In a recent study by NPD In-Stat, some interesting predictions were made about the current display interfaces used for computers around the world. Right now the global market is dominated by the VGA and DVI ports. If you have a mid-range card or higher from the last year or two, all you’ll see are DVI and HDMI ports. More recently, high-end cards have just one DVI port with multiple combinations of HDMI and DisplayPorts.

According NPD In-Stat, both HDMI and DisplayPort interfaces will take over the ageing VGA (introduced in 1986) and the still young DVI (introduced in 1999) within the next 5 years. Both Intel and AMD will be dropping support for the old interfaces by 2015. After which motherboard and graphics card manufacturers will have to provide these old interface via converter cables (most likely) at their own expense, similar to how VGA-to-DVI adapters are bundled with some graphics cards.

“The DVI interface was developed and went through one minor upgrade cycle, but its road has now ended,” said Brian O’Rourke, research director at NPD In-Stat. ”HDMI and DisplayPort are being continuously upgraded and will replace the older interfaces going forward, especially as PCs, tablets and smartphones get thinner.”

As HDMI and DisplayPorts, especially their ‘mini’ variants, are found in an increasing number of tablets and smartphones, NPD In-Stat predicts devices with these two display interfaces, along with DVI, to pass 2 billion by 2015.

“Though DisplayPort and HDMI are different in nature and compete at a certain level, both can coexist and make significant strides in different market segments,” O’Rourke said. “DisplayPort is a digital, packet-based technology, making it a fit for PCs. HDMI is a mixed-signal, streaming technology, making it less optimal for PCs and more for consumer electronics,” he said.

When the iPhone 4 launched in 2010 one thing Apple made a lot of noise about was the so-called Retina Display. As is the case with the iPhone 4S, its predecessor has a 3.5” display with 640×960 pixels. Apple states the resolution as 326 ppi (points per inch), saying it exceeds the ability of the human eye to detect individual pixels from around 10 inches away. The resolution necessary for this is usually states as being around 300 ppi.

Now it seems we’ll see the Retina Display concept spreading to other devices, including coming iPad models as well as MacBook Pro portable computers.

iPad 3

The most obvious choice to get the Retina Display upgrade would be the coming iPad, presumably called iPad 3. It’s supposedly arriving in just a few months, which would be just in time for the annual cycle Apple established for its tablet by introducing iPad 2 a year after the first model.

But will iPad 3 really get enough pixels to reach 326 ppi, like the iPhone? Well, if we believe rumors, iPad 3 will be 2,048×1,536 pixels, which would mean 264 ppi.

So why “just” 2,048×1,536? It’s twice the horizontal and vertical resolution of the current iPads, meaning there will be less work for developers to get their apps to work on the new display. Since everything just doubles, current apps should work just fine, while apps written to take advantage of the increased number of pixels can look even better.

And let’s be honest, that many pixels on a 9.7″ display – assuming Apple won’t change the physical display size – will still be a lot of pixels. If Apple wanted to add the “HD” label to iPad 3, it still could, as it would exceed the usual benchmark for HD, 1,280×720.

If this is one change we can expect iPad 3 – no surprise here – to featured a faster processor, possibly quad-core, and a much faster graphics system as well. To drive these many pixels, Apple would have to beef up the GPU quite considerably.

MacBook Pro

There are also rumors that Apple’s MacBook Pro will get a higher resolution in 2012. Some sources say 2,880×1,800 pixels, which if we’re talking about a 15” display would mean 226 ppi, still far from the iPhone’s Retina Display.

Currently you can get up to 1,680×1,050 pixels on the 15″ MacBook Pro, which equates to just 132 ppi. I think you just imagine the same display at almost three times the pixel density.

For that to really work Mac OS X will have to start supporting resolution independence. Right now, interface elements like menus and buttons are a set number of pixels big. If that continues with a much-higher ppi, things will just look smaller.

With resolution independence, a user interface element can look about the same real-life size but be built from more pixels, thereby giving it a smoother and crisper look. Basically, with resolution independence, the interface doesn’t depend on a particular pixel resolution to display elements in various sizes, it can scale up and down and still look good.

This is certainly the direction that Apple is moving in but a good guess why they haven’t already is that the +300 ppi displays haven’t arrived yet. Already in 2005 John Siracusa wrote that the “race is on” for “the affordable 300dpi display or the resolution-independent version of Mac OS X.”

For Macs that may be what Cupertino is waiting for, displays with Retina Display pixel density. My guess is that we’ll see Retina Display in iPad before we see it on Macs though, probably as soon as in a few months.

Looks like the 3D crazy seem to be having the last laugh as more and more manufacturers are not only embracing the technology but also seem to be looking for new ways to rub it in the faces of the non-believers.

This latest bit of technology from Acer utilizes what they dub to be their own “chip-based solution” which will convert all 2D content to 3D in real time. The 27-inch HR274H monitor also comes with a set of passive, polarized 3D glasses. The technology, which can be toggled on and off from the TV itself comes at a hefty price of $599 and is, apart from the conversion, a relatively normal monitor with no specs to write home about. According to Engadget the panel will also be of just a standard 1920×1080 resolution.

