[opendtv] New Apple Cinema displays and HD

I was reminded of our recent discussion about color gamut when i saw 
the announcement of new Apple Cinema displays this morning. Yesterday 
Apple updated their LCD display line, with several notable changes.

First, the addition of a 30 inch model with 2560 x 1600 pixels, with 
a density of 100 pixels per inch (ppi). Apple also replaced the 17 
inch display with a 20 inch panel with 1680 x 1050 resolution. All 
Apple panels now use 100ppi resolution, which the company claims is 
the best compromise for the display of text, graphics and natural 
images.

The new displays now use a standard DVI interconnect (as opposed  to 
the proprietary DVI connector offered in the past), which means that 
they can be used with PCs as well as Macs.

There are some interesting images and diagrams on the pages for which 
I am providing links.

This is a good place to start:
http://www.apple.com/displays/

Check out the "roll over" image on this page that shows the relative 
size and image area that can be viewed on each display.

This page provides some background on the technology:
http://www.apple.com/displays/technology.html

The following discussion of color gamut versus CRT displays comes 
from the Technology PDF file that can be accessed from the links 
above:


Color gamut
Earlier this century, a group of scientists and intellectuals who 
called themselves the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) 
had the goal of defining color. Using as much objectivity as is 
possible with this highly subjective topic, they developed a 
coordinate system for categorizing the world of colors. 
Theoretically, based on this system, every color we see can be 
described in terms of x, y coordinates for red, green, and blue 
components. Taking it one step further, every device that reproduces 
colors can also be described based on the x and y values of its red, 
green, and blue colors. The total number of colors prescribed by the 
two-dimensional plot of these x and y coordinates is often referred 
to as the device's "color gamut." The first question in a comparison 
of LCD versus CRT color quality is whether the color gamut of today's 
best LCDs is as extensive as that of the CRT. The answer is yes. 
Plotting the x, y values for the red, green, and blue colors shows 
that the color gamut of an LCD is as large as that of a typical CRT. 
In other words, there are no longer any compromises in the total 
colors available when using a flat-panel display. In addition to this 
two-dimensional color description, color has a third dimension: its 
brightness. As previously described, a flat panel substantially 
outperforms a CRT on the brightness axis. Adding this third dimension 
to the color comparison shows that the total volume of colors 
perceived from an LCD such as the Apple Cinema Display actually 
becomes larger than the volume of colors corresponding to a CRT. 
While it's difficult to notice the impact of brightness on color when 
you view CRTs and LCDs independently, it's easy to see the difference 
when you put the two types of monitors side by side. You'll 
immediately notice that the LCD's colors appear more vivid and 
lifelike because its total color gamut is perceptually larger than 
that of the CRT. The benefit of this larger perceptual gamut is that 
you can use the LCD in normally lit settings such as offices and 
homes-with little reduction in the dynamic range of colors being 
displayed (that is, without the colors becoming washed out). A CRT in 
a darkened room performs similarly to an LCD in this regard, but the 
LCD provides a greater color range in a room that isn't dark. Content 
creators who have been forced to sit in darkened rooms to do their 
work on a CRT will appreciate this difference.

Now for some really useful info for those who may be working with HD 
displays today, or those who plan to in the near future. eCinema 
Systems offers a display processor for use with the Apple Cinema 
displays and one Sony panel that offers the same resolution as the 
Apple 23" unit. The processor take in HDSDI and provides a variety of 
ways to view HD source at its actual pixel resolution.  The following 
web page provides some very interesting information along with actual 
image comparisons of HD source on LCD panels and broadcast quality HD 
CRT displays. The differences are stunning.

http://www.ecinemasys.com/products/edp100/edp100_intro.htm


Regards
Craig
 
 
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