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The global display market reached a value of US$ 151.5 Billion in 2021. As per the analysis by IMARC Group, the top manufacturers in the display industry are focused on manufacturing advanced display variants in different sizes that are equipped with speakers, built-in cameras, and video calling features. They are also making heavy investments in the advancement of display technologies, such as liquid crystal display (LCD), cathode ray tube (CRT), light-emitting diode (LED), organic LED (OLED), gas plasma, quantum dot, and e-paper. Along with this, the development of smart displays integrated with innovative technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) that assist in real-time monitoring and provide remote access, is offering lucrative opportunities to key players. Furthermore, the leading manufacturers are entering into partnerships and collaborations and focusing on research and development (R&D) activities to launch technologically advanced displays. Apart from this, the introduction of interactive and flexible displays that offer enhanced brightness, flexibility, and low power consumption is creating a positive market outlook. Looking forward, the market value is expected to reach US$ 197.3 Billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 4.10% during the forecast period (2022-2027).

DuPont de Nemours Inc. is a global innovation and technology leader, serving the semiconductor, display, circuit board, digital and flexographic printing, healthcare, aerospace, industrial, and transportation industries. The company is a leading supplier of innovative display materials and processes that enable enhancements to advanced flat-panel display (FPD), liquid crystal display (LCD), and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technologies. It operates several manufacturing facilities and offices in around 40 countries across the globe, including the United States, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, India, Japan, Mexico, Australia, Canada, Korea, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Belgium, and Brazil.

E Ink Holdings Inc. is the originator, pioneer, and leader in ePaper technology. It delivers its advanced display products to the leading brands and manufacturers across the globe, allowing them to install extremely durable, low-power displays in previously impossible or unimaginable applications and environments. It also develops, manufactures, and markets thin-film transistor liquid crystal displays (TFT-LCDs). At present, the company has operations in Taiwan, China, North America, Japan, and Korea.

Innolux Corporation is a global leader in display technology engaged in producing and supplying TFT-LCD, liquid crystal panel modules, and touch modules. It provides advanced display integration solutions with innovative and differentiated technologies, such as 8K4K ultra-high-resolution, active-matrix AM miniLED, AM microLED, LTPS, and touch solutions. The company also covers a range of display application products, including TV panels, desktop monitors and notebook computer panels, small and medium-sized panels, medical panels, and automotive panels.

Leyard Optoelectronic Co., Ltd. is a global leader in audio-visual technology. It operates through four segments, including intelligent display, international business, nightscape lighting, cultural tourism, and VR entertainment. In addition, the company offers a variety of display products, such as small pitch LED, conventional LED, LCD products, creative LED, LED leasing, LED modular, and conference and commercial display products.

Qisda Corporation is an ODM/OEM leader engaged in manufacturing electronic products for consumer, commercial, medical, and industrial applications. It has a diverse product portfolio, consisting of LCD monitors, digital signage and professional displays, projectors, scanners, multifunctional printers, 3G/4G smartphones, medical gateways, medical imaging and telecare, automobile infotainment devices, e-reader, and tablets. Moreover, the company owns and operates manufacturing facilities in China, Mexico, and Taiwan.

Sharp Corporation is a Japanese multinational corporation primarily engaged in the manufacturing and sales of electric and electronic application equipment, electronic components, and telecommunications equipment. The company operates through three segments, including smart life, 8K ecosystem, and ICT. It has a diverse product portfolio, consisting of display modules, LCD TVs, semiconductor lasers, sensor modules, audio equipment, in-vehicle cameras, multi-function printers, information displays, and business projectors.

Sony Corporation is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation that manufactures electronic products, semiconductor solutions, and imaging and sensing solutions. It also offers a wide range of professional displays, including LCD, HDR, LED, and OLED display technologies, ideal for digital signage, screen mirroring, and various professional solutions. The company currently has operations across several countries and regions worldwide, including Japan, the United States, Europe, China, India, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The touchscreen display (or panel) usually is mounted over an LCD panel. The touch screens that are the largest present are resistive and have multiple panels. Each offers advantages and benefits of use.

Multiple displays differ from resistive ones. Everybody can see the distinction. It isn’t necessary to do a lot of work for successful work using many sensors. It is enough to lightly touch a sensitive object and a click is processed. The transparent conduction elements situated over the largest LCDs are accountable for determining precise coordinates (it is also powered).

