SIM2 Multimedia and Dolby Laboratories, Inc. have announced that the two companies are collaborating to develop new prototype high dynamic range (HDR)-enabled liquid crystal display (LCD) flat screens using Dolby’s new LED local dimming technology. In addition, SIM2 will provide Dolby with manufacturing reference designs.

Aldo Cugnini
Analyst

The new prototype displays will feature Dolby’s dynamic range imaging technologies, Dolby Contrast and Dolby Vision. According to a Dolby press release, Dolby Contrast uses LEDs with local dimming to provide "dramatically enhanced" contrast. Dolby Vision combines high brightness with enhanced contrast to deliver "picture quality that virtually matches real-world visual perception of depth, detail, and color." The technology is said to preserve detail in dark areas, a known shortcoming of many display technologies. According to Dolby, its technologies were designed to leave implementation partners with a wide range of options to develop differentiated performance levels.

Apparently developing a role as a component supplier, SIM2 is set to offer manufacturing reference designs to other display manufacturers. The company said it plans to start by developing a 46-inch prototype panel, and is studying the possibility of bringing the technology into the market by the third quarter of 2008. Model or brand specifics have not been announced. The Dolby technology was first announced at last fall’s CEATEC Show in Japan; SIM2 is its first implementation partner, according to Bharath Rajagopalan, Dolby Image Technologies business line director. Dolby will be meeting with the press this month to discuss further details of this technology.

With Samsung recently announcing several new LED-backlit HDTV LCD panels, said to offer dynamic contrast ratios up to 500,000:1, it is not generally known how similar the Dolby and Samsung technologies may be. Sony, JVC and LG.Philips, among others, have also announced high-contrast LED/LCD technologies, the latter claiming "1,000,000:1 contrast" using local dimming technology.

While SIM2 introduced various LCD flat-panel displays 2.5 years ago, it is known primarily for its high-performance home theater front-projection systems. Similarly, Dolby has little history or experience in the LCD display world, but is a powerhouse for audio and film technologies. With this announcement, the two companies appear to have forged a strategic alliance that capitalizes on their strengths. Dolby has built a formidable business based on technology licensing-its licensing division is a model for how to extract long-lasting value from intellectual property. And SIM2 has a good track record with image quality.

While several companies appear to be working on similar technologies-presumably with unique approaches-the mainstream success of the products, regardless of performance, will depend on how cost effective they are. We’ve already seen LCD displays that are backlit by arrays of LEDs, with impressive results. However, straight economics that tells us that an array of thousands of high-output LEDs, together with appropriate light-coupling structures, is currently expensive to implement. Perhaps the Dolby approach (or others) addresses this issue by means of a clever solution. As they say, the proof of the pudding …

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