of Bob Bergfeld
3. NEC to Continue U.S. Plasma Display Sales
4. Clear Call Gives Everyone an Equal Voice
5. Extend Electronics Fixes PC-Audio Buzz
6. Casio Enters 4-Pound Projector Category and Intros 5-Pound 3800 ANSI Projector
7. Atlas Sound Introduces Distributed Audio System with Built-In Matrix
8. InFocus Launches Systems Integration Program, Announces Wireless-Ready Entry Projectors
9. Silicon Optix Acquires Liesegang Electronics GmbH
10. Clarity, InFocus to Co-Develop Signage Displays
11. Clarity Also in Deal With SMART for Interactive Digital Signage
12. Kodak Demonstrates New 3-D Display System
13. ClearOne Introduces XAP Net Control Interface for XAP and PSR Audio Products
14. DPI Develops Smaller DLP Cinema Projector
15. Panasonic Announces Scala-Enabled Computer, Displays
16. Fujitsu Announces Upgraded Plasmavision Monitors
17. EZWatch Pro Provides Turnkey Digital Surveillance
18. SMART Adds Sympodium Interactive Lectern Model
19. TI Says DLP Cinema Catching on Overseas
20. Projection Summit Explores Channel
21. InFocus Helps ProAV Channel With Government Bids
22. Firefly MZ Provides Multi-Zone Control, Internet Management
23. TANDBERG Targets Justice System Inmates With Video Tools
24. Sony Introduces Robotic Color Video Camera
Feature Article Feature Article Display Technology Shoot-Out
Comparing CRT, LCD, Plasma and DLP Displays
Dr. Raymond M. Soneira
President, DisplayMate Technologies Corp.
Copyright © 2004 DisplayMate Technologies Corp. Part I – The Primary Specs | |
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Introduction Welcome to Volume 2, Issue 6!
Well, we're in the middle of AV trade show season with NSCA behind us and InfoComm ahead of us. All this while the market seems to be, dare I say, booming again. By most accounts, Q1 2004 will finish well ahead of last year, but bookings for Q2 are through the roof for virtually everyone – US, Europe, Asia, Canada, everywhere. This bodes well for innovation and technology as well. As product sales pick up, innovation always follows. Expect to see some creative new technological products pushing the envelope at InfoComm in Atlanta in June (you're all coming, right? [insert YES here] On to this issue of rAVe: NSCA was a very good, solid show for 2004. Attendance was estimated to be right at 10,700, setting a new show record, everyone was there and it produced a number of new products. My personal favorite was actually a rather simple product from a virtually unknown manufacturer and I almost totally missed it while walking the show floor. It's called Clear Call and it's something that anyone who's ever used teleconferencing can use [read about it below]. Finally, this issue of rAVe brings an announcement of the passing of another industry veteran, Bob Bergfeld. VMI of St. Louis was kind enough to allow us to re-publish their announcement about Bob's death. Our hearts go out to Bob's family and the VMI family as well. — Gary Kayye, CTS
Editorial The Final Sayye by Gary Kayye Hey, This Networking Thing's Catching On Please Adopt It, Quickly By Gary Kayye, CTS Reprinted with permission from Sound & Communications magazine. If you're a regular reader of rAVe and INS Asia, you know I've been a huge proponent of networked AV systems for years. Ever since Sony hit the market with their first networked projector, I've had a vision where the ProAV market could integrate networked AV gear and use it to create a completely new revenue stream. In the beginning, networked AV gear consisted only of networked projectors. And, rightly so, the application for doing this was questionable. Why would anyone want to network a projector and where's the value in the additional 15-20% up-charge for a network projector? And, interestingly enough, the application that most manufacturers "pushed' as a value to networking was the one that's still, three years later, not caught on – pushing PowerPoint slides via the network without the need for a VGA cable. Don't get me wrong, it will catch on, eventually, but that's still a few years away. But, since that first Sony FX-50 hit the market, there's been a steady stream of networked projectors to enter the market and, as most of you know by now, we have a market where every major manufacturer of projectors has one. And, most have over 75% of their product line networkable. So, now what? Well, we're almost there. Now we can network projectors but also switchers, screens, lighting control, plasmas and LCD monitors and, of course, control systems. And, that's the key. You see networking all this stuff is useless without networking the entire system. Why? Well, remote management of a projector is cool, but isn't everything. Sure, in the case of the thousands of Christie Digital DLP projectors in Regal Cinema theaters across the country limiting remote control and management to the projector is justified and logical as all they need to do is turn on and off the projectors between the showing of the films and they can manage lamp life. But, in the case of the University of South Carolina and the University of Washington and the 60 or so campuses I have visited over the past seven months, they want to manage everything – projectors, plasmas, switchers, lighting, screens, room scheduling, room set-up, operation and control. Their AV departments want to completely manage those campuses remotely. And, they're willing to pay for it. So, it's time to start integrating it. Sure, it starts with the hardware and manufacturers like Crestron and AMX to have management tools that allow you to manage not only the projector via the network, but every piece of AV gear in a facility-wide and campus-wide application via a network connection using a single PC, laptop, PDA or even a phone. Each manufacturer's tools are different and they're not created equally, but I'm not going to get into those details here. So, do your homework and figure out which tool is better for you. But, either way, the solution exists and it's ready for prime time. So, why should the AV integrator care? Well, that's my point. Networking all the AV gear on campus or corporate-wide provides an AV integration firm the opportunity to build a completely new revenue stream with higher margin potential than simply selling the gear. And, it's a revenue stream that's continuous, billed monthly. It's a service model that's profitable. And, it's real. Just ask Scott Walker, principal at Atlanta-based Waveguide Consulting who recently told me he's integrating network management into almost 100% of the systems he designs and has been for months. Ask Kevin Thompson, president of Virginia-based Whitlock Group whose vision and application in networking AV systems is clear and already profitable. And, ask Max Kopsho at Christie Digital who designed the Regal Cinema's AV network. Ask SPL, ask AVI and ask my partner Jody Thomas who's been helping integration firms set up profitable service departments for two years – firms that now have the capability to make revenue selling the service of networked AV systems. These aren't visionary looks into the future any longer; the future is here. Networking AV systems is really a precursor to the future of the ProAV dealership. I know many of you reading this may not want to hear this, but I am convinced that in the next few years it's going to be virtually impossible to sell ProAV systems profitably without a service revenue model. The gear's going to get less and less profitable because of competition and availability. It's, unfortunately, going to follow the path of the projector. And take this seriously. I've been saying this for years, much to the dismay of some ProAV integration firms who believe my ideas about networking AV are premature. Some think it's too early to try to sell and integrate it. The most recent letter I received was eleven weeks ago from a guy who explained to me that he didn't see any of his clients buying a service like AV network management. He was a regional manager at MCSi.
