Dell Launch 2707WFP In The UK
January 27th 2007

Further to our recent news story, Dell have now officially launched the 27" 2707WFP in the UK. The screen retails for £1036.35 at present from Dell direct, but expect some other suppliers to pick up stock in the near future.

LG Launch Fantasy Series Monitors
January 19th 2007

Originally shown at CEBIT 2006, LG have now launched their 'Fantasy Series' models, along with some other new designs in their 'Premium and Style' range. These models all represent a push which LG are making in the artistic and well designed display range, offering innovative designs and top of the range specifications. The models released are:

LG L1900R 'Ring' Retail price ~£217	LG L1900E 'Eclipse' Not available yet	LG L1900J 'Jar' Not available yet	LG L1960TQ (19") LG L1760TQ (17") Retail Price ~£195 & £165 respectively

All models in this new range feature the same TN Film panel (excluding the L1760TQ which is a 17" version), and all offer the same spec as a result. The screens offer 1280 x 1024 resolution, 4ms G2G response time, 2000:1 contrast ratio (DFC is used), 300 cd/m2 brightness and 170 / 170 viewing angles (the 17" model is listed as 160/160). They all feature VGA and DVI connectivity and come in both black and white versions (excluding the L1960TQ and L1760TQ).

TFT Central will soon feature a review of the L1960TQ, so keep an eye on the front page for more information!

BenQ's 'Perfect Motion' and Firmware Fix Update
January 18th 2007

BenQ have changed the rather confusing naming scheme for their BFI enabled screens from "AMA-Z" to "Perfect Motion". This is a welcomed change since the AMA vs. AMA-Z naming was proving confusing to much of the consumer market. You will see this new tag for the FP241WZ and FP241VW models released from BenQ recently but it may well be used along side the old AMA-Z title in many cases.

As reported before, the FP241WZ will feature the updated firmware and aspect ratio control / 1:1 pixel mapping on its release in the UK. This will also offer support for Windows Vista. BenQ have informed us that the stock of FP241W which is shipped to the UK during 2007 will feature the updated firmware as well, but we are not quite at the stage where stock has reached suppliers and is being shipped to customers. We can expect this very soon!

BenQ FP241W Firmware Fix Finally Here!
January 12th 2007

After months of "coming soon" anticipation, it seems some users in the US have started to receive the FP241W with the new firmware included, allowing aspect ratio control and 1:1 pixel mapping. This has been confirmed with user pictures of the screen on Hardforum (a US based internet forum) showing the new OSD selections along with images of the screen running at the various settings. The OSD now lets you choose between "full", "aspect" and "1:1" (as shown above), and early reports suggest these function correctly when using external devices on the screen.

It has been stated that all new models produced during January would have this fix in place, but it will probably be a little time before they are widely sent out from the suppliers stocks. It is unclear what existing users will need to do in order to update their screens, but it is expected that monitors would need returning to local service centres for this firmware upgrade to be applied.

With thanks to BrokenAnimator from Hardforum for his permission to use the pictures. For more discussion on this topic and further images, please see the following thread on Hardforum

Dell E228WFP Hits the US Market
January 11th 2007 

We discussed the launch of Dell's new 22" screen a couple of weeks ago on its release in Asia and the Pacific region. The screen has now been released to the US market, at a retail price of $329 (currently on offer at $296). While the spec and performance remains very comparable to it's counterparts in the 22" sector, the design is nice and the screen does feature an HDCP certified DVI connection as well. More news on the UK release and price as it becomes available.
 

Viewsonic Showcase 55 Series Displays with Built in Webcam
January 11th 2007 

Image courtesy of engadget from CES 2007 event

From Viewsonic's press release: "ViewSonic® Corp. takes its LCD line to the next level of integration with the introduction of the 55 Series LCDs—20-inch VX2055wmb/wmh and 22-inch VX2255wmb/wmh—that include a bezel mounted 1.3M pixel Webcam and microphone. The widescreen displays, built on the Windows Vista platform, provide consumers with display options that suit today's digital lifestyle and meet the needs of the growing number of virtual office workers....The integrated Webcam and built-in microphone take advantage of the growing use of VOIP and make the displays perfect for communicating with family, friends or remote business partners." 

