Sony unveiled new 2013 TVs at CES 2013. The new 9 series, W900, and the Ultra HD models, reintroduce Sony’s Triluminos brand. FlatpanelsHD had a chat with Sony about the new technology that uses so-called Quantum Dots to improve color reproduction.

Triluminos has Quantom Dots
Rewind to 2007. Sony launched the X3000 series of TVs with Triluminos technology. Back then Sony used LED backlight based on three LEDs; red, green and blue (RGB), to optimize color reproduction. In 2009, the Triluminos technology was dropped and Sony was quoted as saying that it was too expensive compared to the improvements.


Sony W900 with Triluminos technology

5 years later, in 2013, Sony is ready to reintroduce the Triluminos technology. The name is unchanged and the technology still has something to do with backlighting in TVs. However, in 2013 Triluminos uses Quantum Dots to improve color reproduction via the backlight unit.

It works like this: The LED backlight in Sony’s 2013 Triluminos TVs uses LEDs emitting a “pure blue” light – and not RGB leds – instead of white LED used in conventional LED based TVs today. Between the backlight unit and the LCD panel Sony has placed a filter of “Quantum Dots” that are able to reproduce “pure green” and “pure red” light from the blue backlight. Sony argues that conventional LED model sometimes let non-pure light trough which can cause washed-out colors. But with Triluminos, Sony can create more intense, accurate and lifelike colors.

Triluminos in action
Sony says that Triluminos can reproduce 50 % more of the color gamut visible to the human eye, compared to conventional LED models. However, in practice this has not effect as movies and TV shows are not created for the more complete color palette – yet.


Sony exhibited Triluminos (to the left) next to a former high-end Sony TV (to the right)

FlatpanelsHD saw Sony’s Triluminos technology in action at CES and the colors definitely appeared more intense. However, Sony had also made some colors appear too intense, reducing for example shadow detailing. The Triluminos technology is certainly very exciting but we hope for a more balanced outcome when the final products arrive in a few months.

The Triluminos technology has been integrated in the W900 series that will be available in spring 2013 and the Ultra HD X9000 models that will be available this summer.