Our display power portfolio includes LCD display bias, level shifters and gamma buffers and OLED power supplies. These devices enable ultra-high efficiency while minimizing power losses and helping you achieve the best picture quality in personal electronics, industrial and automotive applications.

AMOLED bias supplies are designed to excel in contrast ratio and color gamut while maintaining efficiency. The devices cover screen sizes from 1-inch wearable solutions to notebook panels.

Level shifters support gate-in-panel (GIP) display technologies, which are typically more cost-efficient and enable narrower screen bezels than non-GIP displays.

The TPS65150 offers a very compact and small power supply solution that provides all three voltages required by thin film transistor (TFT) LCD displays. With an input voltage range of 1.8 V to 6 V, the device is ideal for notebooks powered by a 2.5 V or 3.3 V input rail or monitor applications with (...)

The TPS65131EVM-839 is an evaluation tool for the TPS65131 Positive and Negative Output DC-DC Converter for general-purpose split-rail supplies, industrial applications and LCD or OLED displays. The evaluation module can accept input voltages in range of 2.7 V to 5.5 V and delivers by default 8 V (...)

The TPS65100EVM-030 is an evaluation tool for the TPS6510x multi-channel power supply for TFT LCD displays. The evaluation module can accept input voltages in range of 2.7V to 5.8V and supplies 10V, -5V and 23V to power a TFT display. Other voltages can be adjusted by changing resistor feedback (...)

Lascar Electronics designs and manufactures a full range of digital panel meters which features remarkable response times and easy setup. Our extensive range of products include LCD and LED voltmeters, 4-20mA indicators, temperature indicators, serial data, data displays, and graphics modules for use in sensing, processing and text, plus automation apps.

Excellent for daylight or well-lit environments, our LCD panel meters offer a unique low power option across a wide range of applications. In addition to traditional green and grey LCDs, our selection includes a variety of colored backlighting options as well a unique enhanced black LCD range, designed to give the functional appearance of an LED but with a low power requirement of an LCD. Our LCD panel meters are available in a variety of sizes from 8mm to 19mm digit height in a round, single-piece moldings or with optional NEMA 4X rated bezels.

Our LED panel meters offer better visibility in low-light environments and, for their size, are generally clearer from a greater distance than the LCD displays. Our extensive range of LED panel meters include options in multiple color options and are available in a variety of sizes from 8mm to 19mm digit height in a round, single-piece molding or with optional NEMA 4X rated bezels.

We design and manufacture a wide range of loop-powered digital panel meters, which feature remarkable LCD and LED displays and easy setup. These self-powered panel meters may be connected to a 4-20mA current loop with no need for additional power. From sub-miniature 11mm digit height to large 19mm options, our range of 4-20 mA loop-powered panel meters includes backlit options, displays with single-piece moldings or with optional NEMA 4X rated bezels as well as Go-NO GO backlighting functionality.

Our EasyMount Panel Meter series is designed to easily fit into any application. Perfect for new or retrofit display applications, these displays are fitted with a threaded stud which allows mounting of the product through a 5.5 mm hole. The waterproof EM32 series can be panel mounted with a 32.5 mm dia. cut-out and are designed to require no soldering. The connection is via screw terminals and options are selected via jumper links.

With Lascar"s range of thermometer displays, we"ve combined thermistor and thermocouple-based temperature sensors with LCDs for a complete temperature solution in a straightforward package.

In addition to our full range of digital panel meter products, we also have accessories, like the IP67-NEMA-4X. These rated displays are possible for the DPM 700 and 900 series when you add our optional metal alloy bezels.

Looking for something more custom? Our PanelPilot displays are customizable digital panel meters that show a variety of styles previously supported by traditional meters. Easily configure with our free PanelPilot software to display all types of information such as bar graph, analog, or numeric meter styles with user-defined color, text, units, and more.

The LCD controller board is often called the Analog/Digital (A/D) board. As a type of hardware processor, it allows for various video source inputs to be connected, selected, and displayed on the LCD screen. It does this by converting the different video input signals into a format manageable by the LCD panel.

In conjunction with the LCD controller, the LCD driver is a form of software that is the interface of and dependent on the controller piece. Combined, the two form an LCD controller driver board. As the controller connects the computer to the operating system (OS), the driver facilitates that communication. Though there is typically just one display controller per LCD, there can be added drivers to extend the reach of the drive to further segments of the LCD.

