Here at NAB, Panasonic introduces the BT-LH1760 17″ LCD production monitor that utilizes a 120 Hz double speed drive and an advanced IPS panel to provide unsurpassed performance quality in a high definition, professional LCD display. Equipped with a new vectorscope function as well as built-in waveform monitor, the new LH1760 delivers value added features with exceptional color reproduction, motion handling, and latency characteristics formerly found only in CRT monitors.

Utilizing a new In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel with wider viewing angles (176 °) and 10-bit image processing, the widescreen LH1760 produces faithful color, from low to high brightness levels, in all video formats. The panel’s performance is enhanced by its 120Hz double speed drive*, double that of standard 60Hz LCD monitors, which enables it to handle fast motion content exceptionally well and reduce image blur to a level never before seen in a professional LCD display. As a result, images appear crystal clear, precise and true-to-life, even when displaying rapidly moving images.

The panel’s image processing engine has a three-dimensional look up table (LUT) that calibrates the monitor to reproduce content according to the specific color standard selected.

In addition to a built-in waveform monitor, the monitor features a vectorscope that displays all picture lines for signal level monitoring, color or white balance. For critical HD focusing and comparison, the LH1760 comes with valuable functions such as Pixel-to-Pixel matching, which allows the user to see an input signal pixel to pixel without any resizing, and Split Screen/Freeze Frame (live input vs. freeze frame) for use with multiple cameras. The monitor also features a cine-gamma Film-Rec compensation function, for use with cameras such as the Panasonic AJ-HDC27 VariCam HD Cinema Camera and the new AJ-HPX3700 and AJ-HPX2700 P2 HD VariCam camcorders. Other image-enhancing functions include standard Marker and Blue-only, H/V delay display, monochrome and Cross Hatch overlay display.

Inheriting the rugged design of Panasonic’s line of production-tough monitors, the rack-mountable LH1760 is thin, lightweight and durable, with a die-cast aluminum build. It features an array of input/outputs to support virtually any production task, including DVI-D input, two auto-switching HD-SDI/SDI inputs, component video (Y/Pb/Pr), RGB, PC RGB, external sync, speaker and headphone outputs. Additional standard features include embedded audio, time code, closed caption, and an eight-channel audio level meter (via SDI). The compact LH1760 consumes 50% less energy in AC than previous models and includes an automatic power save mode. Because it requires no fan, the monitor offers exceptionally quiet operation.

The BT-LH1760 will be available in April at a suggested list price of $4,500.

The premium performance BT-LH1760 joins Panasonic’s BT-series of production quality LCD monitors, which includes the 7.9″ BT-LH80W, 8.4″ BT-LH900A, 17″ BT-LH1700W and 26″ BT-LH2600W models.