Display technology protects eyes without sacrificing colour

The latest SoftBlue displays for the home (the E-Line) are already in stores; the SoftBlue displays for professional users (P-Line) are due out this fall.

Thomas Schade, Vice President, EMEA, MMD, commented: “This recent technology is emblematic of the commitment of MMD to taking care of users’ health and wellbeing, as well as providing brilliant, colourful images for maximum productivity. Studies show that blue light from LED displays can damage eyes and affect vision. But we’re all spending more and more time in front of screens and continually exposing our eyes to potentially harmful rays. The latest SoftBlue technology is proven to mitigate this risk. It is certified by international testing organisations SGS Labs and TÜV Rheinland to reduce blue light and protect eyes.”

The displays take a refreshingly different approach to the challenge of removing harmful blue light. In contrast with filter-based methods, a glass in front of the screen or anti-blue light spectacles, they retain the fidelity of the original colour. Filter-based solutions tinge colours with yellow. At best, this detracts from the viewing experience; at worst, in applications such as medical imaging that rely on colour fidelity, it renders the display useless.

SoftBlue displays, on the other hand, mitigate the impact of blue-light exposure at its source: by eliminating blue light emissions at the potentially harmful wavelengths at the higher end of the shortwave spectrum and shifting the wavelength peak from harmful 450 to 460nm. This reduces the potentially detrimental blue light by over 90%, but without sacrificing the fidelity and quality of the original colour. Users therefore benefit from accustomed picture quality, brightness and colour fidelity and enjoy well-being for their eyes as well.

Apart from the standout feature of SoftBlue technology, all five new displays pack an impressive set of features for maximum display performance. Equal to the challenges of both home and professional applications, they are all equipped with IPS-ADS panels for extra-wide 178° viewing angles with crisp images and vivid colours, 16:9 aspect-ratio, 1920x1080px Full HD resolution and built-in stereo speakers to complement easy viewing with a great sound experience.

The E-Line displays for home users, available in 21.5, 23.6 and 27" sizes, have an elegant slim design with touch controls to fit in with the home décor. They also include the exclusive Philips technology suites SmartContrast, which dynamically enhances contrast settings and SmartImage Lite, which enhances and adjusts contrast, colour saturation and sharpness to deliver ultimate display performance for whatever application scenario the user has selected, all in real time and at the press of a single button.

The two P-Line displays, in 21.5 and 23.8" versions, are designed with busy professionals in mind. In these displays, SoftBlue is complemented by another exclusive Philips technology to lessen eye fatigue: Philips Flicker-Free regulates brightness and reduces flicker for more comfortable viewing. With the SmartErgo base, the displays can be tilted, swiveled and height-adjusted to whatever level and angle best suits the user, again a people-friendly feature that enhances productivity and eases the physical strain of a long workday.

The two P-Line displays also include the professional-grade version of SmartImage technology, with dynamic optimising of image contrast, colour saturation and sharpness to suit the application, plus a special Economy mode for major power savings. And to save even more energy, the displays also have an integrated PowerSensor, which detects if the user has moved away from the desk and automatically reduces monitor brightness. This cuts energy costs by up to 80% and also extends monitor life.