Panasonic's 17-inch BT-LH1760 production LCD costs $5000

It's a dilemma faced by nearly every photo / video editor on the planet -- stick with a huge CRT for that precise color accuracy, or make the jump to LCD for aesthetics sake? Fret not, dear worriers, as Panasonic has supposedly crafted a miracle solution with the BT-LH1760. This April-bound production monitor is essentially devoid of attractiveness, but it does offer up a 120Hz refresh rate, an IPS panel with a 1,280 x 768 native resolution and "faithful color reproduction with twice the response speed of other currently available professional LCD monitors." Furthermore, you'll find a built-in waveform monitor and vectorscope, pixel-to-pixel matching capabilities and a slew of inputs including DVI, auto-switching HD-SDI / SDI, component and VGA. Yeah, it's a pretty impressive array of specs for a 17-incher, but then again, most 17-inchers don't demand just under five large, either.

[Via BroadcastBuyer]

[Pismodude @ Feb 20th 2008 1:08AM]

Well, there goes my Compaq... (-.-)

[Darkroom @ Feb 20th 2008 1:11AM]

humm... but a 17" CRT, or a 17" LCD that's as ugly as a CRT for 18 times the price... such a dilemma...

[manfesto @ Feb 20th 2008 1:25AM]

FWIW, Eizos aren't much to look at either.

//They're about half the price of this beast, too.

Hey, at the end of the day, it's the pixels on the screen (and how closely they match your prints or film or what have you) that matters, not the screen itself, right?

[Oinquer @ Feb 20th 2008 4:48AM]

EIZO's are much prettier then that....thats just fugly...

[Re3x @ Feb 20th 2008 1:14AM]

Panasonic finally came out with its FUGLY line?

Badass.

[randy @ Feb 20th 2008 1:18AM]

$4,800 pure liquid profit, baby!

[ugg.tryptophan @ Feb 20th 2008 1:41PM]

what liquid do they profit from?

[kk @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:10AM]

very nice
www.joomla-web-develoepr.com

[Porkchop Flavored Cupcake @ Feb 20th 2008 1:19AM]

Look.
I know Panasonic has ideas for life and all, at least that's their slogan.
But why do they insist on continuing to push innovation only when the beneficiary are the wealthy and/or corporate-industrial executives?
They are no different than Sony in this regard, and it irritates me to no end.
I don't want to hear from anybody who thinks just because Panny makes decent camcorders that they are conscience of what the customers need.
They aren't.
They might have a few individuals in R&D and marketing for an isolated department who know how to shake things up, but it certainly doesn't represent the business as a whole.
Panasonic needs new ideas.

[Alexander Pink @ Feb 20th 2008 1:49AM]

WTF are you on about?

[Paul @ Feb 20th 2008 1:57AM]

New technology is always expensive, and sometimes, really expensive. For stuff like they produce the product expensively so that large corporations can buy it, so that they get a ton of money from that, then over time they are able to produce them cheaper and cheaper until they are cheap enough for every day consumers.

15 years ago there were lcd monitors but only large corporations had them because they were expensive. Now everyone has them because they found out how to make them cheaper.

In 10-15 years EVERYONE will have an lcd monitor that accurately displays color.

[Detox @ Feb 20th 2008 3:30AM]

Yes, because we all know wealthy people and corporate executives just LOVE buying hardware meant for film productions and photography studios.

[Reid @ Feb 20th 2008 4:00AM]

How are you being harmed by a business making products for other businesses, again?

That's what I thought.

[Juaquin @ Feb 20th 2008 1:21AM]

Pretty low resolution/size for people working with 10+MP photos or HD video, which seems to be the main audience...

[Flashpoint @ Feb 20th 2008 1:23AM]

This is not a tough choice for me.

GET THE LARGEST CRT I CAN GET and Pocket the other $4700.

$5000 for this? That's just dumb.

Right now, LCD/Plasmas do not offer good enough picture quality to justify their prices. unless you've got a ridiculously expensive hookup with a bery expensive panel that has low response time, your picture looks slow, grainy and crappy.

[manfesto @ Feb 20th 2008 1:42AM]

I beg to differ. The vast majority of photog professionals and such that I know have switched off of CRTs and over to professional-grade LCDs (Eizo, LaCie, Apple Cinema Display, what-have-you). A good IPS panel with proper calibration and a big LUT can accurately recreate the entire Adobe RGB color space.