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Kayye Consulting offers a resume posting service for readers. While we include the location of the candidate, please remember that many candidates are willing to relocate. Here is a sample of the job-seekers located in the current Kayye Consulting's AVJobs listings. See them all at http://www.kayye.com/resources/av_jobs.asp
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News Have a news tip? Send them to rAVe Editor-in-Chief Denise Harrison — dharrison@kayye.com
1. Tech Data Nudges IT Dealers Into AV
As we all know, IT integrators are coming after the ProAV business. For several years now, we've known that IT/AV integration was inevitable and we've strongly suggested that AV dealers make networks part of the business – at Kayye Consulting, we've even been teaching courses on AV/IT integration of ProAV gear for two years. Now, the pressure is really on. Tech Data, one of the largest electronics distributors, is not only urging its IT dealers to get into AV, the company set up a special Digital Environments Specialized Business Unit for training and to serve as a one-stop shop for products, services, support and accessories. Right now, the focus seems to be on the home theater electronics market but you can bet those IT companies will get trained, learn the products and make a beeline to their corporate clients as well. Here's proof: "Tech Data is committed to providing our resellers with the support they need to tackle the digital environments market," said Karl Werner, director of Tech Data's Advanced Technologies Group. "Our new Digital Environments SBU will focus on the needs of resellers serving home builders, audio/video professionals, security providers and others looking to capitalize on this growing market segment." What to do? Partner and perhaps even merge with the best IT companies in your area. For more information, go to http://www.techdata.com/content/visitor/communic/com_pr040309.aspx
2. Announcement From VMI Co.: Passing of Bob Bergfeld Thank you to VMI for sending this to us to publish for our readers. BOB BERGFELD Friend, Customer, Vendor, Colleague On January 31, Bob Bergfeld lost his battle with Cancer. Bob was 58. He had been diagnosed in January of 2003. Bob leaves behind, wife Karen, daughter Amy and son Christopher as well as countless family, friends and colleague's who will miss him dearly. Bob first met David Rauth over 30 years ago when Bob was working for Goldstein Telstar, a camera and TV store located just off Grand and Dave was working for S/C Electronics. Eventually, Bob went to work for Alexander Electronics and he and Dave worked together on many projects. After leaving Alexander, he worked briefly for Raymer-Anderson, which later became Communitronics. In the late 70's he was hired to be the Midwest District Sales Manager for Sony Electronics. Bob excelled at this position, receiving Sony's highly prestigious and rarely bestowed Samurai Award.
In 1985, Bob came to work for VMI. He was brought on to create a market for the new computer assisted video products that were being developed. Bob held many roles at VMI, from sales engineer to sales manager. "Probably the crown jewel of all of Bob's accomplishments," says David Rauth, "was the Telecommunity Center project." The Southwestern Bell TeleCommunity Center is an "information-age" community center providing public access computers, internet access, videoconferencing, and technical training. This system consists of 7 locations throughout the state of Missouri. Bob worked on the design and oversaw the installation of all of the videoconferencing equipment utilized in the system. Bob retired from VMI in 1996 to start Presentation Systems Design, a consultation and design firm. Through PSD, Bob continued to work, under contract with VMI, with many of the government accounts with which he had built relationships with over the years. Bob continued to work until mid-January, when his health made it impossible to continue. When Bob passed, VMI lost more than an associate. Bob was and will always be a member of the VMI family. From customer to vendor to employee Bob Bergfeld was one of a kind and his countless contributions to our lives will never be forgotten. We miss you Bob!
3. NEC to Continue U.S. Plasma Display Sales Although Pioneer bought NEC's plasma manufacturing business, NEC says the company will continue to sell 42", 50" and 61" plasma displays and others, as they become relevant and important to the Americas market. NEC will have an OEM deal with Pioneer so that, as of now and when the acquisition is finalized at the end of this month, NEC's product availability and support will basically remain unchanged. Pioneer management in Japan states, "After the acquisition, NEC will be an extremely important customer for Pioneer and we will continue to supply NEC-branded plasma display panels from the Kagoshima plant." NEC will retain resources in Japan to continue the growth and development of NEC-branded displays. I can't help but think that if this is the case, why did NEC sell that business? I am sure there is more to this than we are seeing and we understand. Basically, this makes NEC a master distributor. But, NEC's been a plasma marketing leader for years and I am confident that they will remain there whether they are a manufacturer or not. But, as LCD becomes a greater industry force and, eventually, OLED debuts, NEC will need to place greater focus on these new technologies – something that would be difficult to do if you're a leading plasma manufacturer. For more information, go to http://www.necsam.com
4. Clear Call Gives Everyone an Equal Voice Most conference calls have at least one person you can't hear and one person that's too loud. How many times have you wondered, "What did he just say?" or asked, "Can you repeat that?" This happens on all speakerphones and even the most expensive conference phones. Clear Call solves this problem by automatically adjusting the loudness of each individual caller to an optimal level so everyone can be heard. Clear Call will normalize any bridged conference call, no matter how many parties are on the line. Callers can be soft-spoken or practically shouting; on a cell phone or dialing in from Paris – with Clear Call everyone sounds loud and clear. I was browsing the smaller booths at NSCA and came across this little box and it works incredibly well. I am sure this is something every ProAV dealer can use and would use on any and all conferencing installs. It's like having a compressor/limiter on each conference phone (video or audio). For more information, go to: http://www.octiv.com/ 5. Extend Electronics Fixes PC-Audio Buzz If you've ever connected a PC's audio output to a building with a poorly designed distributed audio system then you know what's going to happen: Buzz. It's technically called Hum and it can happen in almost any PC-audio application. Well, little-known Extend Electronics has the solution in a box they call The Hummm Eliminator. The Passive Hummm Eliminator features a PC-audio input, stereo or mono outputs, a 20dB cut switch (allowing input to be on either line or mic connections) and XLR connectivity outputs; all in an 8-oz. package. Check out the Hummm Eliminator at: http://www.extendelectronics.com/cue-lights.html 6. Casio Enters 4-Pound Projector Category and Intros 5-Pound 3800 ANSI Projector The new Casio XJ-350 claims to have 2200 ANSI lumens and 1000:1 contrast ratio using a 200watt mercury lamp. The native XGA resolution DLP-based XJ-350 includes all the bells and whistles of any portable projector including zoom, a 30-degree vertical keystone adjustment and inputs that include video,
S-Video and RGBHV as well as an HD analog input. In addition to their 4-pounder, Casio also introduced a 5-pound, 2800 ANSI lumen (using a 250watt mercury lamp), 1000:1 contrast ratio, XGA resolution DLP projector in the XJ-450 model. More on the Casio line-up can be found at: http://www.casioprojector.com
7. Atlas Sound Introduces Distributed Audio System with Built-In Matrix This one is hard to write about. Basically, imagine your typical distributed audio system for a convention center, a divisible meeting room or even a hotel. With most distributed audio systems in applications like the ones mentioned above, you need both the capability to address all speakers simultaneously or via zones. So, you put in an audio matrix switcher to handle routing ins and outs to the correct speaker zones or arrays. Well, Atlas Sound's new VARIZONE is a completely new public address system concept. Think of the VARIZONE audio system as a cross between a standard distributed audio system and an audio matrix. The VARIZONE system allows your distributed audio system to be divided up into zones so that any source can be fed to any zone – like a matrix switcher would – but all without the switcher. It uses an IP-addressable mainframe that allows you to wire up the speakers virtually the same way you would a standard 70-volt audio system. Some of the benefits of the product line are Individual surveillance, routing of all audio signals to any speaker, comprehensive control management and redundancy. VARIZONE technology uses an IP addressable, remote controllable, Windows-based host PC with proprietary I/O cards. The cards route multiple channels of digital audio to addressable amplifier modules via standard CAT5 or twisted pair speaker cable. The VARIZONE system, OEM'd from Germany-based Klotz Digital, is new so there's nothing on the Atlas Sound web site except the news release, But watch out for it soon. And I'm sure it will be emulated by others as it's a great simplification concept for ProAV audio installations. Atlas Sound is at: http://www.atlassound.com
