Sony Brings the Bling with Swarovski Photoframe

Tag Archive: contrast

A New Study Says Video Games Can Improve Adult Vision

A New Study Says Video Games Can Improve Adult Vision

A study in Nature Neuroscience has discovered that playing video games can improve the ability in adults to identify different shades of grey against a uniform background. Previously it was believed there was no way to fix this.

Contrast sensitivity, as it’s known, tends to deteriorate with age, and is important for situations such as night driving. Improving it usually requires glasses, contact lenses, or even surgery.

Researchers from the University of Rochester studied expert gamers and discovered that those playing action games had better contrast sensitivity than those playing other games, and this improvement lasted for months and even years.

Living on Windows 7 and an HP Mini 1000

Can you live on a netbook? Will Windows 7 run on one? These are two questions that many had been asking as we entered 2009. Well, I’ve been using Windows 7 on an HP Mini 1000, and I’m actually surprised to say that the answer to the first is a strong maybe, and to the second, a very strong yes. Let’s talk about my experiences with Windows 7 on the HP Mini 1000 netbook this week.


Living on a Netbook

Sharp Aquos XS1 Hits 1,000,000:1 Contrast

Pioneer may have claimed to have eliminated contrast ratios at this year’s CES with the unveiling of an “infinite contrast ratio” plasma set, but Sharp will attempt to give the company a run for its money with the recently unveiled XS1. Sharp’s new wonder display will boast a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and unlike Pioneer’s conept-only plasma, will actually reach consumer living rooms soon.

Sharp managed to hit the mythical 1,000,000:1 mark using LED backlights, which should allow the set to match or exceed what the best CRTs are capable of. It should also run with CRTs in the refresh rate department, with a 100Hz (European-spec) panel instead of the typical 50Hz or 60Hz, delivering refresh rates of 6ms.

Samsung Projectors Juggle Business, Movies

Samsung Projectors Juggle Business, Movies

Business projectors may be optimized for PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets and PDFs, but at the end of the day, everyone knows that they’re still going to be firing up a DVD now and then in the downtime. Samsung introduced a line of projectors tailored to both business use and movies on Tuesday with the A400 and D300 data projectors.

TI Unwraps DarkChip 4 DLP Technology

TI Unwraps DarkChip 4 DLP Technology

Ignoring, for a moment, the torrent of soon-to-be-on-sale electronic devices pouring out of CEDIA, some of the most exciting developments may actually be technology that’s further down the pipe. Texas Instruments demonstrated this with the unveiling of their DarkChip 4 DLP technology, which won’t be in new products until 2008 but may make a major splash when it debuts.

TI’s main claim to fame with DarkChip 4 is an advertised 30 percent boost in native contrast ratio. The company says the increase comes from advances in mirror design lithography and other proprietary process changes. The result should be richer blacks and images that “pop.”

Sharp Makes a Million-to-One Shot

Electronics giant Sharp has announced that its newly developed "Mega-Contrast" LCD display has a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1 (one million to 1) with a brightness of 500cd/m2. According to the company’s release, the display measures 37 inches and supports a 1920 by 1080 pixel resolution. Sharp will ship the units under the name Advanced Super View Premium LCD.

In (ahem!) contrast, most LCD displays available to consumers today have contrast ratios from 1,000:1 to 3,000:1. Previously, the highest contrast ratio available on a commercial LCD display is 100,000:1 on the SED TV, from SED Inc., a joint venture of Canon and Toshiba. SED stands for Surface-induction Electron-emitter Display.

Acer PD116P and PD525 Projectors

The Acer PD525 digital projector is a large screen XGA display solution delivering increased brightness, portability and high contrast ratio for the ultimate performance supporting the demands of the SOHO and SMB markets. Powered by DLP technology, the PD525 provides crisp data presentations and/or action-packed entertainment on the big screen in the comfort of your own home. With high brightness level of 2600 ANSI lumens and a contrast ratio of 2000:1, the Acer PD525 produces more consistent color imaging and crisper images over a longer period of time than competing technologies.

Sony Launches Two New XBRITE Displays

The SDM-HS74P and SDM-HS94P, with 17-inch and 19-inch viewable image sizes respectively, feature a special LCD panel, originally introduced on Sony’s VAIO PCs, that allows the displays to deliver superior brightness and enhanced contrast even when placed in a sunlit room.

“Consumers are pushing the limits of their displays more and more these days to play games, watch movies and organize photos,” said Jim Neal, group general manager for Sony’s IT display products. “Sony’s XBRITE technology, combined with a new digital input and an award-winning design, enhances the value of the display as a PC tool.”

Samsung SyncMaster 173P and 172X reviews

Quote from the review at Extreme Overclocking News:

“The SyncMaster 173P is an evolution of the earlier 171P model. The 173P has more and better features, is slightly redesigned, and seems to have corrected many of the flaws of the previous models. This display brings many key features to the table and delivers them in a great package. With a 700:1 contrast ratio, the 173P has the highest contrast ratio of any LCD panel we have tested. Most are between 300:1 and 500:1. Couple this with the 173P’s stylish looks and Samsung Warranty and we get excited.”

Planar Expands LCD Monitor Line

Bolstering its best-selling product line, Planar Systems Inc. has added three new models to its PL series of office LCD monitors. The new 17-, 19-, and 20-inch displays feature desktop-space-saving, 2-watt TrueMedia speakers, built-in power supplies, and VESA mounting interfaces for multimonitor or flush-to-the-wall installations.

The 17-inch PL1700M ($469) and speakerless PL1700 ($459) combine fast 16-millisecond response time with 450:1 contrast ratios; they’re 1,280 by 1,024-pixel displays with analog inputs and 260 nits of brightness. The 19-inch PL1910M ($679) offers the same resolution with both analog and digital inputs and a brilliant 700:1 contrast ratio, while the 20-inch PL2010M ($999) combines 600:1 contrast with 1,600 by 1,200 resolution. The new monitors will ship in January.

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