What does 500 cd/m2 mean?

Question

I want to buy a 32 inch Widescreen LCD HDTV compatible TV. I understand most of the technical data apart from 500 cd/m2.

Answer 1

Candle-power per square meter? Candle-power is a measure of light brightness that is supposedly the same as that number of candles. That has been replaced largely by "Lumens".

Answer 2

The candela (symbol: cd) is the SI base unit of luminous intensity.

A 100 W incandescent lightbulb emits about 120 cd.

Answer 3

Candela , cd/m^2, is the unit of luminance emitted by unit surface. It is a unit of emission of visible light.
Visible light can also be expressed in terms of energy. For example, if the light energy is used for direct conversion to electrical energy, then 1 candella of light intensity is equal to 1 watt per steradian. Steradian is unit solid angle of emission. Candela is also lumen per steradian where lumen is the flux of light.
Light is one of the rare phenomena wher one uses two types of units, energy and visibility.

Answer 4

As above. Basically the higher the number the brighter the picture. Although unless its a very bright room you dont need to worry about it too much.