CES 2009

(Credit: NEC)

NEC is staunch in its support of professional-level computer monitors and that's great for those who consider themselves of a professional level. However, I'm hoping for some more love for we average Joes before the week is done. In the meantime, the company announced another professional display.

NEC is targeting the 26-inch MultiSync LCD2690WUXi2 at professionals in graphic arts, desktop publishing, and photography.

Derived from the LCD2690WUXi, the new display purportedly has a new, wider color-gamut panel, which delivers expanded blue coverage and improved brightness uniformity.

The MultiSync LCD2690WUXi² is certified with Specifications for Web Offset Publications (SWOP) software, assuring users achieve accurate soft-proof images. The display passed the "GRACoL Grade 1" test, which, according to NEC, is one of the highest-level examinations available for SWOP certification.

The LCD2690WUXi² also has the following features:

• 97.8 percent coverage of AdobeRGB color gamut
• Compatibility with the NEC SpectraViewIIT Color Calibration Solution
• Auto luminance control with X-LightT Pro backlight/sensor
• ColorCompT technology, which purportedly compensates for slight variations in luminance and color uniformity, providing even color across the screen
• IPS active matrix LCD panel, which usually provides wide viewing angles and deep black levels
• Support for internal programmable 12-bit look-up tables (LUTs) for calibration
• Ambient light sensor and automatic backlight adjustment
• 1,900x1,200 native resolution
• 1,000:1 contrast ratio
• 320 cd/m² brightness
• Three selectable inputs (DVI-I, DVI-D, 15-pin D-sub [VGA])

The MultiSync LCD2690WUXi² ships with a four-year parts and labor warranty, including backlight, and is available now with an MSRP of $1,199

The 26-incher is basically just a small verison of the 30-incher. Or is that vice versa?

(Credit: NEC )

Professional displays can sometimes cost thousands of dollars. Particular consumers usually don't mind paying this premium, however, as the display usually provides an accurate image that some pro users consider a necessity.

NEC continues its support of such displays with two new large-screen monitors. This week, NEC is introducing the 26-inch MultiSync LCD2690W2-BK-SV and the 30-inch LCD3090W-BK-SV. The company is also introducing a new SpectraView Kit, the aptly named SprectraViewII.

The SpectraViewII is a color calibration tool compatible with both Mac and Windows that measures color using a colorimeter based on the iOne Display 2 from X-Rite. Once the user takes a color measurement, the software analyzes the measurements and sends color adjustment commands directly to the display monitor, which purportedly allows the full color resolution and fidelity of the display to be maintained.

NEC cites the following advantages to using the SpectraView II over the previous version.

• Three internal 12-bit look-up tables (LUTs), which, according to NEC, allow precise adjustments to be made to the display's tone response curve with minimal reduction to the number of displayable colors
• Fully automated calibration, which makes adjustments directly in the display hardware, allowing optimal settings to be configured without any user interaction
• Multiple calibration sets, which enable quick and easy switching between different calibration settings without the need to re-calibrate the display.
• Calibrated display information, which shows the results of the calibration, including the measured color gamut, grayscale color tracking, Delta-E and luminance values
• Calibration status validation, whereby SpectraViewII queries the system to see if any controls have changed since the last calibration and restores to the previous calibrated state
• Monitor locking, which allows the on-screen display controls to lock the monitor once calibrated to prevent accidental or unauthorized adjustments
• Monitor profiling, which allows the monitor to be automatically profiled after calibration, generating a highly accurate ICC/ColorSync color profiles
• Colorimeter function, which allows direct measurements to be taken by the color sensor and the results displayed in a variety of formats

A Linux version of SpectraViewII will also be available in February.

Each monitor uses the ColorCompT technology, which purportedly reduces LCD uniformity errors by compensating for differences in color/grayscale and luminance across the screen area.

According to NEC, each monitor's backlight technology enables the displays to produce 98 percent coverage and 107 percent the gamut size of the AdobeRGB color. The 26- and 30-inch displays incorporate in-plane switching (IPS) panel technology, which is widely accepted by industry professionals as being the highest-performing LCD technology available on the market.

The SVII-PRO-KIT is available as an accessory for select NEC LCD displays and includes the new color measurement sensor and SpectraViewII calibration software. Existing customers with a supported color sensor device can purchase the SpectraViewII software separately at an estimated street price of $104.99. The SVII-PRO-KIT is available separately with an estimated street price of $329.

The LCD2690W2-BK-SV and LCD3090W-BK-SV are backed by a four-year parts and labor warranty and will be available sometime later this month for a suggested retail price of $1,449 and $2,449, respectively. The new version of SpectraViewII software will be available for free download for existing SpectraViewII customers.