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8. InFocus Launches Systems Integration Program, Announces Wireless-Ready Entry Projectors The new Systems Integration Program from InFocus includes InFocus- and Proxima-branded products, a sales support program, technical product training, design assistance and application consulting. They also added a specification rebate program and 60-day DOA policy. This announcement is awesome for the ProAV market. Now the leader in portable projectors will offer a killer line-up of products, dedicated resources and programs to finally become a serious contender in the large-screen display systems integration and installation market And, now that they've got the most exciting and innovative flat-panel display on the market in a long time, this can only mean great things for the ProAV dealer. InFocus plans to expand its large-format display products to include commercial thin displays ranging from 30" to 70" The company is actually staffing this program with people who are available exclusively to participating integrators. InFocus also announced new entry-level, wireless-ready projectors, the InFocus LP815 and ASK Proxima C410. Both projectors are specified at 2800 lumens and have three optional lenses to accommodate all room sizes, and user-replaceable bayonet lenses that can be changed without special tools or training. These, like all InFocus installation projectors, are wireless-ready and support LiteShow, the secure wireless digital projection solution by InFocus which allows users to securely project from PCs anywhere in the room on a shared projector. The projectors are also compatible with ProjectorNet, InFocus' client/server-based networking solution designed to allow IT and facilities personnel to manage multiple projectors from a single PC. For more information, go to http://www.infocus.com/partnercentral
9. Silicon Optix Acquires Liesegang Electronics GmbH Silicon Optix, a fabless semiconductor company, acquired Hanover, Germany-based Liesegang electronics GmbH. Liesegang electronics is a front projection company that has developed a number of technologies, including multiple generations of system platforms and ASIC display engines. With this acquisition, Silicon Optix plans to develop electronics subsystems and system-on-a-chip semiconductors for the front projection and rear projection display markets. The company will continue operations in Germany, under the name Silicon Optix GmbH, and Hamid Farzaneh, Silicon Optix's executive vice president of sales and business development, will be Silicon Optix GmbH's managing director. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. For more information, go to http://www.siliconoptix.com
10. Clarity, InFocus to Co-Develop Signage Displays Clarity and InFocus will jointly develop large and more compact signage displays for the commercial and government markets. Clarity will build the displays using the patent-pending InFocus Engine based on DLP technology. (The same engine is used in the new InFocus ScreenPlay television.) The new displays will be marketed to Clarity's digital signage and retail customers, such as banks, retail, etc. They plan to make the displays thinner and larger (up to 70") than is currently available in the market. Co-development work with InFocus has begun and the new displays are expected in the latter half of 2004. They will be sold via Clarity's existing re-seller and systems integration channels. For more information, go to http://www.clarityvisual.com/news/pressroom/0403/0312_InFocus.asp
11. Clarity Also in Deal With SMART for Interactive Digital Signage Clarity is on a roll with partnerships – this one is with SMART Technologies, which integrated the company's interactive overlay with Clarity's Bobcat 40-inch LCD digital signage display. Clarity will distribute and market the Bobcat with its integrated touch screen through its dealer and integration channels. Clarity is targeting any public environment for the solution. One example they cite is a store that could let customers touch the relevant icon on the large interactive screen to find certain products in the store. They could also pull up a map to locate various sections within the shop. When not in use, it could display digital signage. For more information, go to http://www.clarityvisual.com/news/pressroom/
12. Kodak Demonstrates New 3-D Display System Is Kodak going to try and get into displays for the fourth time? Kodak is expecting to attract video-game players, scientists, medical researchers, and engineers with its new 3D technology. The company recently showed the first prototype of the Stereoscopic Imaging Display system at one trade show this month and the Game Developers Conference, happening now. The Stereoscopic Imaging Display system produces a wide field of view, three-dimensional (3D) stereo image. This technology has uses in professional display applications, such as simulation, but the big use (and most lucrative one) is the consumer gaming channel. "Unlike other 3D imaging systems, which rely on a barrier screen placed over an existing monitor, the Kodak display is an entirely new concept," said Lawrence Henderson, vice president and director, new business ventures, Eastman Kodak Company. "Kodak's Stereoscopic Imaging Display system maintains full image resolution and creates a very wide field of view. The display brings a new level of realism to the 3D visual experience, capitalizing on Kodak's extensive research and development." The way it works is that the user sits in front of a system that creates a virtual image of two high-resolution LCD displays, one for each eye. The user looks into two "floating balls of light" that provide each eye a view of a magnified image of a display. The combination of the wide field of view and virtual image eliminates the sources of eyestrain found in other autostereoscopic systems, according to Kodak. "Kodak's Stereoscopic Imaging Display system also has a unique viewing zone, which makes it easy to see the "sweet spot" of an image while maintaining image quality across the entire viewing zone." The desktop display has a field of view that measures 45 degrees by 36 degrees, and a resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels. The user peers through large, 32 mm viewing pupils that give the viewer the feeling of floating in a movie theater about 1.5 screen heights away from the screen. Kodak can adjust the scale of this system to increase or reduce the display resolution to accommodate different applications. For more information, go to http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/pressReleases/pr20040315-01.shtml
13. ClearOne Introduces XAP Net Control Interface for XAP and PSR Audio Products ClearOne announced at NSCA a control interface for remote access (LAN and Internet) to ClearOne's audio products. With XAP Net, users can remotely program, upgrade or perform system diagnostics on any of ClearOne's XAP or PSR systems. It also helps with firmware upgrades and speeds up upgrades and configurations. ClearOne designed XAP Net to integrate easily into the LAN, then any PC on the network with ClearOne's G-Ware configuration software can be used to create or adjust system settings, route audio inputs, view meters, and upgrade firmware. XAP Net also has a built-in Web server for accessing the audio system over the Internet without having to use G-Ware. XAP Net will be sold as an accessory to ClearOne's XAP and PSR products, and it can be used with both new and existing systems. For more information, go to http://www.clearone.com/about/press_room/news.php
14. DPI Develops Smaller DLP Cinema Projector Digital Projection International introduced a new DLP Cinema projector for smaller cinema screens in settings such as auditoriums and post-production houses. The iS8-2K is similar to the company's new iS15-2K. Size is 29.6in(L) x 22.1in(W) x 15.8in(H). There is a market for such a product, depending on the price (which they didn't release!). We will, however, follow-up on this story and bring you more specs and a review as soon as we've got them.
