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ViewSonic outs 23-inch VP2365wb and 26-inch VP2655wb IPS LCD monitors
ViewSonic's last round of LCDs were nothing short of unforgettable, but these two might actually grab (and retain) your attention if you consider yourself a "professional." The 23-inch VP2365wb and 26-inch VP2655wb both fall into the firm's VP series of 1080p pro LCDs, and the both of 'em are blessed with IPS panels and 4-port USB hubs. You'll also find pivoting stands on the pair, and while the 23-incher gets a 1,920 x 1,080 native resolution, the big boy steps it up to 1,920 x 1,200 and offers a 118 percent NTSC wide color gamut for those discerning retinas of yours. Interested? The duo is available now if you look in the right places, and while the VP2365wb will cost you just $399, the larger sibling will ding you for $1,299.
Dell Precision M6500 mixes Core i7 with business savvy
In typical Dell style, the new Precision M6500 17-inch workhorse laptop has shown up on the company's website with nary a peep of self-congratulatory PR from Round Rock. Notable as the successor to the well-juiced M6400 and its even gaudier Covet variant, the M6500 boasts wallet-busting specs like a Core i7-920XM allied to a maximum of 16GB DDR3 memory speeding along at 1,333MHz, a choice of ATI FirePro M7740 or NVIDIA Quadro FX 3800M workstation graphics chips, support for up to three storage devices with optional RAID configurations, and a 1920 x 1200 LED-backlit display. The machine is not quite yet available to purchase, meaning it's safe to go beyond the read link without fearing any heart-stopping sticker shock. [Thanks, Jonty]
Nikon D300S review roundup: it's awesome, but D300 is better value
You'll know from our Canon 7D review roundup that these semi-pro DSLR reviews tend to take a little while longer to cook than ones for, say, the world's latest, fastest graphics card. That means we're looking at analyses of a shooter that's been out for a while, but boy are they thorough. The D300S (our unboxing can be found here) is Nikon's gentle massaging of the D300 formula for success -- with added 720p video recording and an extra frame for a 7fps burst mode -- and that's borne out by the reviews. You're still getting an outstanding 12.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, 51-point AF, and a sturdy weather-proofed body, but question marks remain as to whether the new additions offer enough of an upgrade from the D300. The HD video recording is hamstrung by a mono mic and a frankly silly 5 minute maximum clip length (a limitation not present on direct competitors from Canon and Pentax), but the addition of a second memory card slot (now offering SD as well as CF storage) and a dedicated Live View button along with purportedly improved noise performance could just make the difference for new buyers. Hit the links below for more, including comparisons against the Canon 50D and 7D, as well as the Pentax K-7. Read - dpreview Read - Camera Labs Read - Photography Blog Read - Trusted Reviews Read - Tech Radar Read - ePHOTOzine
Major League Gaming crowns Button Bashers in Anaheim
Major League Gaming wrapped up a tournament in Anaheim, California (we hear some Blizzard folks were headed over to watch), and a Korean team called Button Bashers came out on top, vanquishing SK Gaming's EU team and a team from Check Six. The Button Bashers team is made of a undead mage named Orangemarmalade (the same one that pulled off that wild 2 vs. 1 victory a while back), and Numberone and Hiren, an undead priest and rogue. So yes, an RMP team finished off the tourney at the top, continuing their domation of the arena. SK.EU's druid, warlock, and death knight couldn't stand up to the onslaught. MLG's GotFrag website has lots and lots of info about the teams and tourney, including wrapups from each day of the weekend, and a big gallery of pictures to look through. MLG passed out $24,000 in cash and prizes to all of the winning teams -- congrats to all of them. Next up, MLG is headed off to Orlando, FL to run their fifth event of the season in January.
