Brightside debuts display with 200,000:1 contrast ratio

A Canadian startup called Brightside announced a new "extreme dynamic range" display with a 200,000:1 contrast ratio and a 16-bit color capability. The 19-inch display is for sale right now and should offer a image quality superior to any other display. But this comes at a price of course, and it's a pretty high one. The display costs $49,000.

The display's maximum brightness is rated at 3000 cd per m2, the contrast ratio is indicated to be virtually "infinite", as the device is capable capability to display a "zero" amount of light and achieve a perfect black color. According to common rating standards, however, contrast ratio is 200,000, Brightside said. Other features of the LCD include 170-degree viewing angles, a maximum resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels, HD-DI and DVI-D connects, support for input from up to two graphic cards, and OpenGL and DirectX9 capability. Power consumption peaks at 1680 watts - about three times what a enthusiast PC consumes under gaming conditions.

Much of the display's image quality is a result of 16-bit color support. While the LCD provides an 8-bit (255-step) brightness control by itself, Brightside added an LED backlight array that delivers an additional 8 bit. According to the manufacturer, LEDs provide much greater brightness and control which enable to achieve close to true-life image quality.

More details over at Tom's Hardware Guide.