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CES Best: Pioneer unveils concept plasma TV with infinite contrast
Has Pioneer made the contrast-ratio spec obsolete? Company reps seemed to think so this morning when they were boasting about their new Kuro Extreme Contrast concept TV, which they say has the best contrast a TV can possibly get. When this set displays black, it apparently really means it — making dark areas so dark that if the TV is turned on and displaying a black screen on a pitch-black room, you wouldn't know it's there.
Since contrast ratio is defined as the light level of the brightest areas to the the darkest, and the dark areas are emitting no (or negligible) light, that would theoretically give this set a contrast ratio of infinity. That's one intimidating spec.
Hopefully we'll sneak a look at this dark knight after the show opens tomorrow. Too bad it's just a concept right now, with no plans to bring it to market this year.
By asdf at 2:14 PM ON 01/07/08
"infinite contrast" would be cool, but your test conditions of a "pitch black room" are stupid. Any oled screen, for example, should be able to reach infinite contrast under those conditions.
We'd like to see a huge contrast ratio under _normal_ lighting conditions!
By Takeshi at 3:20 AM ON 01/10/08
Um, it's easier to see light in, the dark. SO, if you can't see a TV that is on, and displaying a black screen in the dark, that's isnanely awesome.
By urborn2die at 7:27 PM ON 01/10/08
Umm ASDF I can see you put as much thought into your post as you did your name.. a black screen in a black room with "normal" tech still has a white glow to it. turn your tv on and get it to a input screen with no picture and shut off the lights. you will see a glow from the screen due to the contrast limits.
By Silver at 10:13 AM ON 01/11/08
It is truly phenomenal what the new generation of plasms tv's offer, all one needs now is a fully insulated basement to blast away with the ultimate multi-media center...
By Kahnivorous at 3:06 PM ON 01/12/08
If we can't have Infinite Contrast now or in the next couple years, maybe we can at least enjoy OLED screens. It may not be perfectly infinite, but it's leaps and bounds better than regular LCD.
By blzrd at 10:13 AM ON 01/15/08
To say that it has infinite contrast is a bold faced lie. In order to have infinite contrast it would also have to be able to be infinitely bright (as in sun bright). I can see it having a very large contrast ratio like 1,000,000:1 or 1,000,000,000:1 but there has to be some kind of limit to what they can advertise......
By Peter Pachal at 1:51 PM ON 01/15/08
@Blzrd: Actually, Pioneer never said it had infinite contrast, instead going for the safer statement that the set's contrast ratio was "literally beyond measurement." I made the "infinite" observation, and it's based on simple math.
If contrast ratio is defined as the luminance of the screen's brightest spot divided by the darkest spot, and if the darkest spot on the screen has zero (or negligible) luminance -- and it sure looked that way during the demo -- then it follows that the contrast ratio goes to infinity.
By i know it all at 4:17 AM ON 02/12/08
yes is infinited stop bullshiting
By Hey, Listen at 1:06 PM ON 09/10/08
peter makes sense... maybe you should stop bullshitting knowitall
By Premiere at 11:47 AM ON 03/09/09
Well i think Pioneer still has the best plasma tv's and will stay at no.1 for some more month. I look forward to see the new panels upcomming in 2010 and then i'll hope Premiere got all HD channels soon!
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Premiere:
Well i think Pioneer still has the best plasma tv's and will stay at no.1 for some more month. I look forward to se...More »