Also new in the Panasonic booth (C3712) was a pair of new high-resolution LCD HD production monitors. Two models introduced; the 25.5-inch BT-LH2550 and the 17-inch TT-LH1710 are truly high-end.
The LH2550 provides a 1920 x 1200 pixel In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel with an expanded color gamut that exceeds the NTSC standard. It offers six color space settings, therefore supporting a wide range of high-end applications.
The monitor’s image processing engine has a three-dimensional look-up table that calibrates it to reproduce content according to the selected color standard. The monitor is ½ lighter than its predecessor and features a full range of inputs including DVI-D, two auto-switching SDI (HS/SSD, component and RGB, as well as standard RS-232C and GPI remote inputs.
For those control room applications, the panel operates with a cooling fan, providing noise-free performance. Additional monitoring tools include build-in waveform and vector scope functions. It also has a split-screen function permitting the simultaneously display of two video sources, side-by-side from two different inputs.
The 17-inch LH1710 is similar, using a 1280 x 768 In-Plane-Switching panel. The monitor uses a newly-designed 10-bit image processing circuit providing increased accuracy and detail using a 3D LUT to reproduce accurate images according to the selected color standard.
Joe Facchini, director of product marketing then took me to an adjacent demo, which allows attendees to compare the image quality of the Panasonic monitor against a well known and much more expensive competitor. I was blow away by the purity of the Panasonic monitor’s colors and image quality. I’m not saying you wouldn’t want the competitor’s monitor in your house, but you can get four or more of the high-quality Panasonic ones for the about same price as the other monitor.