For more information, go to http://www.digitalprojection.com/news/newsarchives/iS8.htm
15. Panasonic Announces Scala-Enabled Computer, Displays Panasonic has a new computer that is already loaded with Scala InfoChannel Player 3 software. The PLUG-VC250XS "computer on a board" makes it a little easier on installers to set up a Scala digital signage system. In a conventional system installation, you would need to install the InfoChannel Player 3 software into a PC and then place the PC next to each display. You would need additional hardware to house the PC, and power and additional cabling are required between the PC and the display (VGA, Serial control, etc). But here, you have a turnkey solution with the computer, Panasonic's plasma displays and the Scala software. The PLUG-VC250XS "computer on a board" installs right into the interchangeable multi-function slots of Panasonic's 42" and 50" 6-series plasma displays. Users just plug it into the interchangeable slot of a Panasonic plasma display and connect it with an Ethernet cable. The power is supplied by the plasma display to the PLUG-VC250XS internally. After a couple of initial set-up steps, the display is ready to work in the SCALA network environment. The PLUG-VC250XS has a Pentium-M 900MHz CPU, 256MB RAM memory, 30 GB Hard Drive and network interfaces including two PCMCIA slots, two USB ports, a serial control port and an Ethernet LAN port. The PLUG-VC250XS is pre-installed with the Windows XP Embedded Operating System as well as the Scala software. For more information, go to http://www.scala.com/news/
16. Fujitsu Announces Upgraded Plasmavision Monitors Fujitsu announced three upgraded 16:9 aspect ratio plasma monitors – the 50-inch P50XCA30WH ($10,999), and the 42-inch P42HCA30WH ($6,999) and P42VCA30WH ($4,999). They are designed for commercial and corporate digital signage applications. The new plasma displays include the company's AVM (Advanced Video Movement) digital video processor (fancy name for a scaler) and 10-bit video processing. I have to admit, Fujtsu's release included a bunch of specs and features that are common to each and every plasma on the market, but reading their press release, you'd think they were unique only to Fujitsu – so I decided not to re-hash them all here, but rest assured that every feature everyone else has, they have. While I've got your attention for a moment, maybe this is a good time to stop and think about the plasma market for a minute. Where is it heading? Is it going to stay a ProAV-integratable display or be displaced by the burn-in-less LCD? Or maybe OLED one day? What's interesting and should certainly be noted is that the price of plasma will keep it around for a while. No matter the limitations of plasma (i.e. burn-in), the positives still outweigh its potential demise in ProAV applications (colorimetry is awesome and you can't beat the cost). So, don't count plasma as down and out as I suspect it will be around for a long while. There are a heck of a lot of cost-sensitive applications around and color-accurate applications abound in the home for sure. Oh, for more information on those three Fujitsus, go to http://www.plasmavision.com
17. EZWatch Pro Provides Turnkey Digital Surveillance EZWatch Pro is designed for smaller businesses and homeowners who need affordable surveillance systems. This one is priced under $400 and includes everything needed to support a four-camera system — server software for 4, 8, 12 and 16 cameras, remote dial-up and alarm monitoring software, network and internet access software, a four camera video input board with BNC connectors, a Quick Start Guide and Instruction Manual. EZWatch Pro works on a standard Windows-based PC. The PC holds up to about 60 days' worth of video and the recordings are viewed in Windows Media Player. The system can be set up to allow only some people to see certain cameras – important where privacy is an issue. The high-resolution recording allows 15 different recording speeds and digital zoom, along with audio recording, alarm monitoring and adjustable motion detection settings. For more information, go to http://www.ezwatchstore.com/
18. SMART Adds Sympodium Interactive Lectern Model Everything you ever wanted added to the Sympodium, just got added. SMART Technologies announced the Sympodium L250, which uses a Sympodium interactive pen display mounted on an adjustable arm, a multimedia switch, and the SMART Board software. The presenter uses the pen to launch and control computer applications and to write over the data while a projector displays the information on a larger screen. The multimedia switch lets the presenter switch sources, such as computer, laptop or document camera. And the lectern comes with all the functionality of SMART Board interactive whiteboard. The lectern is mobile with lockable casters and has plenty of storage for computers and peripherals. It also has cable raceways as well as a concealable connection panel for data, audio and video connections. The Sympodium L250 interactive lectern will start shipping in April 2004 at MSRP of $7,999. Not-for-profit educational institutions can apply for a grant through the SMARTer Kids Foundation to get the lectern for $6,399. For more information, go to http://www.smarttech.com/sympodium
19. TI Says DLP Cinema Catching on Overseas TI announced at ShoWest that DLP Cinema has a number of new fans overseas, including the UK Film Council with plans for 250 units, China Film Group with 20 installations in February, 54 total, Singapore, installing 20 by summer and Belgium, Korea, Japan, Thailand and Taiwan with more plans for DLP Cinema installations as well. TI also says that international studio distributors and exhibitors are using the DLP Cinema CineCanvas subtitling, which allows for instantaneous subtitling of digital movies in any language with the flip of a switch, so no need to create master "prints" in subtitle regions. Disney/Buena Vista International has used this for movies such as Finding Nemo and Pirates of the Caribbean in Belgium, Korea, Thailand and Hong Kong. The total number of installed DLP Cinema projectors is now at 210 worldwide and 105 movies have been released in all-digital form, including Star Wars: Episodes I and II, Harry Potter II, Spy Kids I and II, Shrek, Monsters Inc., Brother Bear, Once Upon a Time In Mexico, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and The Last Samurai. For more information on DLP Cinema, go to http://www.dlpcinema.com/
20. Projection Summit Explores Channel The Projection Summit, held in conjunction with InfoComm and now in its third year, will this year focus on the projection supply chain and channel issues in a two-track program. Projection Summit 2004 will be held at the Atlanta World Congress Center on June 7 and 8. There will be combined sessions for keynote speeches and the "Analyst's Debate" session, which features a comparison of worldwide big-screen display forecasts from top market research firms. Confirmed keynotes speakers include Kyle Ranson, president and COO of InFocus and Allen Alley, CEO of Pixelworks. The Supply Chain Track topics include Illumination Systems, Electronics, Microdisplays, Supply Chain Issues, New Projection Technologies and LCOS. The Market/Channel Track includes Digital Signage/Electronic Messaging, IT/AV Convergence, Education, Other Vertical Market Opportunities, Cross-Over Projectors and Big Screen Technology Match up. To see the preliminary agenda, go to
http://www.insightmedia.info/PS04/ps04preliminaryagenda.htm
21. InFocus Helps ProAV Channel With Government Bids InFocus announced a new program that helps dealers sell more easily to government, giving the dealers GSA resources and competitive GSA contract pricing. The InFocus product offerings include a number of solutions suited to government, such as thin displays, meeting and training room projectors and mobile solutions. InFocus points out that government agencies use these for everything from presenting evidence in courtrooms and training military personnel, to providing information to the general public. The new program includes a reseller agent program so that resellers without the GSA Schedule can use the InFocus GSA Schedule. InFocus also offers the extended warranty of one year on all products purchased by government resellers at no additional cost. There is also a reseller teaming agreement that lets resellers sell InFocus products without having to formally add the products to their own GSA Schedules. The BID support program provides InFocus employees/associates to hand over leads to dealers and provide technical support. Resellers who participate in InFocus' government program are qualified by InFocus as expert resources for government customers (i.e., they get referrals), and there are a dedicated InFocus team and Web site for those resellers. For more information, go to http://www.infocus.com/government/index.asp?site_lang=1&site_region=1&