Both screens offer the usual 1680 x 1050 resolution and 5ms response time. The 20" VX2055WM offers 1000:1 contrast ratio and 300 cd/m2 brightess, while the 22" VX2255WM offers 700:1 and 280 cd/m2. With viewing angles quoted at 160/160, both displays are clearly utilising TN Film panel technology. The displays both feature a new 360 rotating base and DVI and VGA connectivity options. Both screens are available with either a glossy black (termed "piano black") or white ("piano-key white") colours. They are set to be released in March 2007 with a retail price expected at $349 (20") and $449 (22"). 

Viewsonic Press Release
Engadget.com Press Release
 

Viewsonic 24" and 28" Displays Launched at CES 2007
January 9th 2007

Further to our recent news release about the VX2435WM (24" screen), Viewsonic have announced the release of this model, along with a 28" (27.5" viewable) screen at the CES 2007 show in Las Vegas. The estimated release price will be $699 for the VX2435WM, and $879 for the VX2835WM. Both models are Vista certified, come with an HDCP enabled HDMI input, and offer a 1920 x 1200 resolution.

Both screens offer an 8ms G2G response time, 1000:1 contrast ratio, 500 cd/m2 brightness and feature Viewsonic's 'Smart Color Engine' designed to optimize colour and skin tones in various environments. It's unclear at this stage which panels these models will use, especially the VX2835WM which will be the first 28" model in the market! Both screens offer VGA, DVI-D, S-Video, composite and component interfaces and are VESA compatible. The VX2435WM is expected to ship in February, and the VX2835WM will follow in April.

Viewsonic Press Release
 

Dell Release 2707WFP Price and Manual
January 9th 2007

The eagerly anticipated 27" model from Dell is nearly with us! Dell have released the manual for the screen on their website, along with the price and sales page on the US site. At this stage it looks like the 2707WFP will retail for $1399 in the US, which must surely be changed upon release considering the 3007WFP retails at $1274 at present! The 2707WFP is indeed based on the new design which was accidentally "leaked" on Dell's website recently as part of the 2007WFP's product page, and features a new button configuration on the front of the bezel, along with a new stand, and overall, a silver colour finish to the design.

Click for larger images, courtesy of Dell

The Dell 2707WFP offers a Samsung S-PVA panel with a 6ms G2G response time (16ms ISO). It also features a 1000:1 contrast ratio, 450 cd/m2 brightness, 178/178 viewing angles, and a 1920 x 1200 resolution. The screen also features the connectivity options of it's 24" brother, including DVI, VGA, S-Video, Composite, Component, USB and a 9 in 1 card reader.

Dell US Page
 

Samsung 27" SM275T Announced
January 9th 2007

Hot on the heals of the recently announced Dell 2707WFP, the Samsung SyncMaster 275T is Samsung's own offering in the 27" market. Again, utilising Samsung's own 6ms G2G S-PVA panel, the 275T is set to retail for a reasonable $999 in the US. The screen offers 1920 x 1200 resolution, 6ms G2G response time, 500 cd/m2 brightness and is expected to feature a 3000:1 (dynamic) contrast ratio. More details to follow as they become available.
 

LG L226WT, 3000:1 Contrast Ratio Announced
January 7th 2007

Image courtesy of pcpop.com

While information is limited at this stage, LG have shown their new 22" offering off in Asia, offering a massive 3000:1 contrast ratio as well as a nice new design. The contrast ratio is of course only due to the use of Digital Fine Contrast (DFC), but is still impressive if it can achieve anywhere near this kind of variation in practice. The L226WT uses LG.Philips new 22" TN Film panel (LM220WE1) offering a 5ms response time, 300 cd/m2 brightness, 16.7 million colour palette and 160/160 viewing angles. Some further images of the screen are available here