Canon EOS 7D gets high marks all around
Canon's EOS 7D is a pretty grandiose piece of image-recording equipment, whether you're talking about its size, features or price. You're probably aware of the 18 megapixel APS-C sensor and dual DIGIC 4 processors already, but we've all had to be a bit more patient than usual in waiting for the pro reviews to come out. Dpreview doesn't disappoint though, with a thoughtful 31-page tome awaiting the keen reader, and we've also got more digestible video reviews from DPhoto Journal for the less patient among you. If you're after direct comparisons against competing models, such as the Nikon D300s, you'll find those sprinkled in among the reviews as well, with Cameratown throwing in a direct head-to-head with Canon's own 5D Mark II. The 7D was found to produce "virtually no visible noise" all the way up to ISO 1600, and scored further points for its gorgeous 100 percent frame-covering viewfinder and fast 19-point AF. With a weather-sealed, highly ergonomic body design, ridiculously fast processing and a sensor so good that "in most situations the lens, rather than the camera, is likely to be the limiting factor," the only thing reviewers could criticize was the somewhat uncompetitive pricing, but that's likely to soften with time anyway. Read on... if you dare. Read - dpreview review Read - Photography Blog review Read - Tech Radar review Read - DPhoto Journal video roundup Read - Cameratown comparison with 5D Mark II
Nikon D300s, pro photographers meet up to make magic together
What better way to show off your company's latest DSLR than by giving it to a couple of professional photographers to work their magic? Nikon's done just that, handing off its just-announced D300s to noted photojournalist Ami Vitale and sports photographer Robert Bösch. The pair submitted stills and videos from their trial run, and the results are unsurprisingly impressive -- there's only one noticeable instance of rolling shutter, in the beginning of Bösch's video with the helicopter blades. Of course, there's no telling how much post-production work went into these pieces, and let's not forget these are pros in their element -- average Joe isn't gonna be able to pick up this camera and produce the same results. Footage after the break, or hit up the read link to see all the impressions and sample works. [Via PDNPulse and ProLost Blog]
ATI's $1,800 2GB FirePro V8750 GPU introduced and reviewed
Need a quick way to blow 1,800 bones? Looking to single-handedly jump-start this so-called "economy" we keep hearing about? Look no further, friends, as ATI just did you a solid. Just four months after the outfit dished out its 1GB FirePro V7750, the company is now looking to strike it rich once more with the 2GB FirePro V8750. Obviously designed for the workstation crowd, this CAD destroying GPU is equipped with more GDDR5 memory than our own four-year old Quake III server, but as HotHardware points out, the clock speed remains exactly the same as the entirely more affordable V8700. When pushed, this newfangled card did manage to best every other rival on the test bench, but not by a wide margin. What you're left with is a cutting-edge device that's priced way out of consideration for most, and frankly, way outside the realm of sensibility. If you just can't shake the urge to hear more, give that read link a tap for the full review.Read - ATI FirePro V8750 reviewRead - ATI press release
Windows 7 official pricing announced, limited pre-orders start tomorrow
Microsoft just laid out the Windows 7 pricing grid for us, and here's the big takeaway: Vista and XP users will need to pony up $119.99, $199.99, or $219.99 on October 22 to score their Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, or Ultimate upgrade, and those of you who want a full retail disc will need to roll up with $199.99, $299.99, or $319.99 respectively. It's not quite that simple, though: starting tomorrow, June 26, you'll be able to pre-order upgrades at much cheaper prices -- $49.99 for Home Premium and $99.99 for Professional, just as we'd heard -- but pre-orders will be strictly limited in number and are expected to sell out quickly. Obviously we'd prefer it if final pricing was $49 and $99 for everyone, but it's not a bad start, especially since participating manufacturers will be offering cheap / free upgrades to 7 on new computers sold after tomorrow with Vista as well.Oh, and don't you worry about scoring a place in line, because we're here to help: later today we'll be giving away 100 codes that guarantee a pre-order spot at the discounted prices, and you'll be able to share the code with two friends. You'll have to act fast, though -- the codes will only be valid for 48 hours. Keep your eyes peeled for our recession antidote post around noon EST, and get your clicky-fingers ready.Update: Looks lke we've got our first participating manufacturer -- HP machines sold after tomorrow will receive free upgrades to 7, and we're hearing Sony will announce a similar offer soon. We'll be keeping a full list of announcements as the day goes on, check back later for more.
Audyssey's Sub Equalizer aims to tame the pro bass
Audyssey's Sub Equalizer may be targeted at the pro market, but if it's good enough for the pros, some enterprising home enthusiast will find a place for it in their home setup. Much like the Paradigm Perfect Bass Kit we just reviewed, the Audyssey Sub Equalizer will do its level best to get that pesky subwoofer properly integrated with the rest of your system -- except it'll work with subs of a non-Paradigm variety. For those who can't fit some upper-tier Denon, Onkyo/Integra, or NAD electronics into their signal chain, this little piece of kit brings the well-regarded MultEQ XT technology to your low Hertz. Available July 1, but with this being targeted at professionals (and looking the part, we might add), we've got a feeling that the price won't be wallet-friendly.
