Algorithmic Art

By David Em

January 9, 2006

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It's no secret digital technology's revolutionized all forms of media production and distribution, including music, film, video, illustration, and photography. However, more interesting are the entirely new forms for creative expression and dissemination that it's given birth to. The web is one example. Self-generating algorithmic art is another.

This week I'll look at G-Force, a $30 program from SoundSpectrum that creates visuals algorithmically. But first, a First Look at a new LCD display from HP that I wasn't able to include in my column on multiheaded displays.

A Better A Display

HP's latest LCD is the 20.1-inch LP2065. I've been using the LP2065 to test Epson's new R2400 archival desktop printer that I'll be reporting on in an upcoming column. I use two displays for printing tests, an LCD and a CRT tube. I've discovered that LCDs reproduce the surface characteristics of gloss paper surfaces fairly accurately while certain tubes more closely approximate the muted surface of matte papers.

I expect this display difference to remain an issue even with the coming generation of LED-backed LCDs that fully reproduce the complete RGB color spectrum (most LCDs and tubes display at best about 73 percent). If you do any amount of color-critical printing on a variety of surfaces, you might want to hold on to a high-quality glass bottle or two, since they're rapidly going out of production.

There's a lot to like about the LP2065, starting with its sharp1600x1200 resolution and 800:1 contrast ratio. It's got analog and dual DVI-I inputs, a wide viewing angle, a very thin bezel, and a USB hub. It pivots 90-degrees to a portrait view and its height and rotation are very adjustable. I especially liked its anti-glare coating that minimizes ambient light reflection.

The panel's 8ms response time eliminates the jump and flicker most LCDs manifest with moving images, making it practical for video and game design and playback applications.

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