February 16, 2005

LR-127 LED Analyzer for PR-650, PR-705/715 and PR-880

The LR-127 is an optical accessory designed to measure discrete (3 mm or 5 mm packages) LEDs for parameters recommeded by CIE 127 Technical Report - Measurement of LEDs. Per this report the average luminous intensity (candelas) of the LED is determined by making two measurements - one measurement is made at a 2° cone (Condition A) and the second through a 6.5° cone (Condition B). The two readings are then averaged.

The LR-127 makes both measurements simply by sliding a lever to the A or B position. This means that the user does not have to change accessories to make both measurements.

August 9, 2004

USB Now Available for PR-1980A, PR-1500 and PR-1530AR

We've made it easier to get data from some of our more traditional technology, namely the PR-1980A, PR-1500 and PR-1530AR, into the computer environment.

We now offer Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectivity for the above mentioned instruments. This feature can be ordered with a new instrument, or retrofitted to existing instruments (must be returned to factory for retrofitting).

The USB enables all the capabilities of the BCD and more. The customer has a choice of ordering USB, BCD or both. Information returned from the USB bus is the DPM reading, exponent and sign, and CIE filter turret position.

We're also including a software installation CD, and fully documented sample software source code in C++, Visual Basic and LabView to make it easy for user integration.

July 2003

Marantz VP-12S2 DLP projector
By Kevin Miller, July 2003

One giant leap closer to CRT.

...(Excerpt)
The projector came from the factory with the contrast set at 50 percent, which produced a light output of 12 foot-lamberts. At the middle color-temperature setting, 20 IRE measured 6,185 Kelvin, and 80 IRE measured 6,220 K. After calibration, the VP-12S2's gray scale measured a near-perfect 6,460 K at 20 IRE and 6,460 K at 80 IRE. After calibration, the light output was 10 ft-L. It's important to note that, subjectively speaking, the picture was quite bright. I took all of my measurements using a Photo Research PR-650 spectro-radiometer. The user menu gives you the option of a 7.5-IRE or a 0-IRE black level. I used 0 IRE for both DVD and HDTV sources
...

For the complete article, visit: http://www.hometheatermag.com/showarchives.cgi?175

May 07, 2003

LCD Specs: Useless? Tested contrast ratios rarely conform to vendors' specs.

...(Excerpt)
We developed our tests in collaboration with physicist Raymond Soneira, president of the video diagnostics company DisplayMate Technologies and a well-known expert in monitor testing, whose DisplayMate utility we use in our Top 100 monitor tests.

We went to considerable lengths to ensure a level playing field by subjecting all test units to a precise set of adjustments designed to standardize the LCDs (see "How We Test" in the chart). To ensure accurate measurements, we borrowed a research-class Pritchard PR-880 photometer from Chatsworth, California-based Photo Research, which develops high-precision electro-optical equipment.
...

For the complete article, visit: http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,110483,00.asp

April 22, 2003

LCD Monitors: Brighter, Sharper, Cheaper

How We Tested: Finding Light in the Dark

...(Excerpt)
For objective measurements-the brightness and contrast ratio tests-we used the Photo Research PR-880 (www.photoresearch.com), a high-end laboratory photometer used by the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST). We followed the VESA Flat Panel Display Measurements Standard, Version 2 (www.vesa.org). We tested each monitor in its native resolution with 32-bit color and a screen frequency of 60 Hz.
...

For the complete article, visit: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,985931,00.asp