To generalize the process, the LCD controller/driver adjusts the input signal, scaling resolution if needed, and then outputs the signal for the LCD monitor to use. Some of these output interfaces are low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS), SPI, I2C, and Parallel.

In most LCD controller/driver boards, there are two other input/output systems. Both these systems, however, are two-way pathways. One involves controlling and monitoring options, such as controls for brightness, image, and color using the on-screen display (OSD) control panel. The other is for communication via connections like Ethernet, Bluetooth, or IP.

To delve deeper into the details, consider the previously mentioned input signals. There are a variety of signals that LCD technology processes, such as VGA, HDMI, DVI, and DisplayPort. These computer display standards vary in format and characteristics like aspect ratio, display size, display resolution, color depth, and refresh rate. One of the biggest differences between these standards is their usage of analog signals or digital signals.

The HDMI is a combination of digital audio and digital video transmission. There are many HDMI connectors, such as the standard, dual-link, and micro. These connectors are what the input signal travels through to reach the LCD controller and to direct what to display.

And last from the list of examples of input signals is the DisplayPort. It is similar to HDMI in its purpose to replace outdated VGA and DVI as well as its transmission of audio and video through its interface. The DisplayPort does not have as much variation in cables and connectors as the HDMI, with only one cable and two types of connectors. From the DisplayPort, there is a growing technology called the embedded DisplayPort interface, or eDP interface. LCD manufacturers have begun to gravitate towards this interface due to its fewer connections, smaller size, and ability to quickly transmit high quality displays.

Bringing the subject back to LCD controllers, with the various types of computer display standards, the video signal inputs can be a challenge to accommodate and translate for the LCD panel, but with the help of adapters and the growth of these standard types, displays continue to become faster and develop with greater resolutions.

In this article, we"ll look at the gradations that result from the maximum number of colors that can be displayed and the look-up table (LUT). While these factors are a step beyond what average users consider when choosing products, they have a significant impact on color reproduction. Users are well-advised to understand these factors, especially when choosing an LCD monitor for color-intensive applications like photo retouching or design work.

While most LCD monitor catalogs show the maximum number of colors each model can display, few people pay much attention to this figure. That"s because most products today can display a staggering number of colors—more than 16 million. Users are unlikely to be dissatisfied because the product displays too few colors. However, the figure for maximum number of colors is associated with some unexpected pitfalls.

The LCD monitors currently available for PC use need to accurately display full-color video signals in the number of colors generated when using eight bits for each RGB color (for a total of 24 bits) input from the PC. Using eight bits for each RGB color, we can generate roughly 16.77 million colors, based on the following calculations:

We need to keep two points in mind: First, not all leading LCD monitors can reproduce the entire full color range of approximately 16.77 million colors. Second, this full color range of 16.77 million colors can be achieved in different ways. The LCD monitors currently available generally fall into the following three categories with respect to the maximum number of colors and method of color reproduction.

Only the Type 1 LCDs in the table above achieve full color in the true sense of the term, reproducing each RGB color at eight bits on an LCD panel operating at eight bits. Products that fall into Types 2 or 3 offer so-called virtual full color. Virtual full color products cost less to implement, but generally offer inferior capacity to express gradation than true eight-bit LCD panels.

When we look at monitor specs, it"s easy to identity a Type 3 model: The number of colors will be specified as 16.19 or 16.20 million. However, since both types 1 and 2 show approximately 16.77 million colors it can be difficult to identify the applicable type from a catalog. An LCD panel operating at eight bits is superior in some ways with respect to picture quality, and users are advised to be careful when choosing monitors for graphics applications. (Note that in some cases, the figure of 24 bits—eight for each RGB color—is used instead.)

Certain LCD televisions and LCD monitors for commercial use are based on LCD panels that reproduce each RGB color at 10 bits. In theory, these monitors can generate 1,073,741,824 (or approximately 1.073 billion) colors; but they also require graphics accelerators and software capable of handling 10-bit color. For these reasons, they are not yet common in the PC industry.

