A glossy display is an electronic visual display without the usual scattering anti-glare coating designed and marketed to enhance sales.
Technology edit
Traditionally LCDs have had a matte anti-glare finish to scatter reflected ambient light and thus to reduce unwanted reflections (glare) which considerably improves the ergonomics of work with e.g. LCD computer monitors.
This is claimed to have the side effect of scattering the light from the display, increasing blur and reducing contrast ratio, colour intensity, and viewing angle.[1]
Glossy LCDs use an optical coating to reduce the amount of external light reflecting from the surface without affecting light emanating from the screen.[1] Their shiny surfaces still reflect more light than matte displays, but are less reflective than an uncoated glossy display would be; reflections of external light sources are not diffused by glossy displays, so certain lighting conditions tend to favor a traditional, anti-glare screen. In controlled environments, such as darkened rooms, or rooms where all light sources are diffused, a glossy display may be more enjoyable for the viewer.[2]
Advantages edit
In very special situations, glossy displays may display more saturated coloursa and darker blacks. This makes these types of displays more appropriate for viewing photos, watching movies, or even just general computer usage such as web browsing.[3] Also, in extremely bright conditions where no direct light is facing the screen, such as outdoors, glossy displays can become more readable than matte displays because they don't disperse the light around the screen (which would render a matte screen washed out).
Disadvantages edit
Despite the perceived increase in the quality of glossy displays, they tend to exaggerate colors and shade, to the point in which they over-saturate and have poorer grayscale accuracy. This makes glossy displays unsuitable for people who seek to use their computers for graphics work which requires color accuracy. This is why detractors claim that glossy displays are used as a marketing gimmick.[4]
Also, due to the reflective nature of the display, in most lighting conditions which include direct light sources facing the screen, glossy displays create too many reflections which can be distracting to the user of the computer.[2][5] This is especially annoying to users who work in an environment, such as in an office, where the position of lights and windows cannot be avoided and create distracting reflections.
Brand names edit
Most display manufacturers label their glossy screens under a variety of brand names:
| Manufacturer | Brand name |
|---|---|
| Acer | CrystalBrite, CineCrystal |
| Acorn | Vybrio |
| AG Neovo | NeoV Optical Filter |
| Ahtec | Glare |
| Alienware | ClearView |
| Apple | Glossy |
| ASUS | Color Shine |
| Averatec | AveraBrite |
| Dell | TrueLife |
| Edge10 | Optic10 Toughened Optical Glass |
| Everex | Diamond Brite |
| Fujitsu | Crystal View, SuperFine |
| GammaTech | DuraBrite |
| Gateway | Ultrabright |
| HP/Compaq | BrightView |
| IBM/Lenovo | VibrantView |
| LG | Fine Bright |
| NEC | OptiClear, SuperShine |
| Packard Bell | Diamond View |
| ProStar | GlassView |
| Sager | Super Clear Glare Type |
| Sony | XBRITE, X-black, Clear Bright, Clear Photo LCD |
| Toshiba | TruBrite, Clear SuperView |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b "PixelBright LCDs". ScreenTek. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
- ^ a b Johnson, Joel. "LCD Monitors: Glossy vs. Matte". Popular Mechanics. April 2007. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
- ^ "Macbook". Apple. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
- ^ Siracusa, John. "And we all shine on". Ars Technica. May 16 2006. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
- ^ Thatcher, Michelle. "Counter the glare on your glossy display". CNET. October 23 2006. Retrieved December 3, 2007.
External links edit
- Glossy versus matte: fight! : From the News Desk at Ars Technica: a report of a Lenovo poll on matte vs. glossy LCDs by Jeremy Reimer, published Oct. 18, 2006 (note: the Lenovo poll is no longer available on the Lenovo web site).
- MacMatte website: A forum devoted solely to the issue of matte screens on Apple Mac computers.