Contrast ratio of MBP 17" widescreen antiglare mid 2010

They are not in the tech docs, I believe, since the supplier may change from quarter to quarter or production run to production run. If you go into System Preferences -> Displays -> Color -> Color LCD -> Open Profile and look for a Model number. You can use that to google for hits of manufacturer make and model, and hopefully link out to specs that way.

Other than that, there are published measurements in some reviews for past models (Tom's Hardware did one about a year or tow ago - they had to compute contrast based on measured peak brightness and black level). Every review I have ever seen has reported contrast ratio's as computed from the review's own measurements, not from product specs.

Is it a major name that you can just go to a corporate web site and check? I know Apple has used LG and Samsung displays, but also reportedly "Chi Mei" who I've never heard of.

What do you find if you search for "MacBook Pro LCD xxxx" or whatever the number you have is?

All this is kind of a long shot though, since as I say, every review I've ever seen, and the few professional graphics people I know have had to actually measure directly from their displays and then compute their display's contrast ratio.

If you can find anything useful with web searches, I was thinking you could hopefully get to a manufactur's spec page for the model of display. However, searching with those numbers, I can not find anything that leads me to any specs of any kind.

Sorry, as I say, those whom I know who are actually concerned about such things, measure them directly from the screen they wish to use. And Apple has never publicized those design specs for their laptop displays, as far as I know.

P.S. maybe you could call these guys - http://www.lcds4less.com - they sell LCDs for Apple Laptops, including the LED backlit ones. It's not very clear from their site if they are selling OEM replacements or "compatible" displays? Maybe they could give you useful information?