An LCD panel with six-bit operation plus FRC can actually generate just 262,144 colors (six bits [26 = 64] to the third power [for each RGB color]). We can apply FRC to each RGB color and change the display interval between each of the LCD panel"s original colors (in the case of four-bit FRC) to generate three simulated colors between each pair of individual colors. For each RGB color, this adds the following number of simulated colors: (6 bits – 1) * 3 = 189 colors. We obtain the total number of colors by calculating (6 bits + 189 = 253) to the third power (each RGB color) = 16,194,277 colors (≈ approximately 16.19 or 16.20 million colors).

More and more recent products feature technologies that take FRC one step further. These technologies make it possible to reproduce approximately 16.77 million colors by operating the number of bits exceeding those with traditional FRC to generate even more stimulated colors, then taking from these the eight-bit (256-gradation) scale needed to achieve full color on an LCD monitor.

Under real-life conditions, factors other than the panel, such as quality of ICs for image control, can also significantly affect picture quality. The difference in picture quality between eight bits and six bits plus FRC is often not apparent on visual inspection. Minimizing environmental lighting (for example, by dimming lights) can make such differences easier to spot. Displaying gradation patterns that change linearly, one going from shadow to highlight, can also highlight such differences. Such display tendencies apply equally to still images, moving images, games, and other applications.

We"ve noted that six-bit operation plus FRC is inferior to eight-bit operation in terms of gradation display capability. However, this doesn"t mean eight-bit operation is always superior with respect to color reproduction and gradation. The look-up table (LUT) is a key factor in an LCD monitor"s ability to display tonal grades and transitions.

In the context of LCD monitors, the term LUT refers to a component that calculates input signals from the PC (at eight bits per RGB color) and maps them to output signals suited to the LCD monitor (also at eight bits per RGB color). An inexpensive LCD monitor will employ an LUT table with eight bits per RGB color; an LCD monitor designed for color reproduction applications will incorporate an LUT with more than eight bits (i.e., 10 or 12 bits) per RGB color and employ internal calculations at 10 or more bits to map input signals to output signals.

Diagram of procedural flow from the input of a video signal to display on screen for an LCD monitor with LUT and internal precision exceeding eight bits. Target gamma attributes (i.e., 1.8 or 2.2) are determined in advance based on calculations assuming no difference between individual LCD panels. Since determining target gamma attributes alone will not result in correct color temperatures, the color space is calculated at a precision greater than eight bits, and a color gamut covering the color temperature of white is configured. Corrections on the output side offset differences between individual LCD panels and result in a smooth tone curve. An LUT of more than eight bits allows color displays with more subtle tonal variations.

How does an LUT with more than eight bits improve display quality? If a catalog says an LCD monitor is capable of displaying "approximately 16.77 million (of 1,064,330,000)" colors, the unit incorporates an LUT of 10 bits per RGB color (1024 gradations to the third power = 1,064,330,000 colors). Specifically, the input signal from the PC, with eight bits per RGB color, is subjected to multi-gradation within the LCD monitor at 10 bits per RGB color, then output at the optimal display colors at eight bits per RGB color. This results in significantly smoother tonal transitions and improves hue divergence by improving the gamma curve of each RGB color in the output. A 12-bit LUT generates approximately 16.77 million optimal colors from roughly 68 billion, improving color reproduction and gradation beyond even a 10-bit LUT.

Next, let"s look at calculations for multi-gradation of an eight-bit per RGB color input signal at 10 or more bits per RGB color within an LCD monitor. Even if we use a 10- or 12-bit LUT, calculating multi-gradation at 14 or 16 bits will result in even more precise final tonal transitions. The need for 16-bit precision when the final output is only eight bits may not be obvious, but particularly when we seek to depict subtle differences between colors at a low-gradation gamut (shadow gamut), the precision of internal calculations is extremely important. In essence, the higher the number of bits used in the internal calculations, the closer the gamma curve in a low-gradation gamut to the theoretical curve.

A look at the current range of LCD monitors shows that even in lower-cost categories, growing numbers of products offer 10-bit LUTs. Nevertheless, only products at the top of their class have bit counts greater than LUT bit counts. In particular, models that process colors to the most stringent requirements, using 12-bit LUTs and 14- or 16-bit internal calculations, are ideal for color management use, targeting applications that require high-performance color.

Some high-end LCD monitors use a 3D-LUT, which takes the LUT concept even further. A traditional LUT system has one LUT for each RGB color and refers to the LUT for each RGB color when displaying a certain color and calculating the target color using the three RGB colors from each LUT.