Pioneer BDP-V6000 is a Blu-ray player for the pros
Filling your need for 1080p sources in digital signage, museums, video walls, houses of worship, public displays, nightclubs, opium dens and broadcast, Pioneer has taken the wraps off of the BDP-V6000 professional Blu-ray disc player, complete with RS-232C support, "enhanced search" through a disc's menus and time code, Pro GUI, BD-Live and rack mount kit. No price, though interested buyers should expect a September launch, though you can get an in-person demo at Infocomm later this month. If you prefer your high res video from SD/SDHC cards, Pioneer's also announced the HD-V9000, ready for stand alone operation or control via RS-232C or over a network for high end applications, no price tag or final specs on that one, though it is due in early 2010.
NEC preps latest pro display, the X461HB "high-bright" LCD
For those with professional-grade demands on their LCDs, NEC is launching the latest addition to the MultiSync line, the 46-inch X461HB high-bright display. So named because of its 1500 cd/m² brightness and 3500:1 contrast ratio, it's 110% brighter than NEC's previous efforts, though not quite as eyeball searing as Samsung's 70-inch Super Bright champ. Still, if these specs and a 1360 x 768 res fit the bill for your brightly lit commercial application, it's just $3,899 and shipping in July.
SED could still have a future, probably doesn't
After proclaiming that the world doesn't care about SED, could we be lured back into the endless wait for this tech to finally appear? Probably not, but you might, so we should mention Peter Putnam of Roam Consulting's post-NAB 2009 report that Canon is still investigating making displays available for pro monitors. Even though that certainly closes the door on any possibility of us ever buying an HDTV containing the long-embattled surface-conduction electron-emitter display just knowing it was out there, somewhere, would help the healing process along. Still, the professional market's desire for a proper flat panel display to replace CRT -- word is even LED backlit LCDs haven't satisfied editing suite denizens while plasmas are too big and lack the necessary calibration tools -- could someday bear fruit for those of us that watch the movies they make.
LaCie debuts 8TB 4big Quadra, new RAID bundles at NAB
Not sure if you've noticed, but NAB is in full swing over in Las Vegas. Not one to let a spotlight pass it by, LaCie has today introduced a new 8TB model of its 4big Quadra alongside a trio of new storage bundles for professionals who need gobs of free space and loads of speed. The 4big Quadra is a 4-bay RAID solution that handles hot-swappable disks and seven RAID modes, and by hitting up one the outfit's new combos (8TB, 16TB and 32TB), you also get a 4-port eSATA II PCI Express Card 3Gb/s card. Check 'em this May starting at $1,999.
NVIDIA Quadro NVS 420 GPU brings powerhouse graphics to SFF rigs
NVIDIA's Quadro NVS 420 is quite the unique offering -- on one hand, it's rather intriguing that a workstation card has been whittled down to fit within a small form factor PC, but then again, who else outside of advertisers (and their digital signage applications) will even need it? Nevertheless, said card is the industry's only low-profile professional GPU that can sneak within SFF PCs and still power four 30-inch displays at 2,560 x 1,600 resolution via DisplayPort / dual-link DVI. As for specs, it's boasting 512MB of memory, 11.2GB/sec (per GPU) of memory bandwidth and a CUDA Parallel Computing Processor. It'll be available next month for the niche that needs it at $499.[Via HotHardware]
Arena tourneys need more Blizzard support?
Here's an interesting post on GotGame that sounds different from almost everything we've heard about professional Arena tourneys and Blizzard so far. Whenever we've talked to anyone involved with Arena tournaments, they've always told us Blizzard is very supportive of the events. But this post alleges otherwise -- they say that Blizzard is falling short of professional Arena support.There are two main complaints: first, that Blizzard doesn't supply any onsite Arena servers. We know this is true -- Blizzard has event servers that they use for events like this, kept offsite so they don't have to set them up all the time. But GotGame claims that this causes problems -- as much as 300+ ping, which in the quick world of Arena matches, is practically unplayable. We're not sure why Blizzard doesn't allow setups on site, but that seems like a reasonable step to take if they're serious about making professional Arena big.The second is a little tougher: this post claims that Blizzard has brought the pro Arena servers up to the Season 4 patch, but locked the gear down at Season 2. Our own Zach Yonzon says he's not sure where the Arenas are -- he doesn't believe that official Arena matches are underway after Wrath yet, and if that's true, then Blizzard may already be updating this (bringing the gear on the realms up to level 80 levels to match the talents). But either way, it's strange to hear someone say that Blizzard isn't supporting professional Arena matches correctly. You'd think that if they were as into supporting WoW as an e-sport as they say, that they'd address some of these concerns.