22. Firefly MZ Provides Multi-Zone Control, Internet Management This is something that ProAV dealers should check out. Selling content and services will continue to drive a higher profit model rather than product sales and this is an example of a product that can help get you there. Visual Circuits announced a new digital media player for digital signage – the Firefly MZ. This system, along with Visual Circuits' Media Messenger system management software, lets users partition and resize areas of the display to create zones that accommodate different messages – nice. The company says it gives a "CNN" look to any display, flat panel plasma or LCD, TV, or a kiosk. A variety of file types can be displayed, including scrolling text, Web pages, digital video files, etc. It's available next month for $1,995. For more information, go to http://www.visualcircuits.com/MZ_pr
23. TANDBERG Targets Justice System Inmates With Video Tools TANDBERG developed a new suite of video communication tools specifically for inmates in the judicial systems. Inmates can communicate via video with their lawyers, judges and parole officers for sentencings and hearings, and families and attorneys can meet with inmates by video without having to go to the facility. TANDBERG also points out that the systems help improve public safety by reducing the opportunity for disturbances to and from court and the need for local police to serve as escorts. Arraignments, depositions and visitations can be helped with these systems as can the healthcare personnel assigned to correctional facilities, who are responsible for ensuring that all inmates have a full medical, dental and mental-health examination within 14 days of being admitted. What's especially nice is that children of inmates can communicate with their parent without having to actually to go to the prison or jail. TANDBERG says it developed the systems with the input from judges, court clerks, and correctional professionals. The systems include: Judicator, used by presiding judges, has a 15" LCD display, camera, built-in mic and amplifier. Modular Video System to make court proceedings fully interactive. SL Series, self-contained communication system for visitation, remote arraignment, tele-psychiatry and remote rehabilitation training. Visitation Solution, an IP-based video system with a touch panel for facilitating video visits. For more details, go to http://www.tandberg.net/tb.asp?s=pressrelease&aid={C52737CD-40EE-4027-AF4A-DC7C3E48A167}
24. Sony Introduces Robotic Color Video Camera Sony has a new color video camera, the BRC-300, a robotic camera with pan, tilt and zoom. Target markets include houses of worship, distance learning, corporate production, high-end videoconferencing, event videography and broadcasting. The design allows for desk or ceiling mount. The resolution is 1.07 Mega Pixels produced by the three high-sensitivity 1/4.7-type Advanced HAD CCD sensors, which contribute to low noise even in low light shooting environments. The 3-CCD sensors enable a wider-angle view in the 16:9. It also incorporates a powerful built-in 48X auto focus zoom lens (12X optical, 4X digital). The BRC-300 camera will be available in May for an MSRP of $5,499 For more information, go to http://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/4537
Feature Article
Where Goes Audio? By Gordon Moore When Gary asked me to write a regular column on audio I thought long and hard about where audio was going in the AV world and how to best present it to rAVe readers. I decided the best approach is like Gary – future think, where audio is headed instead of where it is now. As the trade show season begins with NSCA, the time approaches when the audio designer and systems integrators begin to ask what is new and where should their attention be turned in the audio realm this year? What should we as AV providers be looking? First comes the digital vs. analog question. While digital has its attractions, audio is – by its nature – an analog realm. Our ears don't react in 1's and 0's, nor do microphones and speakers. So how far do we need to go with digital in the audio realm? There is considerable debate even now about the upper limits for digitizing audio. Purists are proclaiming that the human ears can perceive the subtle frequencies above the "traditional" 20KHz limit previously established by the audio world. If so, then higher sampling rates become important. If not, sampling rates above 44.1 KHz really don't make a big difference. (The sampling rate determines the upper frequency possible – also known as the Nyqhuist number, it is ½ the sample rate. Therefore, if the sample rate is 44,100/sec, the upper frequency can be no higher than 22,050Hz. 44.1 K/sec is the rate used in normal CD recording). A higher sample size, however, yields better definition of the audio signal – a 16 bit signal is exponential better than an 8 bit signal. So, will a 96 bit word really make an audible difference? The law of diminishing returns begins to take effect – while we will see better audio quality as a result of faster sampling and larger word size, the cost will begin to rise exponentially as you reach for those upper limits. For the designer and systems integrator, these questions may affect systems design and cost – almost certainly as they are fueled by customer demand. One trend you will start to see if the hybridization of digital and analog – using digital where it is best used, and analog where it is best used. A more profound effect on system cost lies in another part of the audio system equation. Control. Simply put, the best audio products will not really differ that much in their functions or the bells and whistles they offer. Where they will distinguish themselves will be in their control functions and simplicity. Audio system cost will not be in the boxes, the signal distribution or the cabling. The cost of writing code will be the driving factor for future products as more systems entail third party control systems. It is not unusual anymore for the cost of controlling the audio to exceed the cost of the equipment being controlled. Automation of complex audio systems and routing made simpler by DSP processing will be the leading edge of audio in the coming years. Audio quality will be a given. Keeping control costs in check will become the deciding factor. Next column – the NSCA audio review. Should you hear of anything new and exciting in audio that warrants attention here, please drop a note to gordonmoore1@msn.com Gordon Moore is Vice President of Sales for Lectrosonics, Inc., an audio manufacturer in Rio Rancho, NM. Gordon is a Senior Faculty Member for the ICIA Academy and was elected ICIA Educator of the Year in 2000. He also sits on the ICIA Professional Education and Training Committee (PETC). He holds a B.S. Degree from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.
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Who is This? There's not just one, but two AV veterans in this photo. Go here to view the photo. Can you pick them out? If so, be the first to tell me by e-mail at gkayye@kayye.com and I'll feature you in the next issue of rAVe as the winner! Make Us Laugh! In many of the Hall of Fame stories we do, we end up getting hilarious stories about mishaps or funny things that have happened on the job. Send in your funniest stories and if we feature you, you'll get a brand new rAVe T-shirt! Send them to dharrison@kayye.com Feature Article Display Technology Shoot-Out
Comparing CRT, LCD, Plasma and DLP Displays
Dr. Raymond M. Soneira
President, DisplayMate Technologies Corp.
Copyright © 2004 DisplayMate Technologies Corp. Part I – The Primary Specs Introduction Ray and I have worked together for may years. DisplayMate produces a special custom version for the ProAV market, called the Kayye Edition, which we carry exclusively. Kayye Consulting also carries the advanced Multimedia Edition of DisplayMate, which we're offering with an exclusive $100 discount for the duration of this three part article series in rAVe. See http://www.kayye.com for details.
We are in a renaissance of display technologies. Ten years ago the CRT was the single prevalent technology. Today CRT, LCD, Plasma, DLP and LCoS are mature and mainstream technologies, with many more trying to emerge from the development lab and into significant market share. With all of these choices come the questions: how do they differ and which one should we get?
