Samsung SyncMaster 971P LCD - Technology Advancements and Specs

Advancements in Technology:

The 971P is a later model that had a decent 1500:1 contrast ratio. Samsung has now re-engineered the 971P using a 4000:1 contrast ratio. 4000:1 - Are they mad? You would think that the average user would be more than happy with say 1000:1 contrast ratio. I can understand the need for the use of 5000:1 ratios. Digital photographers and graphics designers are reliant upon the quality of their monitors to produce photos and graphics that are next to what the human eye can see. The only way that was possible was with the use of CRT’s that could be calibrated to suit their needs. That never existed in an LCD till now.  To my knowledge, no other manufacturer has come close to meeting these specifications; another first for Samsung. LG has tried to impress me before with their Flatron series, but this is yet to be matched.  Most others will be skeptical that 4000:1 is actually possible to obtain, and this is due to a technology called Dynamic Contrast. Dynamic contrasting, according to certain lighting conditions, allows an image to be amplified in brightness, while dimming the backlight when a dark image appears on the screen. This gives the impression that dark colors are actually dark when in fact the LCD is compensating for the darkness. The problem with this is that some highlights in the dark image will be blown out of proportion.

971P - Features

Specifications:

Below is graphic showing the details of this LCD.  As far as the "Contrast Ratio" spec, it's listed for the old 971P, not the new 4000:1 LCD that we have on our bench.  The graphic is taken from Samsung's site. 

Differences in LCD Panels:

To those that do not know the difference between LCD panels, there are currently 3 to 4 in use varying on price. If you buy any basic monitor for around $150 to $200 CDN, chances are you bought a TN panel. If you bought something around $250CDN or higher, you probably bought an IPS panel. If you spent more than that on a 19” LCD, chances are that you bought either an MVA or a PVA panel. TN panels are generally known for their high performance, being able to provide 2ms response time and are suited for the gaming community.  IPS panels usually provide the same level of performance in LCD’s that are over 20” in size.  PVA panels are well known for their ability to keep their vibrancy and colors regardless of viewing angle, but can suffer from a slower response time. If you want a more descriptive explanation of these technologies, you can look at this wikipedia link. The response time for this particular LCD is rated at 6ms, which is not bad.