Sony has expanded its display lineup to include its first LCD monitor series built for full motion video in broadcast and production environments. At this week’s NAB2003, five models are being introduced as part of the new LMD line of professional LCD monitors, including two multi-format 16:9 displays and three-rack mountable combination packages.
Sony’s new multi-format, widescreen monitors include the LMD-170WS and LMD-230WS models, 17- and 23-inch displays, which sport a two-piece design. A separate multi-format engine houses the video processing, input connections, option slots, controls, and power supply. The engine comes equipped with composite, component, and VGA inputs.
The LCD panel itself and the tally light are mounted in a display cabinet. The displays support a range of standard and high-definition analog and digital signals, including 1080/60i, 720/60P, and 1080/24PsF.
Three displays — the LMD-440, the LMD-530, and the LMD-720W — are rack- mountable and incorporate the modular design concept of the entire LMD line. They have an option slot for plug-in cards, which offer a way to reconfigure the monitor to accept additional signal formats, such as SDI, HD-SDI, or FireWire digital interface decoding. The LMD-440 is a quad screen four-inch panel in a 2 RU package. The LMD-530 is a triple screen five-point six-inch panel in a 3 RU package. The LMD-720W is a dual seven-inch widescreen in a 3 RU package.
With the LMD line, values for contrast, chroma, phase and brightness can be adjusted by knobs on the front control panel. Operational functions — including blue only, H/V delay, and safety area markers — offer evaluation tools. DC operation and three-color tally are also part of the new line’s feature set.
The double (LMD-720W), triple (LMD-530) and quad (LMD-440) monitors are expected to be available in June for suggested list prices of US$2,299, $1,899 and $1,799, respectively. The LMD-170WS and LMD-230WS multi-format monitors, slated for a July release, will have suggested list prices of $3,200 and $3,850.