Viewsonic To Launch 24" Display, the VX2435WM
January 6th 2007

Viewsonic are to soon launch a new 24" LCD screen into the market, offering a similar spec to the other models in this diagonal. Offering a 1920 x 1200 resolution as you would expect, the screen is the fastest 24" monitor on paper offering a 5ms G2G response time (20ms ISO black > white). The screen also offers 1000:1 contrast ratio, 500 cd/m2 brightness, 176/176 viewing angles as well as a range of inputs including HDMI (HDCP supported), VGA, S-Video, Component and Composite. It looks as if the screen will not have a DVI connection, but will come with a DVI > HDMI cable. The screen also has built in stereo speakers, and according to the pre-release spec sheet the design is similar to that of the iDock series. This may well be subject to change however, as release is not expected until quarter 2 of 2007. The spec seems indicative of a VA type panel, but full details are unclear at this stage. More information as it becomes available. 

Viewsonic Page here
PDF Spec Sheet here
 

Samsung Release TN Film into the 24" Market
January 6th 2007

Samsung have released details of a new panel in their monitor application range. This LTM240CT01 panel offers a 24" matrix size, along with 1920 x 1200 resolution as you'd expect. However, this panel is the first that I have seen using TN Film technology. The panel offers a 5ms response time, 1000:1 contrast ratio, 400 cd/m2 brightness, 160/160 viewing angles, and 16.7 million colours. The details of the new panel are available on Samsung's site here. It's unclear at this stage which models might feature this new panel, but it marks a possible reduction in the cost of 24" displays, just as we have seen in the past with 20" and 22" models.

Advanced MVA (A-MVA) - Next Generation VA Technology

AU Optronics have recently been working on their next generation of MVA (Multi-Domain Vertical Alignment) panel technology, termed 'Advanced MVA' (A-MVA). This is designed to offer improved performance including reduced colour washout conquer the significant problem of color distortion with traditional wide viewing angle technology. This technology creates more domains than conventional multi-domain vertical alignment (MVA) LCDs and reduces the variation of transmittance in oblique angles. It productively improves color washout and provides better image quality in oblique angles than conventional VA LCDs. Also, it has been widely recognized worldwide that AMVA technology is one of the few ways to provide optimized image quality through multiple domains.

In addition, A-MVA provides an extra-high contrast ratio of greater than 1200:1 (reaching 2500:1 at time of writing) by optimized color-resist implementation and a new pixel design. The result is a more comfortable viewing experience for the consumer, even on dimmer images. This high contrast technology can also achieve wide viewing angles of up to 178 degrees. AMVA, which the Company believes to be the most competitive solution in low color washout technology, has been applied to AUO TV panels ranging from 32" up to 42", and has attracted widespread attention among global brand-name TV customers in the United States, Europe and Japan.  
 

Simulated Pulsed Driving' (ASPD) - Motion Blur Reduction

AUO's 'Simulated Pulsed Driving' (ASPD) technology is designed to solve the issue of motion blur in liquid crystal displays. AUO's Simulated Pulsed Driving (SPD) technology simulates impulse-type displays with the adjustment of pixel driving and scanning backlight to reach a CRT-like image quality in motion picture response time. The technology can greatly reduce motion blur, and enable the image performance to reach optimal levels at 4ms equivalent gray to gray (8ms MPRT). The technology is also known as one of the few technologies ready for mass production and can be applied both to WXGA (1366x768) or Full HD (1920x1080) resolutions. 

HiColor Technology and LED Backlighting - Improved Colour Richness and Gamut Range

The new HiColor Technology with LED backlight can reach 105% NTSC – a 45% increase from conventional 72% NTSC. It also provides the true natural performance of Red, Green and Blue and enables brighter, richer, and more vivid display colors. In addition, AUO has adopted specific techniques to enhance the image performance of the LED backlight. The Color Management function can eliminate artificial colors caused by inconsistent chromaticity between light source and signal. The Gamut Enhancement function enhances and enriches colors. The Flexible Color Temperature Setting can change the intensity of the RGB LED to adjust the white point of backlight and meet the requirements of different applications with minimal luminance loss. Other advantages of LED backlights include instant light, low DC voltage, shock and vibration safe, fast response time, low temperature start, and an environmentally-friendly design that is both mercury and lead free.