Apple Inc. is supposedly secretly working on a television set that will basically integrate what we know as Apple TV directly on the display, pulling content from iTunes on your Mac/PC as well as from the iTunes store in the cloud. We don’t really know if that product exists or what it will look like but we did spot an Apple Television at GITEX this year.

It’s always nice to find something that brings a smile to your face between the extremely hectic days of running around in GITEX.

Press release:
AOC, part of Taiwan based TPV Technology Limited, and the largest display manufacturer in the world today, announced the launch of a 18.5 inches screen attractive, slim monitors with clean styling, eco-friendly, value for money AOC e950Sw LED Monitor in the Middle East and Africa region.

The new LED backlights monitor contains no toxic mercury (Hg) to contaminate the environment, and offer substantially lower power consumption than traditional monitors, further reduced with user-selectable power-saving display modes and switch-off timer.

Although e950Sw presents simple monitors with a focus on value, AOC has not skimped on display dynamics, with a vivid contrast ratio of 20,000,000:1 DCR ensuring clear visibility and vibrant images.

The new monitor is a slim and rounded design with the back of the cabinet and top surface of the base feature a luxurious brushed texture. Control buttons are discreetly recessed underneath the shiny-edged screen bezel.

PC and power connectors are rear-facing for direct insertion, more convenient than more common downward-pointing ports.

Suchit Kumar, DGM, Sales MENA & CIS Central Asia, AOC says, “AOC e950Sw is a highly competitive, feature rich, eco-friendly LED monitor is a value for money LED monitor targeted at price conscious consumers who are upgrading their display systems from CRT or LCD to LED. We believe this monitor will open up a big market for our channel partners to tap into.”

Pricing Warranty and availability: The price for the AOC e950Sw is US$ 99 and it comes with 3 years local warranty. The monitor is available across the Middle East and Africa region.

When Asus’ PR company dumped the PA238Q in our office a week or so back, one of the first questions that popped in my mind was, why? The monitor did not look anything out of the ordinary, and neither did the feature list on the simple purple box of its. We usually don’t get monitors unless they are special in some way or are from a higher-end spectrum of the product line-up.

But as the popular saying goes, looks can be deceiving and it was exactly what was true for the PA238Q. From the moment of its unpacking to the moment it was first lit up, the PA238Q exuded a certain kind of sophistication and command that immediately got our attention. With a price tag of AED 2200, and a monitor coming from the designer-aimed line-up of Asus’ ProArt series, we checked our expectations and put the monitor through its paces.

Design
I believe the correct word to describe the looks of PA238Q is “industrial”, however I am just going to call it serious and studiously nerdy. It features none of the jazz, gloss and style that many of its competitors have in abandon. But what it lacks in flair, it more than makes up for in bravura and all round sturdiness.

For that, it’s not even one of the slimmer models, and it doesn’t have to be, but Asus has shown considerable restraint in containing the size and form so as not to be the elephant in the room, and yet provide the acrobatics that the monitor can provide.

And this baby can twist, alright, and it’s one of its most impressive abilities. The monitor offers full height and swivel adjustments that helps to place it just how one would want it. The height slider is tall enough to work comfortably will standing, if you have the means; and the entire screen can be rotated on at least 180 degree axis without having to shift the whole unit and have everything on the desk top loose its peaceful existence. The monitor can also lean backward and forward to a great extent, giving ample comfort to place the screen however you have seated yourself around it.

The PA238Q is also a Swiss knife in terms of ports and supports everything from HDMI, DVI-D, VGA, DisplayPort, headphone jack, and even USB ports (2 rear, 2 on the side). We wish Asus had swapped the VGA for an extra HDMI slot as more and more manufacturers are moving in to support the format. It’s a safe play from Asus, it is after all geared mainly towards designers and web professionals, but a little fun on the side never hurts (and by that we mean hooking up a PS3 or an Xbox 360, of course).

The monitor also takes its office duties seriously, and has a nifty little feature called “Quick Fit” that displays various grids such as A4, letter, centimeter, inches, etc., overlaid on top of the image. We are not sure how many would be comfortable using it, but we can see it being quite useful once one gets the hang of it.

Another thing that the PA238Q does right is the OSD controls. For one, they are in the front, clearly marked and non-touch, making them easy to decipher and use than those that has them stash away in the back, and relies purely on memory to get one across. It only helps that the menus are efficiently stacked and are responsive for quick changes.

Like all-in-one PCs, a two-in-one solution of television-cum-PC monitor are much desired, but rarely ever owned and drastically outnumbered by their normal, separate product brethren. There is a good reason for it: price. It seems slapping components in one cool case issues license for manufacturers to charge exuberant prices when similar spec-ed hardware could be bought for half its price.

