EXCLUSIVE! (always wanted to say that!)
When I get an email from Dan Desmet at Flanders Scientific asking “do you have any time available? I’d like to show you something” I always MAKE the time. One of the awesome benefits of being literally 15 minutes away from FSI is we get to see a lot from these guys. It’s also a great chance to get together for lunch, or dinner in this case.
Well, what he had to show were three truly incredible monitors, one of which you already know about,the LM0950W (WOW!) and the other two they are letting me spill the beans a day early. FSI is releasing two new monitors at a more affordable price range for everyone. These are 1080 Native monitors with the following standard connections: 3G/HD/SD-SDI/Component/Composite/DVI-I. Yes, you read correctly, 3G is standard on these new monitors and these are 1080 native display monitors and they accept 4:4:4 and 2K sources.
Let me first say, my photos don’t do the monitors justice quite honestly but I was a bit rushed and took what I could. But here’s what the 3 larger monitors look like sitting in my suite, you can ignore the old 0750W there at the bottom.
The LM-2140W and the LM-2340W are priced $2,495 and $2,995 respectively. That’s the 2340W on the left and the 2140W on the right with the original LM-2461W in the back. The 2461W is what I use every day in my Edit 1 suite at Biscardi Creative Media.
First off, I have to say wow, on the connectivity at this price point. Very sweet. Second, wow on the image. Is it identical to the $4995 priced LM-2461W? Well, no, but then they’re not designed to be. These are designed to very high quality, very cost effective monitors for those who either don’t need the absolute best color critical picture of the 2461W or who simply can’t afford to drop $5,000 on a monitor right now.
When you take $2000 off the price of the top of the line 24″ model, something has to give. In this case, the Color Fidelity Engine that powers the absolute “correctness” of the 2461W is absent in the new models. So you will notice that the 21 and 2340W’s are slightly warmer than the 2461W. The image displays a little more red overall and a touch of purple in the blacks.
Now comparing the 1760W to the 2140W, what you’re gaining is an extra 4″ of real estate. Doesn’t sound like a whole lot but there’s a definite difference in terms of the viewing experience plus remember, it’s now a 1080 native display vs. the 720p native of the 1760W. And of course FSI has gone ahead and made the 3G option (about $1,500 on the 1760W) standard on the 2140W.
Both monitors come with LED backlighting which means there is no warmup period so the colors are accurate from the time you turn them on. This also decreases the weight dramatically as well, just 9 pounds for the 2140W, 10 for the 2340W.
Could you actually do a color grade on these monitors and submit it to a broadcaster without fear of rejection? Well if you know what you’re doing in the color grade process, sure. I sat there with these monitors in my suite up against the LM-2461W and it was clear that the 21 / 2340W’s were warmer as I said originally. But, if I didn’t have the money for the 2461W or the need for absolutely color critical judgement, yeah, it would be no problem to do a nice color grade with it. Would a broadcaster reject your work solely because you did a color grade on this monitor? I would highly doubt it. If they do, it would be because of the operator who did the color grade……
LM-2340W foreground, LM-2461W background
These monitors will definitely fill a great need, particularly with the economy the way it is around the world, for those of you who need a really really good monitor, but maybe not the “best” monitor.
FSI re-defined the standard of the “best” monitor out there by giving us a super high quality, color critical monitor for just $4995. Now they’ve done the same by bringing us two incredibly good options at a much more affordable level for everyone. Something that is “good enough” to meet your needs yet much better than other monitors at the same or even higher price point.
Keep an eye on the Flanders Scientific page tomorrow morning because not only will they announce the new 2140W and 2340W, Dan hinted you’ll find special introductory pricing too.