Get a load of what it took to create Surface 2’s stunning display

A common remark when people first see a Surface 2 device up close is how great the display looks. That’s especially pleasing to the Surface team because so much effort went into screen performance. As Stevie Bathiche, Microsoft distinguished scientist and head of the Applied Science team, explains in the Surface Blog and video above, delivering an impressive display requires focus on far more than just pixel count – things like size and aspect ratio, contrast ratio, viewing angles, color depth, grayscale, color reproduction, luminance, backlight uniformity… The list goes on. Oh, did we mention optically bonding the display to the cover glass in order to reduce reflection?

Both Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 feature 10.6-inch ClearType HD displays with a 16:9 aspect ratio (the most popular for TVs – the screen a lot of HD content is designed for) that offer up stunning 1080p video and awesome gaming, as well as crisp text.

It’s easy to take displays for granted and forget the huge strides made in the technology in just the last few years. Take a moment to remember the quality of the first photo you looked at on a mobile phone, then get over to a Microsoft retail store or other retailer and check out the display on the new Surface devices. They’re brilliant.

You might also be interested in:

· A closer look at the two-position kickstand in Surface 2
· Microsoft Research founder: “We create the pieces from which a future can be created”
· Using pen and touch with Surface gives artists many illustration options

Steve Clarke
Microsoft News Center Staff