But if the hardware provides enough juice to back-up its wallet busting price tag, consumers do usually take the hit on the chin and accept it. Apple seems to be doing well, right? Samsung, usually a company of reasonable wares and prices, has taken a similar liberty with its Syncmaster T27A950 Series 9 LED spectacle. It’s a hybrid of a television, a PC monitor and the Goddess of Beauty. It is crammed with features – HDMI ports, speakers, USBs, 3D, you name it – and its looks? Let’s just that if this Syncmaster were a lady, I would be wearing my best suit to the office every day.

But does this cool case provide the necessary juice to justify its AED 3,499 price tag? That’s what we will be looking at in this review.

Design
Whoever designed the T27A950 must have had an epiphany. The production of dull and drab must end now, he must have thought. I am going to design a television that not only is not black but will leave everyone gasping for breath. Let practicality be damned, if it has to!

And so he did – the T27A950 is truly a work of art. It’s a showing from the designers of Samsung’s generous faith in them – conveyed via a short message which must have said “hey, you know, go nuts”. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the T27A950 is thee most gorgeous piece of hardware that I have ever laid my eyes on. Its metallic finishing, super slim body, and the swooping arch with which the screen emerges from its stand, unsupported on the other end, is ridiculously stylish and supremely elegant. It does make everything else on the desk look like crap though.

But like the Hummer, the T27A950 is big and bold and is only meant to be used in a single way – in this case, right on the desktop and not in the desert. Practicality was indeed given a damn while designing it and what you now have is a solid, rigid monitor that can do nothing else other than look pretty. Like a PC monitor should, it lacks height adjustment of any kind, and like a TV should, it lacks swivel and wall-mount holes. It only tilts 20 degrees slant, which is barely helpful.

But with whatever it has, the T27A950 is a spotless design all the way through. It doesn’t host the connections on its back, instead delegating the task to the 20 inches foot stand. It’s got 2x USB ports, 2x HDMI, and 1x of headphone jack, optical audio, and composite/component. There is no DVI or VGA sadly, so you will have to make do with the HDMI ports. If you have a PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 that you want to connect to it – yes, now is the time to decide which one of it you hate the most to deserve a component input.

Coming to the ‘operating’ parts of it, the on-screen display controls are hosted on the curve where the display and its singular stand begins to converge. They are touch-based and that means suffering the routine unresponsiveness. Thankfully, you have a nice big remote with nice big chunky buttons as a replacement. It does what a normal TV remote does, including providing access to Samsung Sm@rt Hub – an app store for the television which hosts apps for YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and various games and video streaming services. Of course, if you have a PC connected, this becomes quite pointless.

The Sm@rt Hub must be accessed via the Internet of course, for which you will either need to pull a LAN cable or connect through Samsung’s WiFi dongle, which is not included in the package – quite a bummer for its price!

Japanese LCD manufacturers are facing tough competition right now from Samsung (Korea) and LG / Chimei Innolux Corporation (Taiwan) etc to keep competitive prices for their LCDs. Thus they have decided to merge their production center to remain competitive. Only the LCD manufacturing division will be merged together to produce LCDs for all 3 Japanese companies; for both their TVs as well as for smartphones / tablets. The jointly-owned company is now called: Japan Display K. K.

ight now, Sharp Corp is biggest individual production company of LCDs by producing 15% of total market requirement, and Samsung and Chimei sharing second place at 12% each. The number of LCD units in production by Sony, Sharp and Hitachi were individually not competitive enough to get the companies good profit. But now, Japan Display K.K. will jump up to become the largest maker of small to medium-sized LCD displays by having a combined market share of 22%.

Thanks to a bit of smart engineering on LG’s part, a tweak in 3D style glasses has allowed gamers to see separate images on the same TV. Especially useful if you’re tired of sharing your big screen TV. When split-screen gaming, the technology gives gamers two full-screen 2D images.

The technology is currently only available on the Xbox, as demonstrated by Microsoft will be available to users of LG’s Cinema 3D range. The flagship model of this technology was featured at this years IFA technology conference in Germany and will retail from £1,799. Your gaming friend will have to get his own pair of glasses though. Each pair retails for roughly £10 for a pair.

The telegraph also reports that Sony has its own system in the pipeline which will give users a similar experience. Difference being, the Sony technology will be more expensive as it uses “active shutter” glasses where as the LG models use so called “passive” glasses. The Sony TV, a 24″ gaming model will be released later this year.

LG Electronics plans to bring us OLED in the larger format, 55 inches, starting in the second half of next year.

The CEO of LG Display announced their intent to move from smaller scale OLED screens, like ones on mobiles and tablets, to larger scale applications including big-hitting TVs.

LG plan to introduce the new super slim OLED TV gradually, with production in the tens of thousands, instead of full-blown mass production. Testing the waters, to see the consumer reaction before moving to mass production. Of course, with TV panels bringing in half of the revenue this is an important move for the Display division.

We have already seen LG demo its OLED TVs in the 33-inch and 15-inch flavours. The larger, 33-inch model comes with a cool $9000 price tag. Chump change for the sheikh, then.

If you are a regular Joe like the rest of us, expect to pay through the nose for this one. They aren’t going to be cheap.

Via Engadget