To provide some substantive answers we performed an in-depth comparison between these different display technologies in order to analyze the relative strengths and weaknesses of each. (Direct-view and rear-projection units were included but front projectors were excluded.) We used a combination of high-end laboratory instrumentation, advanced diagnostic test patterns, and old fashioned viewing tests to compare them simultaneously in a side-by-side Shoot-Out. We chose the top performer for each technology using our own 2004 DisplayMate Best Video Hardware Guide. The candidates included a 40" direct-view LCD, the NEC LCD4000, a 61" Plasma, NEC 61XM2, a 50" DLP Rear Projection, Optoma RD-50, and a much smaller CRT 19" professional High Definition studio monitor, Sony PVM-20L5, which was used as the reference standard for color and gray-scale accuracy. There are many variations on LCoS, Liquid Crystal on Silicon, but only JVC's D-ILA technology can be classified as mature and mainstream. JVC recently announced rear-projection versions of its D-ILA (a 52" HD-52Z595 and a 61" HD-61Z595), which meet our selection criteria, but aren't included since they won't become available until the summer of 2004. It's important to emphasize that this article is designed as a comparison of four different display technologies and not as an editorial review of the above models. By comparing the top performing model in each technology we are in effect examining the state-of-the-art for that technology. We will be looking at fundamental image and picture quality performance issues and not the implementation idiosyncrasies of any particular model. Outline of the Article:
The article is divided into three parts: in Part I we measure, analyze and compare primary specs like Black-Level, Color Temperature, Peak Brightness, Dynamic Range, and Contrast for each display. In Part II we'll continue with the Gray-Scale, Gamma, Primary Chromaticities and Color Gamut to see how they all affect color accuracy and introduce color hue and saturation errors. In Part III we'll study the complex world of display artifacts – just a fancy name for the image peculiarities – of each technology for both computer and television applications. We'll use diagnostic test patterns, images and a special selection of challenging DVD movies to stress and compare each technology. Instrumentation for Parts I and II:
All of the test patterns were generated with DisplayMate for Windows Multimedia Edition — http://store.kayye.com/kayye/diso.html — on both DVI and component video. For HD signals we used an ATI Radeon 9800 Pro, with an ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter — http://www.ati.com/products/hdtvadapter/features.html — which provides high quality computer generated 720p and 1080i component video outputs YPBPR. We also used a pre-release version of the DisplayMate Professional DVD that has DisplayMate's proprietary test patterns on DVD (available later this year). All of the photometry and colorimetry measurements were made with a Konica Minolta CS-1000, which is a high-end laboratory Spectroradiometer with a narrow 1º acceptance angle for light emitted by the display. Most of the photometers and color analyzers that are used for display measurements are actually accurate only for CRTs because they rely on filters calibrated to the light spectrum of a CRT. They also have broad acceptance angles that are not accurate for many flat panel technologies because of their variation in light distribution with viewing angle. The Spectroradiometer measures the light spectrum directly and was crucial for making precise comparisons between the different display technologies. The Spectroradiometer and all of the displays (except for the Sony) were generously provided on a long-term loan basis by their manufacturers. We offer special thanks to all of them for agreeing to participate. It was especially challenging to get all of this high-end hardware together at the same time.
Black-Level
We start off the comparison with an item that doesn't get all of the attention it deserves: the display's ability to produce black. This capability of suppressing light output turns out to be a major challenge for all of the technologies. It's important because a poor black-level lifts the bottom end of the display's intensity-scale and introduces errors in both intensity and color throughout the entire lower end of the scale, not just at the very bottom. All displays produce some light in the form of a very dark-gray when asked to produce a black. This background light is added to all the colors and intensities that the display is asked to produce. This washes out the dark grays and also the dark colors. For example, dark reds will appear as shades of pink. What's more, if the display isn't properly adjusted, the dark background glow will have a color tint instead of a neutral gray, and this will add a color cast to the entire lower end of the intensity scale, which is particularly noticeable in dark images.
No display can produce a true black so it's important to know just how close it can actually get. CRTs do extremely well but the flat panels all struggle with black, yet they do pretty well with peak brightness, so the black-level can be a great differentiator. The actual black-level produced by a display is almost never reported in manufacturer's spec sheets or published reviews, yet for most applications it's actually more important than peak white brightness, which seems to get most of the attention. Black-level should be the single most important spec after screen size if you're working in multimedia, imaging, photography, home theater, or in any environment with controlled or subdued lighting. All displays should have a black-level control to allow the black-level to be properly adjusted. The default factory value will almost certainly be inaccurate because the proper setting varies with the make and model of the graphics board, DVD player, or whatever signal source you're using. The black-level will also vary with the operating mode you select, such as the color-depth for a computer graphics board or progressive / interlaced scanning for a DVD player. The only way to properly adjust the black-level is with specialized test patterns, and we used the set in our own DisplayMate for Windows — http://store.kayye.com/kayye/diso.html — (we recommend the Kayye and Multimedia Editions of DisplayMate for the ProAV market). One subtle point to bear in mind: in some cases it's necessary to intentionally misadjust the black-level control in order to compensate for some other display parameter or ambient lighting condition. We'll discuss this further in Parts II and III. For most displays the black-level is adjusted using a control inappropriately labeled "Brightness." Further confusing this issue is that many LCDs now have a control labeled "Brightness" that instead varies the intensity of the backlight – at least that's closer to the true meaning of "brightness." Unfortunately, most LCDs lack any form of black-level control – they're fixed at a factory set value. The NEC LCD4000 in this article is one of a small number of LCDs that actually provides a real black-level control and even labels it "Black-Level." However, they left it out for the DVI input. It's unfortunate that the DVI inputs for most displays (all technologies) are generally missing many essential color and gray-scale controls, which makes it impossible to properly adjust the display. Here are the black-levels measured with the Konica Minolta CS-1000 Spectroradiometer. The entire screen was set to the black-level with a full-field black-level test pattern. The measurements are shown for cd/m2, a luminance unit that used to be called "nits." To convert to another common luminance unit, foot-Lamberts, fL, divide by 3.43. The measurements were made in a dark lab, so there was no contamination from ambient room lighting.