The LaCie 320 can be found for under a grand, lower-end Eizos a bit more than that. A bit much? Yes, it is. However, to keep things in perspective, the LaCie Electron Blue 19", one of the more renowned color-accurate CRTs back in its day, sold for around $700.

Besides, it's not like professionals have much of a choice - most high-end manufacturers don't make CRTs anymore. It's becoming harder and harder to find CRT monitors period, actually.

[Ken @ Feb 20th 2008 1:41AM]

Thats nothing:

http://bssc.sel.sony.com/BroadcastandBusiness/DisplayModel?m=10007&p=8&sp=20073&id=89766&navid=master_series_video_monitors

You are paying a LOT extra for what is essentially perfect. If you have $800,000 of gear behind you, you probably want to make VERY sure that your monitor is perfect under all circumstances.

[Will H. @ Feb 20th 2008 1:41AM]

Yea, I'd stick two side by side and be sweeeeet.

[Sean O @ Feb 20th 2008 1:47AM]

Total scam. Video editors are typically not computer nerds. They are easily taken advantage of when it comes to this stuff. And Panasonic and Ezio have been more than happy to oblige.

Just about any new LCD panel can be calibrated to be just as accurate as this thing. And it's "features" are not useful. In the digital world, with a digital monitor, you don't need many of the pro features like the ole "underscan" switch or the "blue only" button. Just about every NLE has it's own WFM and Vectorscope - so most wouldn't need those. Blackmagic sells an HD-SDI to DVI converter for like $600, so there is no need for a monitor with HD-SDI inputs.

Combine all that with the fact that it's a frickin tiny 17" screen, and it can't even do 1080p native.

Basically, it's a complete waste of money. But of course the target market is one that's well known for blowing incredible amounts of cash just for the perception of excellence.

And don't forget. Panasonic (and Ezio) do not manufacture TFT panels. This is the same frickin LCD panel that can be found in consumer products, no doubt. I'm sure they did a good job at calibrating it. But if you're a professional, it shouldn't matter cause you should be having your monitors calibrated yourself - not blindly trusting Panasonic's monitor to be correct out of the box.

[Scott Thomas @ Feb 20th 2008 2:44AM]

This is not a computer monitor. This is a professional video monitor. There is more going on here. I have the previous version of this monitor that cost even more when it was new. It does things that you cannot see on a computer display. I deals with digital video color-space. I can deal with interlaced video and show you the effect of having improper field cadence. It has calibration controls on the front. It has gamma settings, safe-area markings. This is a monitor for professional video people. It doesn't compete, nor does it appeal to computer applications.

Having said all that. The one I have is quite sweet.

[Colin @ Feb 20th 2008 3:04AM]

Actually the point of having a blue only button is so that you can calibrate the monitor properly so that you don't have to spend as much time in your NLE color timing. It is strictly a digital feature. Film shoots have no need for it. The only way around needing a blue only button is to shoot RED.

Oh, and it is also kinda handy to be able to switch over to a waveform so that you can make sure that nothing is over 100 IRE

[Sean O @ Feb 20th 2008 3:53AM]

Scott,

The Blackmagic HDlink provides all of those features (interlaced/pulldown handling, gamma adjustments, RGB sliders, etc.)

The Panny monitor does not "deal" in digital video color space. Do you even know what that means? It is an RGB monitor. All LCD monitors are RGB. So are all CRT monitors for that matter. Sure you can feed it a Ycrcb signal over HD-SDI. So what? The monitor is just converting it to RGB. Just like the HDlink does. Just like any consumer or professional monitor does. That said, all consumer LCD TV sets also "deal" in Ycrcb - in the sense that they are pre-calibrated for said color space.

Name one, single, solitary instance where you would need title-safe guides on your broadcast monitor. We couldn't see title safe guides on our CRT monitors for all these decades - so why is it important or even needed to see them now? When you create titles, you have guides on whatever application you are using.