Let"s use EIZO"s widescreen LCD monitors as examples. Model CG242W in the ColorEdge series features a 3D-LUT. The difference between theoretical values and actual measured values in intermediate gradations is smaller than with traditional LUTs.

3D-LUTs also shine when converting color gamuts in a color-management environment. They make it possible to reallocate the approximately 16.77 million colors allocated to one color gamut to another color gamut with high precision, minimizing the loss of information from the original color gamut. In addition, since the 3D-LUT offers improved color reproduction from RGB blending, the user"s manipulations and color adjustments generally have the expected results with respect to parameters such as brightness, chroma, and hue. Perhaps this is the most important aspect of performance for an LCD monitor used in color management, which above all else requires accurate color reproduction.

The number of bits at which the LCD panel operates, its LUT, and the precision of the internal calculations all significantly affect the color reproduction capabilities of an LCD monitor. In not a few cases, even products with specs that look similar at first glance can diverge unexpectedly in display tendencies. Assessing monitor picture quality from catalog specs alone is unrealistic; users should inspect an actual monitor unit with their own eyes before purchasing.

LCD Monitor Course II, which kicks off this session, will address certain points one must know to choose the LCD monitor best-suited to one"s needs from the various models available. Part 1 will focus on color gamut. While wide color gamuts are the latest trend in LCD monitors, color gamut is a term that lends itself to misunderstanding. Our hope is that this session will help users better understand the color gamut of LCD monitors and better select, use, and adjust the products.

Note: Below is the translation from the Japanese of the ITmedia article "IT Media LCD Monitor Course II, Part 1" published on November 11, 2008. Copyright 2011 ITmedia Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Various standards govern color gamuts. The three standards frequently cited in relation to personal computers are sRGB, Adobe RGB, and NTSC. The color gamut defined by each standard is depicted as a triangle on the xy chromaticity diagram. These triangles show the peak RGB coordinates connected by straight lines. A larger area inside a triangle is regarded to represent a standard capable of displaying more colors. For LCD monitors, this means that a product compatible with a color gamut associated with a larger triangle can reproduce a wider range of colors on screen.

This is a CIE XYZ color system xy chromaticity diagram. The areas enclosed in dotted lines represent the range of colors human beings can see with the naked eye. The ranges corresponding to the sRGB, Adobe RGB, and NTSC standards defining color gamuts appear as triangles connecting their RGB peak coordinates. The color gamut of an LCD monitor"s hardware can be indicated using similar triangles. An LCD monitor is not capable of reproduction (display) of colors outside its color gamut.

The standard color gamut for personal computers is the international sRGB standard prepared in 1998 by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). sRGB has established a firm position as the standard in Windows environments. In most cases, products like LCD monitors, printers, digital cameras, and various applications are configured to reproduce the sRGB color gamut as accurately as possible. By ensuring that the devices and applications used in the input and output of image data are sRGB compatible, we can reduce discrepancies in color between input and output.

Adobe RGB was defined in 1998 by Adobe Systems, maker of the well-known Photoshop series of photo-retouching software products. While not an international standard like sRGB, it has become— backed by the high market share of Adobe"s graphics applications—the de facto standard in professional color imaging environments and in the print and publishing industries. Growing numbers of LCD monitors can reproduce most of the Adobe RGB color gamut.

NTSC, the color-gamut standard for analog television, is a color gamut developed by the National Television Standards Committee of the United States. While the range of colors that can be depicted under the NTSC standard is close to that of Adobe RGB, its R and B values differ slightly. The sRGB color gamut covers about 72% of the NTSC gamut. While monitors capable of reproducing the NTSC color gamut are required in places like video production sites, this is less important for individual users or for applications involving still images. sRGB compatibility and the capacity to reproduce the Adobe RGB color gamut are key points of LCD monitors that handle still images.

In general, the LCD monitors currently available for use with PCs have color gamuts capable of displaying nearly the entire sRGB gamut, thanks to the specifications for their LCD panels (and panel controls). However, given the rising demand mentioned above for reproducing color gamuts broader than sRGB, recent models have expanded the color gamuts of LCD monitors, with Adobe RGB serving as one target. But how is such expansion of LCD monitor color gamuts taking place?