CRT Sony PVM-20L5 | LCDNEC LCD4000 | PlasmaNEC 61XM2 | DLP Rear Projection Optoma RD-50 | 0.01 cd/m2 | 0.72 cd/m2 Max Backlight 0.27 cd/m2 Min Backlight | 0.42 cd/m2 | 0.26 cd/m2 |
The CRT wins by a huge factor of 25. It barely produces any detectable light when set to black. The flat panels all produce a noticeable dark-gray glow for black. There are two values listed for the LCD: one when the backlight is set to maximum brightness and the other for minimum brightness. So with an LCD equipped with a backlight control you can get a darker black if you are willing to accept a lower peak white brightness. In many instances that is a fabulous tradeoff. Some projection units include an iris aperture control that can reduce the light output from the projection lamp for a similar effect. A related technique is the use of dark glass or dark screen material. When the image comes from the rear this can also substantially increase image contrast because reflected ambient light originating in the room has to travel through the screen layer twice but light from the display goes through only once. CRTs have always taken advantage of this technique, and it's also one reason for the Optoma's relatively dark black-level. Hopefully we'll see more displays using these techniques in the future. It's important to emphasize that these measurements were all made in a dark lab. Any ambient room lighting will reflect off the screens and add to the black-levels above. How much will depend on the quality of the anti-reflection coatings, surface treatments, and other light absorbing techniques that each display is utilizing. It will also depend on the particulars of the lighting distribution in the room. The end result is that ambient lighting tends to equalize the differences between the black-levels in displays. In particular, ambient light will quickly erode the CRT's huge black-level advantage. So the more important that a dark black-level is to your application the more you'll need to control ambient lighting. Note that in brightly lit stores it's virtually impossible to evaluate the relative black-levels between different models. Another reason is that they are generally not properly adjusted. Color Temperature
Most people are aware that white is not a single color – there is no such thing as "pure" white. Instead there is a whole range of colors that can be accurately referred to as white. However, if we are to have accurate color reproduction it is necessary to define one or more standard whites, which then serve as a point of reference for generating all of the other colors. One way to do this is by applying laboratory physics with a specially defined "black-body" raised to a specified temperature, which is referred to as a color temperature. (A black-body is a specially prepared perfect thermal radiator with a light spectrum that depends only on temperature.) Different colors are produced at different temperatures. The temperature is based on an absolute scale, called degrees Kelvin, or K. Whites typically range from 5,000 to 10,000 K. Most computer and television displays come from the factory set to a relatively high color temperature, which produces a cool white that has a bit of a blue cast, similar to "cool white" fluorescent bulbs. This is done because most displays produce a brighter image at higher color temperatures. The standard cool white is 9300 K, but many displays come set even higher. For multimedia, photography and television the standard color temperature is 6500 K, which is roughly the color of natural daylight. For optimum color accuracy, a display for these applications needs to be set to a white-point of 6500 K. (More precisely to CIE Illuminant D65, which corresponds to average natural daylight at noon and includes a blue sky component added to the 6500 K blackbody spectrum.) On the other hand, for many non-imaging computer applications, particularly under typical office fluorescent lighting, 9300 K is a better choice. Note that there are other color temperature standards, for example, 5000 K is used in graphic arts because it corresponds to typical indoor lighting that is a mixture of incandescent lighting and sunlight. Note that if an image is designed or color balanced at one color temperature and then viewed at a different color temperature all of the colors in the image will be shifted by varying amounts. For example, reds need to be overemphasized in TVs operated at 9300 K in order to counteract the blue cast that is imparted to skin tones, particularly facial complexions. This so called "red push" introduces other color errors. We'll discuss this further in Part II. For all of our tests the color temperature for each display was set as close to 6500 K as possible without resorting to any internal service modes. Many displays have a Color Temperature control, but often it isn't very accurate. Below are the values measured with the Konica Minolta CS-1000 Spectroradiometer and a window test pattern set to peak white. CRT Sony PVM-20L5 | LCDNEC LCD4000 | PlasmaNEC 61XM2 | DLP Rear Projection Optoma RD-50 | 6480 K | 6,580 K Computer Inputs 10,250 K Video Inputs | 6626 K | 6786 K |
The results were all relatively close to 6500 K, except for the video inputs on the NEC LCD4000, which did not provide any adjustments for the white point (Color Temperature or RGB Drive), so it was stuck at a high value. The color temperature shouldn't change as the gray-scale intensity changes, but it always does to some degree because of slight differences between the primary red, green and blue channels. The variation of color with intensity is called Color Tracking and one benchmark of a good display is a small variation. All of our displays did quite well with Color Tracking but it's nice to see end-user controls that allow you to easily correct for it. Only the CRT and Plasma models included end-user RGB Drive and Bias controls needed to make these adjustments. One problem with color temperature measurements and specifications is that they don't actually specify a unique color, only the closest match to a black-body radiator. So there can be a considerable variation in color when color temperature alone is used to measure the gray-scale. We'll return to some of these issues in Parts II and III of the article.
Peak Brightness
For most typical viewing conditions these display technologies deliver more than enough light for comfortable viewing, so a higher peak brightness isn't necessarily better. In fact for most of the viewing tests we turned down the brightness somewhat for each display. On the other hand, if you have bright ambient lighting conditions then display brightness may be an important requirement.
Brightness is the number that's at the top of just about every spec sheet and published review. There are NIST/VESA, ANSI and ITU-R standards for measuring the brightness of peak white, but they all have some wiggle room that allow the numbers to be exaggerated. Worse, many manufacturer's spec sheets don't reference any standard so they are free to choose their own procedures. Frequently, what happens is every single control is turned up to maximum including Brightness, Contrast, RGB Drive, etc. Under these conditions virtually all displays produce horrendous image quality and are effectively unusable. For these reasons you shouldn't place too much weight on brightness and contrast specifications. They can be off by as much as a factor of two or more from objective measurements. If brightness matters to you then only pay attention to values measured under identical standard conditions. Press reviews are generally the best source. The Contrast Control is the primary means of adjusting peak brightness and the top-end of the intensity scale. If it's set too high then two or more of the top-end steps in a gray-scale will reach peak brightness and merge together. This loss of gray-scale is called white saturation. The only way to properly adjust the Contrast Control is with a specialized White Saturation or Extreme Gray-Scale test pattern, which is provided in all editions of DisplayMate for Windows — http://store.kayye.com/kayye/diso.html . In many applications the display doesn't need to be operated at peak brightness. In fact, some displays are now so bright that they may bother your eyes under typical indoor lighting conditions, so you will feel compelled to dim them. To reduce peak brightness turn down the Contrast Control, or in the case of an LCD, a backlight "Brightness Control." Note that when you lower the Contrast Control the black-level control will need some adjustment because they interact. Some technologies, particularly LCDs, also suffer from white compression, where the gray-scale steps get closer and closer together near peak white (this will be discussed in Part II). Although this was not the case with the NEC LCD4000, it's a severe problem on some LCDs. If you experience this problem then lower the Contrast Control rather than the backlight control. This will move peak white below the problem "S" region of the LCD's transfer characteristic. If that doesn't correct the problem then it's most likely clipping in the input electronics rather than compression or saturation. Many displays lack sufficient headroom near peak white. To correct that reduce the input signal level using external electronics. For our tests all of the monitors were set up identically: first the color temperature was set as close to 6500 K as possible, the black-levels were carefully adjusted as discussed above, then the contrast control was set with a White Saturation test pattern so that no more than 2% of the gray-scale was lost near peak white. (For the CRT there were additional requirements on focus and screen regulation.) This is more stringent than any of the above standards. The values obtained with this procedure will generally be less, and sometimes much less, than what you'll see listed in a spec sheet. Here are the brightness levels measured with the Konica Minolta CS-1000 Spectroradiometer and a window test pattern set to peak white: CRT Sony PVM-20L5 | LCDNEC LCD4000 | PlasmaNEC 61XM2 | DLP Rear Projection Optoma RD-50 | 176 cd/m2 | 428 cd/m2 Max Backlight 160 cd/m2 Min Backlight | 212 cd/m2 5% APL 133 cd/m2 25% APL 81 cd/m2 50% APL 53 cd/m2 100% APL | 359 cd/m2 |
The LCD has two entries, which depend on the backlight intensity setting. At its highest available color temperature setting of 9023 K the LCD produced 471 cd/m2, more than what NEC lists on their spec sheet, which is both unusual and commendable. The values for the Plasma depend on the Average Picture Level, APL, which is the average intensity level for each of the red, green and blue sub-pixels over the entire screen. For example, a full screen of peak intensity white has an APL of 100%, but it's only 33% for pure green. In our case it refers to the percentage of pixels that are set to peak white. When 5% of the pixels are at peak white, the brightness is 212 cd/m2. As the APL increases power and heat dissipation restrictions reduce the maximum brightness that can be safely produced so the display automatically reduces peak brightness. When 100% of the pixels are at peak white, the brightness is only 53 cd/m2, which requires subdued ambient lighting for good viewing. For most computer applications the APL is rather high (because word processors and spread sheets, for example, use a peak white background) but for most video applications it is relatively low (because the images are generally dimmer and are colored, not gray or white). As a result, plasma displays are generally used for video.
