News 3M and Nanosys partner on gamut-boosting display tech

3M and Nanosys have partnered up to bring Quantum Dot Enhancement Film (QDEF) to commercial displays.

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2012/06/08/3m-nanosys-gamut/1

 

I don't care about colour reproduction on laptops, I care about viewing angles and contrast. Most laptops still have cheap nasty screens as it's something hard to spot on your average retailers spec sheet. Most now list resolution, but never the panel type and the viewing angles.

 

Indeed, the most annoying thing ever is while browsing for laptops for someone, and the spec sheet in a store says "15 inch HD screen". Apart from knowing the laptop's approximate size, this conveys exactly no information on the screen whatsoever (maybe because they're ashamed of how terrible it is?)

 

Wide-gamut screens already exist but they cost a fortune, although the bigger factor that limits their use to graphics designers and other professionals is that almost all content is designed to be displayed on standard gamut screens.
Wide gamut screens need to be rolled down to consumer level before anything else.

 

Not interested in the new tech... I Just want that sheet of paper that glows different colours.

 

They're talking about all lcd displays not just laptops.

 

That's up to panel manufacturers mind you. A good panel isn't easy to make, especially ones with more complex circutry. If your laptop is only worth $300-$500 where's the incentive to put a wide gamut and evenly backlit screen? None.

So panel manufacturers now have the impetus to cheapen the technology process. That is not going to be cheap or easy. But we're getting there with E-IPS and the likes. Sadly still nothing on professional H-IPS, but it's close. And don't get me started on S-PVA LCDs.

To be honest, this is why Plasma TVs failed in the market. They offered (arguably) much better image quality at the cost of heat, price and complexity. It isn't easy to make a cheap display technology that looks good.

 

What would really be impressive is if the film is sold as an upgrade to your current monitor. Something you could apply yourself to increase colour accuarrcy. Now that would get my attention, we throw away far too much stuff, upgradeable equipment is the way forward!

 

"10,000 [quantum dots] smaller than the width of a human hair, ..."

Is that per square inch, per square centimeter, per pixel, per sub-pixel? Something is missing from that specification.

...or should "times" follow the number?

"10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair, ..."