AUO Picture Enhancer (APE) - Providing Sharp, Vivid Images and Clear Depth of View

This technology is designed to offer natural color images and clear depth of view. AUO's Image Processing Technology integrates the input image data management and the dynamic backlight control solution. The intrinsic image processing system circuit can dynamically adjust the contrast, sharpness, hue, color temperature, and color saturation to accommodate the image contents. Non-linear image processing can accommodate changes in the dynamics of human perception ideally used to overcome an existing problem with LCD TVs where a motion picture tends to loose its accuracy during darker states. AUO's Image Processing Technology enables vivid and sharp images, enhances color saturation, details in gray levels and contrast ratios, and retrieves natural colors. An added value of this technology is its energy and environmental conservation abilities as its dynamic backlight control function can automatically adjust the CCFL brightness.

AUO Unveil 120Hz LCD Driving Technology

At the October FPD International conference in Yokohama, AUO unveiled details of their 120Hz LCD technology. This will be combined with response times of <8ms MPRT (motion picture response time) and is designed to improve motion blur on LCD displays. This will be introduced first on a range of 32", 37" and 42" displays. These displays will support a full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 and both 100Hz and 120Hz LVDS input. More information is available from AUO here.

AMVA Monitor and TV Panel Specifications

AUO have announced their first wave of AMVA technology panels as shown below. These include 20", 20"WS, 24"WS and 26"WS panels for desktop monitors, all with impressive specs and some also enhanced by their HiColor backlighting or even LED backlighting. For TV application there are 26", 37" and 42" panels available, some offering full 1080i/p HD support. As already mentioned, the BenQ VL4233 LCD TV is set to be the first to feature the new AMVA technology. More details on models featuring this new technology as they become available.

Large-sized products will place emphasis on A-MVA technology with super wide viewing angle, HiColor technology with the achievement of color saturation, and ASPD technology with great motion picture quality; while medium-small sized- products will focus on high resolution and wide viewing angle. The BenQ VL4233 LCD TV (42" model) is expected to be the first featuring the new A-MVA panel technology. This will offer a spec of 8ms response time, 1200:1 contrast ratio, 500 cd/m2 brightness and 178/178 viewing angles. As a reminder, AUO form part of the BenQ group, and so will be in the front-runners of those using the newly devloped technologies.

 
Full press release from AUO available here and technology details here
AMVA Technology: http://www.auo.com/auoDEV/FPD_International_2006/en/index_m.htm

BenQ FP241VW, New Design with AMA-Z Technology
December 27th 2006  

Hot on the heels of the eagerly anticipated FP241WZ, BenQ have recently unveiled the sleek and stylish FP241VW model, with a new design, but maintaining the great spec and technology of it's counterpart. The FP241VW uses AMA-Z technology offering a 6ms G2G response time along with BenQ's proprietry Black Frame Insertion (BFI) technology to reduced perceived motion blur. The FP241VW remains very similar in technology to the FP241WZ thanks to the continued use of the AU Optronics P-MVA panel, along with BenQ's BFI and Senseye features. The screen also features an HDMI, composite and component interfaces and supports HD resolutions of up to 1080p. It's unclear whether the FP241VW will feature the much talked about 1:1 pixel mapping fix, but I would suggest that since this fix is being implemented currently, that the FP241VW will feature this on its release.

The FP241VW is set to retail for $1499 in the US, release date and price for the UK is not yet available. Full specs and details from BenQ US are available here

Dell have (quite quietly it seems) released a new 22" model into their range of TFT monitors. Already detailed on the Australian Dell site, the E228WFP uses a 5ms rated TN Film panel, and its specs are in keeping with the rest of the 22" market currently growing in popularity due to a good size/price compromise. The screen also offers 800:1 contrast ratio, 300 cd/m2 brightness and the usual 1680 x 1050 resolution at this size. Interestingly though, this screen offers both VGA and DVI connections, and is HDCP certified over the digital interface.

Retail price in Australia is 690 dollars, which should equate to a release price of ~£275 in the UK. Release date is not known at this stage for the rest of the world, but the screen is currently available in the Asia-Pacific region.