Dynamic Range
Dynamic Range is simply the ratio of peak white luminance to black-level luminance that a display can produce. They are measured separately – one screen for peak white and the other for the black-level. This is often inappropriately called "contrast" or "full field contrast," but contrast needs to be measured on a single image, not on different screens. The ratio of the peak white to black-level luminance values tells us the maximum range of brightness that the display can produce. This ratio is especially important in imaging and home theater applications, where, for example, day scenes and night scenes both need to be rendered accurately. Here are the ratios calculated from the above peak white and black-level values: CRT Sony PVM-20L5 | LCDNEC LCD4000 | PlasmaNEC 61XM2 | DLP Rear Projection Optoma RD-50 | 17,600 | 595 | 505 5% APL 317 25% APL 193 50% APL 126 100% APL | 1,381 |
The CRT wins by a huge factor. There are four values for the Plasma, depending on the Average Picture Level of the peak white field. Note that there is only a single value for the LCD because the peak white and black-level values track exactly with the backlight intensity. For the flat panels, the DLP wins by more than a factor of 2, and the Plasma trails the LCD by 15% for low APL and by much larger factors for high APL. Remember that these values were measured in a dark lab. Ambient room lighting will decrease the above values because the black-levels will be higher. Note that if you lower Peak Brightness with the Contrast Control you will also be reducing the Dynamic Range (and the Contrast discussed below) at the same time because the black-level generally doesn't change. This turns into a major advantage for the backlight control found on many LCDs because the Dynamic Range remains constant as the peak brightness is decreased using the backlight. Contrast
Contrast is another highly advertised specification, but this number flaps in the wind more than any other spec. It's supposed to tell you the ratio of the brightest white to the darkest black that a display can produce within an image. Internal reflections within a display or display optics cause light from the bright areas to bleed and contaminate the dark areas so they can't get as dark as the black-levels listed above. This means that Contrast is always less than Dynamic Range. If the contrast falls too low, then images will appear washed out. Remember, unless you see a standard like ANSI next to the Contrast specification, it's most likely some form of Dynamic Range. A standard way to measure contrast is to use a black and white checkerboard test pattern and measure the luminance at the center of the white blocks and then the black blocks. The smaller the blocks the greater the bleed, resulting in lower contrast values. We've done this for a 4×4 checkerboard, which is a standard pattern, and then a 9×9 checkerboard to see how much more the contrast falls when the blocks are reduced by an additional factor of 5 in area. Note that this measurement is tricky because a similar contamination effect (called veiling glare) also affects the measuring instrument. We used heavy black felt masks to eliminate this common source of error in contrast measurements. All of the displays had their controls carefully adjusted as described above. The measurements were made in a dark lab, so there was no contamination from ambient room lighting. | CRT Sony PVM-20L5 | LCDNEC LCD4000 | PlasmaNEC 61XM2 | DLP Rear Projection Optoma RD-50 | 4×4 Checkerboard Contrast | 219 | 586 | 475 5% APL 305 25% APL 188 50% APL 124 High APL | 332 | 9×9 Checkerboard Contrast | 75 | 577 | 449 5% APL 294 25% APL 184 50% APL 122 High APL | 274 |
Plasma Note: the checkerboard pattern has a 50% APL. Values for the other APLs were calculated by applying the same
form factors for the light bleed to the Peak White luminance values. The High APL entry uses the values for 100% APL. Comparing with Dynamic Range above, we see that the CRT value has fallen the most, by a factor of 80 because of heavy reflections within the thick glass faceplate. The DLP value has fallen by a factor of 4, primarily due to reflections within the rear projection optics. The LCD is barely affected on these scales because the glass is thin and multiple reflections are heavily absorbed. The Plasma contrast also shows only a small decrease from the Dynamic Range values. Taken at face value you would think that images on a CRT would appear washed out compared to the flat panels. That is definitely the case for fine text and graphics: they show up as light-gray on white instead very dark-gray on white for the flat panels. It's definitely easier to read fine text on the flat panels than on a CRT. On larger scales though, the eye doesn't really pick up on the increased black-levels that we've measured. For example, the checkerboard patterns on all of the displays appear to have roughly the same visual contrast, even though the instrumentation tells us otherwise. This has more to do with human visual perception than optics. From this we can see that the contrast numbers are tricky and their interpretation even trickier. As we'll see next, visual contrast depends more on the shape of the gray-scale, and particularly on the widely misunderstood parameter of Gamma.
Parts II and III
In Part II we'll first examine the gray-scale in detail and see how it affects image contrast and contributes to color hue and saturation errors. Then we'll measure the primary Chromaticities and color gamut for each display and discuss how they affect color accuracy. In Part III we'll examine the image artifacts for each of the display technologies and interpret our viewing tests with the measurements in Parts I and II.
How We Tested
The central concept for this article was to carefully set up, test and evaluate all of the display technologies at the same time under identical conditions and procedures, and using advanced instrumentation where appropriate. All of the displays were set up side-by-side for simultaneous comparative viewing in a dark lab. We used a wide selection of test patterns from DisplayMate for Windows Multimedia Edition and a pre-release version of the DisplayMate Professional DVD, which has DisplayMate's proprietary test patterns on DVD (available later this year). For HD signals we used an ATI Radeon 9800 Pro with an ATI HDTV Component Video Adapter — http://www.ati.com/products/hdtvadapter/features.html — which provides high quality computer generated 720p and 1080i component video outputs YPBPR. This allowed us to generate HD DisplayMate test patterns for the television video inputs. In order to do simultaneous display testing we used distribution amplifiers and switchers from Kramer Electronics . All of the photometry and colorimetry measurements were made with a Konica Minolta CS-1000 which is a high-end laboratory Spectroradiometer. Our reference standard was the Sony Professional Multi-format broadcast studio monitor PVM-20L5, which was carefully calibrated for testing. Each display was compared to this monitor for color and gray-scale accuracy and overall image quality.
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Dr. Edward F. Kelley of the NIST — http://www.nist.gov/ — National Institute of Standards and Technology, for many interesting discussions and for generously sharing his expertise. Special thanks to the Konica Minolta Instrument Systems Division for providing editorial loaner instruments whenever and wherever they have been needed and for providing the CS-1000 Spectroradiometer on a long-term loan for this project.
About the Author
Dr. Raymond Soneira is President and founder of DisplayMate Technologies Corp, a company that develops state-of-the-art video diagnostic products for the consumer and professional markets. DisplayMate's test patterns are standards throughout the computer and video industries. More than 200 publications in 50 countries use DisplayMate for lab tests and editorial reviews of video hardware, plus all of the test patterns in the InfoComm ShootOut event and software have been produced by DisplayMate since 1997.
He is a research scientist with a career that spans physics, computer science, and television system design. Dr. Soneira obtained his Ph.D. in Physics from Princeton University, spent 5 years as a Long-Term Member of the world famous Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, another 5 years as a Principal Investigator in the Computer Systems Research Laboratory at AT&T Bell Laboratories, and has also designed, tested, and installed color television broadcast equipment for the CBS Television Network Engineering and Development Department. He has authored over 35 research articles in scientific journals in physics and computer science, including Scientific American.
Ray has been involved with the display industry for over 20 years.
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