Improvements in backlights account for a significant proportion of the technologies expanding the color gamuts of LCD monitors. There are two major approaches to doing this: one involves expanding the color gamut of cold cathodes, the mainstream backlight technology; the other involves RGB LED backlights.

On the subject of color-gamut expansion using cold cathodes, while strengthening the LCD panel"s color filter is a quick fix, this also lowers screen luminance by decreasing light transmissivity. Increasing the luminance of the cold cathode to counter this effect tends to shorten the life of the device and often results in lighting irregularities. Efforts to date have overcome these drawbacks to a large extent; many LCD monitors feature cold cathodes with wide color gamuts resulting from modification of their phosphors. This generates cost benefits as well, since it makes it possible to expand the color gamut without major changes in the existing structure.

Use of RGB LED backlights has increased relatively recently. These backlights make it possible to achieve higher levels of luminance and purity of color than cold cathodes. Despite certain disadvantages, including lower color stability (i.e., radiant-heat problems) than a cold cathode and difficulty in attaining a uniform white color across the entire screen, since it involves a mixture of RGB LEDs, these weaknesses have been resolved for the most part. RGB LED backlights cost more than cold-cathode backlights and are currently used in a fairly small proportion of LCD monitors. However, based on their efficacy in expanding color gamuts, the number of LCD monitors incorporating the technology will likely increase. This is also true for LCD televisions.

In passing, many LCD monitors that extol wide color gamuts promote the area ratios of specific color gamuts (i.e., triangles on the xy chromaticity diagram). Many of us have probably have seen indications of attributes such as Adobe RGB rates and NTSC rates in product catalogs.

However, these are only area ratios. Very few products include the entire Adobe RGB and NTSC color gamuts. Even if a monitor featured a 120% Adobe RGB ratio, it would remain impossible to determine the extent of the difference in RGB values between the LCD monitor"s color gamut and the Adobe RGB color gamut. Since such statements lend themselves to misinterpretation, it is important to avoid being confused by product specifications.

To eliminate problems involving labeled specifications, some manufacturers use the expression "coverage" in place of "area." Clearly, for example, an LCD monitor labeled as having Adobe RGB coverage of 95% can reproduce 95% of the Adobe RGB color gamut.

From the user"s perspective, coverage is a more user-friendly, easier-to-understand type of labeling than surface ratio. While switching all labeling to coverage presents difficulties, showing in xy chromaticity diagrams the color gamuts of LCD monitors to be used in color management will certainly make it easier for users to form their own judgments.

With regard to the difference between area labeling and coverage labeling as gauges of an LCD monitor"s color gamut, to use Adobe RGB as an example, in many cases, even a monitor with an Adobe RGB ratio of 100% in terms of area will feature coverage of less than 100 percent. Since coverage impacts practical use, one must avoid the mistake of seeing a higher figure as automatically better.

When we check the color gamut of an LCD monitor, it"s also important to remember that a wide color gamut is not necessarily equivalent to high image quality. This point may generate misunderstanding among many people.

Color gamut is one spec used to measure the image quality of an LCD monitor, but color gamut alone does not determine image quality. The quality of the controls used to realize the full capabilities of an LCD panel having a wide color gamut is crucial. In essence, the capacity to generate accurate colors suited to one"s own purposes outweighs a wide color gamut.

When considering an LCD monitor with a wide color gamut, we need to determine if it has a color-gamut conversion function. Such functions control the LCD monitor"s color gamut based on the target color gamut, such as Adobe RGB or sRGB. For example, by selecting sRGB mode from a menu option, we can adjust even an LCD monitor with a wide color gamut and high Adobe RGB coverage so that the colors displayed on screen fall within the sRGB color gamut.

Few current LCD monitors offer color-gamut conversion functions (i.e., feature compatibility with both Adobe RGB and sRGB color gamuts). However, a color-gamut conversion function is essential for applications demanding accurate color generation in the Adobe RGB and sRGB color gamuts, such as photo retouching and Web production.

For purposes requiring accurate color generation, an LCD color monitor lacking any color-gamut conversion function but having a wide color gamut can actually be a disadvantage in some cases. These LCD monitors display each RGB color mapped to the color gamut inherent to the LCD panel in eight bits at full color. As a result, the colors generated are often too vivid for displaying images in the sRGB color gamut (i.e., the sRGB color gamut cannot be reproduced accurately).

