So last week I had the opportunity to go visit the guys at Flanders Scientific. A few weeks ago I noted that there is a hardware update for folks like me who own the LM-2450W monitor. This monitor was discontinued last year, but FSI has done something I’ve never heard of before from any company. We can send our monitors back to FSI and they will install the newer hardware that powers the LM-2460W model that replaced the 2450W. This includes their new Color Fidelity Engine that powers the the 2460W and the top of the line LM-2470W 10bit monitor. In other words, for $299, the 2450W color reproduction is improved to where it is pretty much right on par with the new monitors.
Can you imagine ANY other monitor company doing this? How about any other hardware company? “We’ve improved the hardware and if you want to buy the new stuff, we’ll sell it to you.” How many have said, “We’ve improved the hardware and for a small cost to you, we’ll change out the hardware on the unit you already own so you don’t have to buy a new one if you don’t want to.” Just another reason why I love these guys so much.
So why I’m telling you all of this is because I stopped by the shop to pick up the two 2450Ws that I sent over. In case you don’t know already, FSI is only about 15 minutes from my shop, so I take every advantage to stop by their offices I can. Well Dan, Bram and Johan had a little surprise all set up for me. There were my two 2450Ws sitting next to a 2460W which was sitting next to a 2470W. They set this up as a little side by side demonstration on the panels. They were playing scenes from the movie “Sherlock Holmes” and that movie features a lot of contrast and very interesting color correction. A perfect film to demonstrate on the monitors.
The big difference between my 2450W and the new 2460W is the panel. One of the reasons the 2450W was discontinued is that the panel itself is no longer made, so the guys took the opportunity to further improve their technology and improve the color reproduction even further. The new 3D LUT included with the Color Fidelity Engine is 64 x 64 x 64 vs. the original 3D LUT which was 16 x 16 x 8. Huge improvement obviously and I was excited to get this new CFE in our original 2450’s. I was amazed at how well the 2450Ws hold up though I am running my units with the ND Filter glass on the front of my monitors and without that ND filter, the contrast difference is striking between the 2450 and 2460. The 2460W has much better black and contrast response due to the improved panel on the front. But put the ND Filter back on the 2450W and they look almost identical to the eye.
Of course, the 2470W (their 10bit model) really shines when you see them all lined up side by side. That is the one monitor that really has the strongest blacks and looks pretty much identical to a CRT even without the ND filter (which they no longer sell with the monitors). Of course, for $9995 (US) it better be the best of their monitors. But the question then becomes, “Do I really need this monitor for what I do?” If you are editing broadcast and 8 bit source material, that’s a matter of your budget. Yes, it is the absolute best monitor they have, but the 1760W, 1770W and 2460W are also outstanding Grade 1 monitors and you can color grade on any of them and achieve correct results. The 2470W is probably best in a dedicated color suite and definitely for telecine, DI and film grade work. I will be purchasing one of these monitors for our new facility as we will have a dedicated color enhancement suite and it will be a great addition to that room. Particularly if we move into more DI and film grade work.
But for me, the sweet spot monitors are still the 1770W and 2460W and those are the monitors that you will see throughout our new facility. They are outstanding monitors. What we are going to do here with our new facility is replace the 2450Ws with 2460Ws and add two more units, outfit our other four edit suites with 1770Ws, and of course the one 2470W in the Color suite.
If you’re ever in the Atlanta area and have the time to visit the office, give them a call and see if they’re around. You owe it to yourself to not only see the products, but take the opportunity to meet the people behind the products. The reason I love FSI goes far beyond the products themselves. I love the fact that they are a small company and they are truly passionate not only about their products, but doing the right thing to make sure the end user gets the correct product for their needs. And they stand behind their products.
All in all a fun visit and now I have to go meet Dan for an Italian sandwich at our favorite restaurant, Cardamuro’s Italian Café in Sugar Hill. If you go, tell Pasqualé I sent you!
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