HD Displays
Issue: Volume: 28 Issue: 2 (Feb 2005)

HD Displays

Apple expanded its Cinema family of flat-panel monitors with the debut of a 30-inch HD display. The Apple Cinema HD wide-format, active-matrix LCD is reported to be the world’s largest high-resolution display, offering a 30-inch viewing area and 2560x1600 pixels. In addition to a 16:10 ratio design, the new offering sports dual FireWire and dual USB 2.0 ports, a DVI interface, and an all-new aluminum design with a thin bezel. The 30-inch Cinema HD display is designed to work with an Apple Power Mac G5 professional desktop system and an Nvidia GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL graphics card. Now available, Apple’s 30-inch flat panel is priced at $3299. The company’s new 23-inch Cinema HD display, offering 1920x1200 resolution and a $1999 price tag, also is capable of displaying high-definition television (HD TV) content. For use with Power Macs, Powerbooks, and Windows-based systems, the 23-inch model features two FireWire 400 ports and two USB 2.0 ports, as well as an industry-standard DVI interface.





Apple Computer; www.apple.com

The Sony PFM-42X1 is a 42-inch, high-definition XGA-resolution display priced at $4599. The high-definition plasma offers high-contrast video and sharp text at 1024x768 (XGA) resolution. The new progressive-scan display, equipped with digital (DVI-HDCP) and analog inputs, is well suited to video, PC, and HD TV applications. Sony also offers the 50-inch FWD-50PX1 high-definition, WXGA resolution display, priced at $6569. Like the PFM-42X1, this new HD plasma can display more than one billion colors, high-contrast video, and sharp text at 1280x768 (WXGA) resolution. For video, PC, and HD TV content, the FWD-50PX1 features multiple inputs, including dual RBG, YUV (component), and composite Y/C (S-video).

Sony Business Solutions & Systems; http://bssc.sel.sony.com

During CES 2005, Toshiba presented its FST Pure HD family in sizes ranging from 26 to 34 inches. The five new high-definition monitors in the TheaterWide Series and Cinema Series employ the company’s new “Super-Thin” CTV technology, having one-third less depth than previous CTV models. Toshiba’s line of 16:9 HD monitors includes two Cinema Series models, the 34-inch 34HFX84 and the 30-inch 30HFX84, and three TheaterWide models: the 34-inch 34HF84, 30-inch 30HF84, and 26-inch 26HF84. All Toshiba HD monitors feature 16:9 FST Pure CRTs, Dynamic Quadruple Focus, Wide Band Video Amplifier, and DFine High-Speed Velocity Scan modulation. The models also sport CrystalScan HDSC, Cable-Clear DNR+ that reduces noise and adjusts sharpness, and HDMI Digital Video Inputs. The TheaterWide 26HF84, 30HF84, and 34HF84 are priced at $600, $900, and $1400, respectively; whereas the Cinemas Series 30HFX84 and 34HFX84 cost $1000 and $1600, respectively.





Toshiba; www.tacp.toshiba.com

During CES, NEC-Mitsubishi Electronics Display of America announced its entry into the wide-format, multifunction display market. The NEC MultiSync LCD2335WXM is an HD-ready, 23-inch LCD offering 1280x768 resolution, analog VGA and DVI-D PC inputs, an analog TV tuner with remote control, picture-in-picture, and an $1199 price tag. Additional information about the NEC MultiSync LCD2335WXM is provided in the Spotlight on Products section on pg. 8.

NEC-Mitsubishi Electronics Display of America; www.necmitsubishi.com

ViewSonic’s newest 23-inch wide-screen LCD monitor, the VP231wb, is targeted at professionals in the video field. The new display not only enables users to view high-definition content in its native 16:9 format, but also ensures smooth motion video playback via the system’s 1920x1200 resolution, 500:1 contrast ratio, and 16ms response time. The VP231wb offers support for HDTV signals-480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i-and multiple inputs, including a USB 2.0 hub. More information about the VP231wb is offered in the Spotlight on Products section on pg. 8. Also new to the ViewSonic family of products are three wide-screen displays designed for high-definition television and video. The 40-inch N4050w, 27-inch N2750w, and 17-inch N1750w are high-performance LCD panels utilizing ViewSonic’s ClearPicture electronics. Priced at $4999, the N4050w offers 1280x768 native resolution, a 600:1 contrast ratio, a 170-degree viewing angle, and multiple composite, component, S-video, analog RGB, and DVI inputs with high-definition content protection. The N2750w, priced at $1199, features 1280x720 resolution, a 600:1 contrast ratio, an integrated NTSC tuner and power supply, and RGB, DVI, and SVHS inputs. At $599, the N1750w is a multifunction device suited to serving as a digital TV and a computer monitor. It boasts a 1280x768 native resolution, a 600:1 contrast ratio, an NTSC tuner, and various connectivity options.





ViewSonic; www.viewsonic.com

Panasonic Broadcast’s seventh-generation professional series plasma family has gained five new models, including three high-definition panels. The 65-inch TH-65PHD7UY, 50-inch TH-50PHD7UY, and 42-inch TH-42PHD7UY HD displays offer a 3000:1 contrast ratio, 16:9 format, and multislot functionality. Panasonic’s largest plasma monitor to date, the TH-65PHD7UY can serve as a vertical or a horizontal display in a variety of environments requiring eye-catching imagery. The plasmas ensure high image quality via such technologies as a Real Black Drive System, a Deep Black Filter, Super Real Gamma System, Adaptive Automatic Gain Control, Motion Picture Disturbance Noise Reduction, 3D Color Management, and Active Interlace/Progressive Conversion. Panasonic’s new panels further offer Dual Picture with two picture-in-picture and one picture-outside-picture modes, Digital Zoom, and a built-in video wall processor for multiscreen configurations. The TH-65PHD7UY and TH-50PHD7UY boast 1366x768 resolution, and the TH-42PHD7UY sports 1024x768 pixels. All three HD models are capable of displaying 1080p 24p/24sf, 1080i 50/60, 720p 50/60, 480 p/i, and 576 p/i, as well as supporting VGA, SVGA, XGA, SXGA, and UXGA resolution. The new 65-inch TH-65PHD7UY, 50-inch TH-50PHD7UY, and 42-inch TH-42PHD7UY high-definition models are available now for $15,995, $6495, and $4795, respectively.





Panasonic; www.panasonic.com

During CES, LG Electronics announced the expansion of its professional plasma display panel (PDP) and LCD flat-panel product lines. The newly released MW-71PY10, a 71-inch display, is reported to be the largest PDP on the market today. The HD display features 1920x1080 progressive-scan resolution and takes advantage of LG Electronics’ XD Engine technology to deliver lifelike images. The company also revealed its plans to begin shipping three new integrated cable-ready HD displays-the 60-inch 60PY2D, 50-inch 50PX5D, and 42-inch 42PX5D-next quarter. All three new HD models incorporate not only LG Electronics’ fifth-generation ATSC VSB/QAM tuner, but also an NTSC tuner for analog broadcasts. These displays further benefit from picture-in-picture, picture-outside-picture, and split-screen options. In other product news, LG Electronics’ LCD line gains a 55-inch model, the 55LP1D. A direct-view HD display, the 55LP1D achieves 1920x1080 resolution, a 550:1 contrast ratio, and integrated ATSC/NTSC tuners. LG Electronics recently earned a 2005 CES Innovations Award for its new 55LP1D HD display.





LG Electronics; www.lgusa.com