HDTVs Are So Yesterday: Dolby Showcases 46

New York (NY) - We have heard about Quad HDTVs last year, but it appears that the next-generation of LCD TVs may not necessarily increase image resolution, but feature a much brighter colors and a virtually infinite contrast ratio. Dolby and Sim2 unveiled today a LCD TV prototype that may give us a glimpse of what the TV future may look like.

Dolby and Sim2 showcased their TV as a high-dynamic-range-enabled LCD TV that is capable of reaching extremely high levels of brightness and contrast. The 46" model uses BLU (backlight unit) made by Sim2 with 1838 LEDs and maintains a resolution of 1080p (1920x1080p) in a 16:9 aspect ratio.

Compared to today’s LCD TVs, which typically feature a brightness of a several hundred cd/m2, this prototype is rated at 4000 cd/m2. The contrast ratio is, according to Dolby, "infinite". The luminance of the screen is uniform throughout 95% of the screen, the manufacturers said. The prototype also uses a Xilinx Virtex FPGA, which, according to Dolby, enables the implementation of the firm’s "complex high-dynamic-range algorithms in the SIM2 display".

In a prepared statement released late Monday, Dolby claimed that the TV can deliver a "picture quality that matches real-world visual perception of depth, detail, and color."

There was no information on a possible availability and price of the TV.