Dolby, SIM2 Show Off HDR LCD

Dolby Labs and SIM2 Multimedia are showing off their prototype high dynamic range (HDR) LCD display with "infinite" contrast.

Dolby Labs and SIM2 Multimedia are showing off their prototype high dynamic range (HDR) LCD display prototype in New York today. The display uses over 1,800 new Dolby LEDs as backlighting, enabling local dimming in areas of the screen to produce what the companies are touting as an “infinite” contrast ratio.

“This prototype is a stunning example of what Dolby’s HDR technologies can bring to the LCD market,” said Dolby Labs senior marketing manager Bharath Rajagopalan, in a statement. “As Dolby holds patents that are fundamental to local dimming-based HDR, we welcome the opportunity to showcase our innovative technology that delivers a dramatic improvement to LCD displays.”

The display works by using a grid of 1,836 Dolby-designed LED backlights to create a “backlight” image behind the frontmost LCD< which provides color and resolution. The result is a backlight that can selectively dim in dark areas of an image, and brighten in the brightest portion of an image, producing a contrast ratio the companies say hasn’t been seen in LCD panels before—or, really, any display technology.

The prototype has a native resolution of 1,920 by 1,080 pixels, and offers 4,000 cd/m² of brightness. Dolby and SIM2 say the display’s luminance conformity is more than 95 percent across the whole LCD panel.

The companies haven’t announces when consumer HDR displays may reach market, but the prototype will serve as a reference design for next-generation LCD displays, and SIM2 will be providing Dolby with the reference designs; no word on whether that includes the prototype’s unique design from Giorgio Revoldini.