The future is Samsung picture perfect

If you think flat screen television sets are already an improvement to the usual cathode ray tube TV set, think again. Samsung introduces in Manila its DNIe display TVs, an advanced patented display technology that gives a new buzz to today’s digital TV technology.

Introduced during the recent DigitAll Partners Roadshow, Samsung’s Digital Natural Image Engine technology is a set of four advanced image processing technologies that make digital TVs produce the clearest, most detailed and yet most natural-looking images ever.

A blind test conducted by Samsung marketing manager Jerry Lacson had guests comparing the new Samsung digital TV technology with the competing brands. Based on comparisons with a selection of images sourced from a DVD movie, the Samsung digital TV showed clearer image and brighter color with sharp and precise detail. In all instances, background detail is clearer and much more focused than in competing digital TV sets, providing a real-life experience to the concept of home entertainment. Couch potatoes will be spoiled with images that bring them right to the center of the action.

The Samsung DNIe technology works through four core technologies: Motion optimizer, contrast enhancer, detail enhancer and color optimizer. It took Samsung seven years of sustained research and investment to develop DNIe.

The project began in 1996, and the following year, the company developed a noise reduction function for the image enhancement of cathode ray tube or CRT TVs. In 2000, Samsung started a new picture quality enhancement project that resulted in the basic version of the DNIe technology completed two years later.

Early this year, the radical new technology caught the eye of the world in a successful demo at a show in Las Vegas. To date, Samsung has receive 85 foreign and domestic patents relating to DNIe, including a basic technology patent for reproduction.

Samsung Electronics Philippine Corporation (SEPCO) president and CEO Sang Youl Eom declared during the recent Manila leg of the DNIe roadshow that consumers will now be able to choose displays that are more exciting as they explore new technologies.

Samsung is a digital innovator and DNIe is a significant development for our display business.

DNIe is installed in all Samsung plasma display TVs, LCD projection TVs and selected models of LCD TVs. The 50-inch ST50L2H2X and the 61-inch ST61L2HXX are now available in the Philippines, as well as five other models of LCD TVs. Other models are expected to be shipped in by yearend..

Although the technology is now applicable on high-end displays, the Samsung official said work is now underway to apply DNIe technology on smaller home-based display TVs.

The DNIe technology converts any signal and optimizes it for any kind of display device. Source signal can either be analog, DVD, digital or high-density, camcorder or a PC/game unit, while output display device can be a flat panel plasma or LCD TV, projection TV or flat screen TV. The signal is analyzed for noise, contrast, detail and color.

The Motion Optimizer eliminates noise and blurring from the source signal without damaging the image, guaranteeing the viewer a picture of astounding sharpness, whether the scene is still or moving.

The Contrast Enhancer boosts light and shade in the image. Conventional contrast enhancement can produce side effects, like noise boost-up and flicker. DNIe reduces these problems by using an algorithm that recognizes over a million criteria for applying contrast. This detail contrast enhancement technology can automatically analyze up to 70,000 local images within a frame, providing the viewer with a picture rich in contrast even in tiniest details.

The Detail Enhancer sharpens the edges in images. Most conventional detail enhancement procedures produce unnatural effects by relying on artificial amplification of the input signal. DNIe automatically analyzes the portion being amplified, detecting and re-processing any noise of defect to bring the viewer a sharp and lifelike image.

The Color Optimizer calculates the saturation of red, green and blue in the input signal and adjusts it to the shades that the human eye accepts as natural. Even a conventional process like white tone enhancement benefits from DNIe. The resulting image has a palette of vivid hues and pure white tones to satisfy viewers with the most discerning eyes.

Samsung’s DNIe technology is available in both LCD and plasma televisions. The new Samsung line of LCD televisions now comprises eight models ranging from the usual 15-inch screen to a 40-inch screen. Models larger than 22 inches are equipped with the DNIe technology. On the other hand, plasma televisions come in 42-inch, 50-inch and 63-inch models, with the 63-inch model currently the largest plasma television in the world.

For its line of LCD televisions, Samsung has increased the light intensity, from 350 to 450 cd/m2 for models up to 22 inches and 500 cd/m2 for the 32- and 40-inch models. This results in greater viewing pleasure, as the image is clearer and sharper. These LCD televisions also perform well in rooms where there is a lot of sunlight or lighting, making these models ideal for business applications in public areas.

On the other hand, the new generation of plasma televisions are the thinnest of their kind in the world. With its streamlined exterior, these TVs are easy and quick to mount. Each model comes in two versions. The new Alexander range of plasma televisions is equipped with built-in tuner or with separate tuner boxes.

Likewise, the greater improved picture quality of the new plasma generation TV provides improved picture quality with a perfect balance between contrast and clarity. The increased light intensity also optimizes the picture, so that even with sunlight falling on the screen the picture remains sharp and clear.

The Samsung DigitAll Partners Roadshow is part of a worldwide campaign to showcase the DNIe technology to key markets in the United States, Europe and Asia.

SEPCO president and CEO Eom led the unveiling of the new products with key officials from the Samsung headquarters in Korea, including general manager for product planning Augustine Lim, regional product manager Maurice Lim and general manager for CRT TV product marketing Ahn Jun Ho. SEPCO officials present were vice-president for sales and marketing of consumer electronics Dong Ha Jang, senior manager for marketing Jerry Lacson and advertising and promo manager Angie Limbaco.

"We are confident that Filipino consumers will find the best picture quality at competitive prices in Samsung products," Eom says. "On top of that, we offer the market a complete digital package that enhances the home entertainment experience."