NEC delivers 26- / 30-inch LCDs with SpectraView color calibration sensor
If you thought NEC's LCD2690WUXi² was a mouthful, you ain't heard nothin' yet. Debuting today at Macworld are the MultiSync LCD2690W2-BK-SV (26-inch) and LCD3090W-BK-SV (30-inch) displays, both of which come bundled with the SpectraView color calibration sensor and software. Of note, NEC's also taking this opportunity to launch the aforesaid kit as a standalone product (SVII-PRO-KIT; $329) for those who could use it, and it's fully compatible with both Windows and OS X-based systems. Oddly enough, NEC doesn't even stop to mention the native resolution on either IPS panel, though it spends a copious amount of time detailing exactly how awesome fully automated color calibration is. And it better be, given the $1,449 / $2,449 price points.
Hitachi introduces trio of ultra-bright projectors
Hitachi's latest trifecta wasn't designed for your surely swank abode per se, but we suppose those with enough cash and willpower can do anything they darn well please. That said, the CP-X10000 (1,024 x 768), CP-WX11000 (1,280 x 800) and CP-SX12000 (1,400 x 1,050) can all handle professional (read: lit) settings with ease, featuring 7,500 / 6,500 / 7,000 lumens, respectively. The whole lot also boasts a 2,500:1 contrast ratio, 10-bit signal processor, HDMI / BNC connectors, Ethernet, an RS-232 control port and a lamp good for 10,000 maintenance-free hours. Mum's the word on price, but don't worry, these are going on the corporate card anyway.[Via I4U News]
Sony's compact HD HXR-MC1 POV camera provides oodles of mobility
No matter your definition of small, Sony's HXR-MC1 is apt to fit the bill. This minuscule HD POV camera seeks to provide high-def capture abilities in just about every nook and cranny you can imagine, providing increased mobility when filming extreme sports, reality TV, documentaries, nature, wildlife, etc. The camera can log footage at a native 1,920 x 1,080 resolution and store it on Memory Stick PRO Duo media using AVCHD compression; just 16GB of space can hold six hours of HD content. You'll also find a 10x optical zoom, built-in microphone and a 2.7-inch LCD monitor, all within a 1.5- x 1.69- x 3.5-inch package. Pricing has yet to be announced, but we'd expect to pay quite the premium for the compactness come February.
JVC launches three Vrit professional HD LCD monitors
We'll go ahead and warn you: these aren't your mother's LCDs. Over in Amsterdam, JVC took the wraps off of three pricey new LCD HD monitors aimed at the professionals in the room, all of which include 10-Bit 4:4:4 video processing and computer automated calibration capability of black level, white level, color temperature and gamma. The 17-inch DT-V17L3DU, 20-inch DT-V20L3DU and 24-inch DT-V24L3DU make up the Vérité family, and the largest of the bunch even includes a native 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. Other atypical features include a rugged all-in-one metal frame construction, two HD / SD SDI inputs, a built-in waveform monitor with over-level indication and ultra-low latency circuitry (less than one second) for lip sync accuracy and an anti-diffusion panel surface for "exceptionally high resolution, contrast and color." It's a shame these will set you back $3,000, $3,495 and $4,695 in order of mention, but like we said, they're for the pros.
NEC's biggest pro LCD yet: 82-inch LCD8205
Adding to its line of professional displays, NEC is bringing the LCD8205 to 2008 Digital Signage Expo East. We've seen bigger in the consumer space, but when you've just got to have 4x4 tile support for a max 328-inch (diagonal) display, refreshingly realistic 5,000:1 claimed contrast ratio and 1920x1080 resolution, there's not much better. At $54,999 each, it's unlikely we'll find one under the tree when it releases in December but catching a peek (and fogging up a display window or two) is slightly more attainable goal.[Via CE Pro]