If you are in the field, then I guess maybe this could have some benefits (as Colin pointed out). But in a post workstation, it is nothing more than an utter money drain. Money that could be used on storage or a new computer (how many bozos do you see in this business still working on Mac G4 machines?). For color grading, it's the worst investment one could ever make. When you realize what kind of technology on the horizon
http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/15/sharps-1-000-000-1-mega-contrast-premium-lcd-vs-regular-lcd/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/01/sony-xel-1-oled-tv-unboxed/

In a couple years this Panasonic will seem like an awful purchase decision.

[Kyledl @ Feb 20th 2008 8:08AM]

they are taken advantage of because panasonic understands the profits made through companies using this type of product.

[Timothy Naylor @ Mar 7th 2008 4:45AM]

I got a feeling you never really had to use a monitor on the field with paying clients breathing down your neck. For one, you need blue burst to color calibrate on the field without a computer. The waveform is absolutely indispensable for getting a fat signal, again without having to bring a a computer. Definitely beats zebras. Your dead wrong that a consumer LCD can be calibrated accurately. Most of them can't. Been there and seen the grief and time lost in attempting it. Also it's contrast pretty much smokes a consumer flat panel.

Regarding pixel count, 1080p would be nice but at 17" not really necessary.

Now let's talk about build and function. You don't need a remote or a menu to calibrate a broadcast monitor. It has knobs (brilliant idea). It's has an industrial strength metal housing - a necessity when your on the field.

Just use it once on set and then screw around with a computer monitor instead. You'll probably feel like an real ass in thinking they're just as good.

[hillbill @ Feb 20th 2008 1:58AM]

i just bought a brand new 22" samsung LCD monitor

it cost $250

[rockintom @ Feb 20th 2008 11:41AM]

Yeah, so my friend bought a car the other day for like, $10,000. What a loser, huh? I got my moped for like, $500!

[softdevs @ Feb 20th 2008 2:07AM]

Hope Panasonic can produce larger and wider LCD Monitors.

[Steve A. @ Feb 20th 2008 2:08AM]

Most everyone on this post seems to be forgetting the market for this kind of monitor. Tell me, how many computer workstations need or use a built in waveform monitor or vectorscope? This display will be nearly every newly spec'd television control room and remote live truck in the nation within a couple of years.

It's especially important for remote truck operators and/or heli operators who can't do their editing back at the TV studio and have very little space to work with in their rigs. Especially considering when the microwave transmitting equipment and HD news cameras costs in the hundreds of thousands each, to have a monitor that can correctly output the video is extremely important, and the $5,000 dollar cost is pennies in comparison to operational costs.

/former local CBS producer

[David Hildreth @ Feb 20th 2008 3:52AM]

I've used the current model of this display and it definitely puts my home HDTV to shame.


Not even close.

[jas @ Feb 20th 2008 3:59AM]

cant find any difference between that and this one for $2500? they are excellent monitors, sdi in etc
Just get this one??

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/399256-REG/Panasonic_BT_LH1700W_BT_LH1700W_17_Inch_Widescreen_HD_SD.html

[Eric Fetcho @ Feb 20th 2008 11:34AM]

the 1700w models that I own, none of them have direct DVI & VGA on them. I have to adapt to RGBHV to get them in. I think mine only has a waveform monitor, without the vectorscope that this one has. Those are 3 big features of this one, but I dont see them worth enough to double the price. I love these monitors and wouldn't buy anything else for a nice production monitor.

[joe23521 @ Feb 20th 2008 9:55AM]

Umm, people, this is professional grade product made for film and video editors to monitor video streams when cutting, not a 17" consumer LCD monitor for your computer when you browse the internet. We have these in our new suites and they're pretty amazing really.

[joe23521 @ Feb 20th 2008 9:59AM]

Correction, we have the LH1700W model as jas linked to in the above post.

[michael @ Feb 20th 2008 12:49PM]

I've got the older model of one of these sitting right next to me right now, as well as the 27" in the office. Actually, all the monitors here are Panny professional line. They're pretty indispensable to pro editors.

And like David said, they totally shame consumer sets. I have a 120hz 1080p 47" Sharp that I paid over $3k for, and it doesn't come close to the color accuracy.

[GHynson @ Feb 20th 2008 8:31PM]

I remeber IBM trying to sell a 5000x5000 res monitor for like $10k
I don't think it got anywhere tho.

[kk @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:10AM]

very nice
www.joomla-web-develoepr.com