While we wait for bigger, cheaper OLED displays to knock LCD and plasmas off their perch, Sony has released the first field display to use an Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display panel. The PVM-740 is a 7.4-inch 960 x 540 pixel resolution portable monitor designed for professional users (with professionally deep pockets) that offers picture contrast greater than a CRT display and is less affected by ambient light, allowing images to be viewed even in strong sunlight.
Sony says the monitor can fit a range of professional monitoring applications, including studio editing, outside broadcast (OB) trucks, and is also ideal for use in 3D camera rigs with its flip mode.
The monitor can flip a picture horizontally or vertically without frame delay, which is useful during 3D image acquisition using a 3D rig camera with a pair of 2D monitors. To make integration simpler the monitor can be connected to the camera systems directly without need for an external signal converter.
The OLED display panel creates smooth gradation from the dark to bright portions of scenes, such as a sunrise or a sunset, while its ability to display high-contrast images means scenes like the deep black of a night scene can be accurately displayed so that the black portion of an image is not raised, even in a low-illumination edit suite. Additionally its blur-free, quick response to fast motion makes it ideal for sports or camera monitoring during panning and text scrolling.
As it is designed for field monitor the display has an AR coating to provide protection from scratches while enabling a high transmission rate of the internal light source to keep the picture as bright as possible, while keeping reflections from ambient light to a minimum.
Sony’s 10-bit panel driver and ChromaTRU technologies work to emulate colours and gammas of CRT monitors, and to support SMPTE-C, EBU, and ITU-R BT.709 broadcast standards. The monitor is also equipped with a Sony’s feed-back circuit system that monitors the emitted lights all the time, and feeds the monitor-result back and adjusts the white balance and also ensures color and gamma stability.
The PVM-740 also adds DC/AC operations, a convenient control panel with luminous and assignable buttons, a camera focus function, a wave form monitor, 8-channel audio level meter, a variety marker setting, and native scanning capabilities.
The monitor is 3.8U high and half-rack wide. Using the optional MB-531 mounting bracket with a 10-degree-forward and 10-degree-backward nonstop-tilt capability, two units can be installed side by side in a 19-inch EIA standard rack. With 3/8-inch and 1/4-inch screw holes on its base, the PVM-740 can be installed in a camera system on a pedestal.
A unique native scan function reproduces images without changing the input signal’s pixel count – mapping the pixel of the input signal on the panel pixel-to-pixel. For example, when an SD signal is input, the monitor reproduces the image at picture sizes of 646 x 487 pixels in 480i and 480p, and 768 x 540 pixels in 575i and 576p. When an HD signal is input, the PVM-740 displays a center portion of the HD image.
The PVM-740 is equipped with standard interface connectors: a composite video, a 3G/HD/SD-SDI, and an HDMI interface and accepts most SD or HD video formats. For extra mobility, it incorporates various video interfaces as standard, including composite, SDI interface for SD-SDI, HD-SDI, 3G-SDI, and HDMI interface. With the 3G-SDI interface, it accepts 1080/50p and 1080/60p formats, which is compliant with the SMPTE 425 standard, transmitting up to 4:2:2/10-bit 1080/60p and 1080/50p video data using one SDI cable.
Sony plans to release the PVM-740 this month at a suggested list price of US$3,850.