Shown here are examples of an sRGB color gamut photograph displayed on an sRGB-compatible LCD monitor (photo at left) and on an LCD monitor with a wide color gamut but incompatible with sRGB and with no color-gamut conversion function (photo at right). While the photograph at right appears vivid, saturation is unnaturally high in parts of the photo. We also see a significant departure from the colors envisioned by the photographer, as well as so-called memory colors.

In more than a few cases, as expanding LCD monitor color gamuts result in the capacity to reproduce a wider range of colors and more opportunities to check colors or adjusting images on monitor screens, problems such as breakdowns in tonal gradations, variations in chromaticity caused by narrow viewing angles, and screen display irregularities, less conspicuous at color gamuts in the sRGB range, have become more pronounced. As mentioned earlier, the mere fact of incorporating an LCD panel with a wide color gamut does not ensure that an LCD monitor offers high image quality. On this subject, let"s take a close look at various technologies for putting a wide color gamut to use.

First we look at technologies to increase gradation. Key here is the internal gamma-correction function for multi-level gradation. This function displays eight-bit input signals on screen in each RGB color from the PC side after first subjecting them to multi-level gradation to 10 or more bits in each RGB color inside the LCD monitor, then assigning these to each RGB eight-bit color deemed optimal. This improves tonal gradations and gaps in hue by improving the gamma curve.

On the subject of the viewing angle of an LCD panel, while larger screen sizes generally make it easier to see differences, particularly with products with wide color gamuts, variations in chromaticity can be an issue. For the most part, chromaticity variation due to viewing angle is determined by the technology of the LCD panel, with superior ones showing no variation in color even when viewed from a moderate angle. Setting aside the various particulars of LCD panel technologies, these generally include in-plane switching (IPS), vertical alignment (VA), and twisted nematic (TN) panels, listed from smaller to larger chromaticity variation. While TN technology has advanced to the point at which viewing angle characteristics are much improved from several years back, a significant gap remains between this technology and VA and IPS technologies. If color performance and chromaticity variation are important, VA or IPS technology remains the better choice.

A uniformity-correction function is a technology for reducing display irregularities. The uniformity referred to here refers to colors and brightness (luminance) on screen. An LCD monitor with superior uniformity has low levels of screen luminance irregularities or color irregularities. High-performance LCD monitors feature systems that measure luminance and chromaticity at each position on screen and correct them internally.

This is a comparison of monitors with and without uniformity correction. An LCD monitor with uniformity correction (photo at left) has more uniform luminance and color on screen than one lacking uniformity correction (photo at right). The two photographs above have been adjusted to equalize levels to emphasize display irregularities. Actual irregularities would be less conspicuous.

To make full use of an LCD monitor with a wide color gamut and to display colors as the user intended, one needs to consider adopting a calibration environment. LCD monitor calibration is a system for measuring colors on screen using a special-purpose calibrator and reflecting the characteristics of the colors in the ICC profile (a file defining device color characteristics) used by the operating system. Going through an ICC profile ensures uniformity between the color information handled by graphics software or other software and the colors generated by the LCD monitor to a high degree of precision.

Software calibration refers to following the instructions of specialized calibration software to adjust parameters such as luminance, contrast, and color temperature (RGB balance) using the LCD monitor"s adjustment menu, approaching the intended color through manual adjustments. Graphics driver colors are manipulated in some cases in place of the LCD monitor"s adjustment menu. Software calibration features low cost and can be used to calibrate any LCD monitor.

In contrast, hardware calibration is clearly more precise than software calibration. It also requires less effort, although it can be used only with compatible LCD monitors and entails certain setup costs. In general, it involves the following steps: calibration software controls the calibrator; matching color characteristics on screen with target color characteristics and directly adjusting the LCD monitor"s luminance, contrast, and gamma-correction table (look-up table) at the hardware level. Another aspect of hardware calibration that cannot be overlooked is its ease of use. All tasks through the preparation of an ICC profile for the results of adjustment and registering this to the OS are done automatically.

The EIZO LCD monitors currently compatible with hardware calibration include models in the ColorEdge series. The FlexScan series uses software calibration. (Note: As of January 2011, FlexScan monitors compatible with EasyPIX ver. 2 offer hardware calibration functionality.)

In the next session, we will examine LCD monitor interfaces and a number of video interfaces for LCD monitors, including the latest generation of interfaces such as HDMI and DisplayPort.

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