Samsung shows off LED-backlit LCD displays

1984 · February 1, 2007 10:37AM

Samsung is showing off new LED-backlit LCD displays today including 15.4" 1440x900 and 30" 2560x1600 versions that seem destined for use in Apple hardware. These are both the same size and resolution currently used by Apple. They are also showing off a 40" version but it uses a lower resolution clearly designed for HDTV displays.

15.4" 1440x900

30" 2560x1600

coolhandpete · February 1, 2007 12:28PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1984

Samsung is showing off new LED-backlit LCD displays today including 15.4" 1440x900 and 30" 2560x1600 versions that seem destined for use in Apple hardware. These are both the same size and resolution currently used by Apple. They are also showing off a 40" version but it uses a lower resolution clearly designed for HDTV displays.

15.4" 1440x900

30" 2560x1600

That's the one. I expect this will make the next iteration of MBPs - there's too much news about LED backlighting for Apple to hold off on an expectant market. I'm well-versed in the "next best thing" infinite waiting game, but I can tell you I'm waiting for this tech to make it into the MBP. For me, it's a matter of durability, not brightness - I expect a $2500 laptop purchase to last 5 years or more with daily use, and I would hope the screen would be as bright in the end as it was when I bought it.

guartho · February 1, 2007 12:53PM

I saw the 3.1 watt power consumption and got very excited. Then I realized that I have no idea what the power consumption of the current displays is. Anybody?

nenita · February 1, 2007 2:58PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guartho

I saw the 3.1 watt power consumption and got very excited. Then I realized that I have no idea what the power consumption of the current displays is. Anybody?

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58288

does this help?

Guess not its for CRTs.... sorry

nicononouk · February 1, 2007 3:27PM

Eeerrr.... 6bits colors?

tenobell · February 1, 2007 4:47PM

I wonder if this is the technology apple has been waiting for to update Cinema Displays. LED is already used in the iPod and very likely the iPhone.

Reading a little more about LED backlights. LED's improve even illumination across the screen, are brighter, have better contrast. LED reproduce over 114% of the NTSC color gamut and Adobe RGB is properly reproduced.

LED was always sought after but was just too expensive previously. NEC had an LCD 20" monitor that cost $6000, Sony had an LED television that cost $9000. Samsung's technology brings the price into the realistic consumer market. It is predicted within the coming years LED backlighting will be common in computer monitors and televisions.

machope theworld · February 1, 2007 6:36PM

that's great the there are now LED backlit screens the size of Apple screens! But only 262000 colors for the 15.4 display!?!?!

New Macbook Pro!

I am annoyed that the information next to the two displays are in totally different orders and have diff't info...

bsauls · February 5, 2007 11:04AM

The fact that LED back lighting has a much more accurate color gamut than fluorescent may make a huge difference in the levels necessary for really good accurate color. This is a couple of levels higher than 16 bit color, and I think you may find that an 18bit LED lit display may have far better color than a 24-bit fluorescent lit display.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacHope theWorld

that's great the there are now LED backlit screens the size of Apple screens! But only 262000 colors for the 15.4 display!?!?!

New Macbook Pro!

I am annoyed that the information next to the two displays are in totally different orders and have diff't info...

machope theworld · February 5, 2007 12:22PM

thanks bsauls for the info...I guess we'll have to see when the next Macbook Pro comes out

dhagan4755 · February 5, 2007 1:09PM

This might be old news but I present it nonetheless

http://www.cmo.com.tw/cmo/english/ab...20061016160113

dhagan4755 · February 5, 2007 3:22PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DHagan4755

This might be old news but I present it nonetheless

http://www.cmo.com.tw/cmo/english/ab...20061016160113

It also appears that LED-backlit displays won't necessarily help backlight leakage.

http://www.geardigest.com/2005/12/12..._t/page14.html

mania · February 5, 2007 8:35PM

This is certainly one of those things 'worth waiting for'. My poor old powerbook g4 was starting to freeze up and I was pricing out new macs while trying to figure out what was wrong at the same time. I was like: dang I wanted to wait for Leopard and LED screens and whatnot. anyway found the prob and can now keep holding out!

coolhandpete · February 8, 2007 11:58AM

I've heard conflicting reports about whether LED-backlit screens are thicker or thinner than LCDs. I don't expect Apple to release a laptop with a thicker screen than the current models (their motto seems to be "forward ever, backward never") so that probably answers my question.

Does anybody know the answer to this? Is there any problem with making LED screens as thin as Apple's current line of 'books?

securetalk · February 10, 2007 11:00PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoolHandPete

- I expect a $2500 laptop purchase to last 5 years or more with daily use, and I would hope the screen would be as bright in the end as it was when I bought it.

I also thought that the use of LED lighting would give a similar display brightness years after the initial purchase, but after reading this SPEC NOTE from the R400, I am beginning to wonder if the LCD panel and not the source of type back lighting is the source of the display degradation.

[See note #7 on the bottom of page 4 of the link below]

http://cdgenp01.csd.toshiba.com/cont...R400-S4931.pdf

7 Display. Small bright dots may appear on your screen display when you turn on your PC. Your display contains an extremely large number of thin-film transistors (TFT) and is manufactured using high-precision technology. Any small bright dots that may appear on your display are an intrinsic characteristic of the TFT manufacturing technology. Over a period of time, and depending on the usage of the computer, the brightness of the screen will deteriorate. This is also an intrinsic characteristic of the screen technology.

sziwan · February 11, 2007 8:51AM

SecureTalk: Looks like someone forgot to update the standard disclaimer.

CoolHandPete: Sony's Vaio TX series have LED displays twice as thin as Apple's MBPs.

Guartho: Power consumption of a 15" notebook LCD display on full brightness should be around 5-6 W.

donebylee · February 11, 2007 3:23PM

Just out of curiosity, can today's GPUs run these displays with all their LED goodness?

Are the GPUs capable of drawing these larger color gamuts and driving the resolutions?

smax · February 11, 2007 3:39PM

If I remember correctly, it's essentially a standard LCD monitor, just the backlight has been replaced with LEDs for better consistency, power consumption, etc. Of course GPUs nowadays will be able to run it.

durangotang · February 11, 2007 4:10PM

Does anyone know what Apple's current Macbook Pro LCD's provide in terms of the NTSC color gamut? If you look at the following link:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/01/s...-backlit-lcds/

It seems that the Samsung 15.4 inch LED-LCD only covers 45% of the NTSC Color Gamut? How does this compare to Apple's current offerings?

I know that I am just dreaming right now, but wouldn't it be nice if the new Samsung 15.4" screen could cover 111% of NTSC color gamut, like their 30" display....

Samsung shows off LED-backlit LCD displays

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