Portland (OR) – LaCie has begun one of the most fascinating desktop LCDs money can buy today: The company’s new LED LCDs, available in size up to 30”, promise a super-wide gamut and more realistic colors not achievable with a common LCD. It may not be the best gaming display, but if color accuracy is what you are looking for, the new 700-series is about as good as it gets these days.

LED backlit LCDs will drive the next major transition in display technology and if we believe analysts and market forecasts, we should see LED units to gain traction by the end of the year. Due to their low power consumption, LED-supported displays are expected in the notebook space first, while mainstream desktop displays will follow with some distance.

There are a few 20”+ LED LCDs available for prices around $500 today. But LaCie is one of the first companies that provide a glimpse in the future of LED LCDs. The new 700 series is targeted at professionals and comes in sizes of 20”, 24” and 30”. The RGB-LED-backlit displays “mimic real life by embedding some of today’s most advanced display technologies,” the manufacturer said.
    
The feature set includes ultra-wide gamuts of up to 123% of Adobe RGB; a backlight stabilizer technology that constantly analyzes brightness and chromaticity of the backlight, and then adjusts it in real time as well as 14-bit Gamma Correction lookup tables ensure delicate gradient rendering without banding and smooth color transitions that are, according to the manufacturer, 64 times more precise than on “consumer-quality” 8-bit monitors. LaCie also includes blue eye pro Proof Edition calibration software package, which allows users to calibrate and profile displays, verify profile accuracy and maintain display uniformity.
 
The 20” version supports a resolution of up to 1600x1200, a contrast ratio of 600:1, a response time of 8 ms and a luminance of 250 cd/m2. The 24” model runs at 1920x1200, a 1000:1 contrast ratio, a response time of 6 ms and a luminance of 250 cd/m2. The flagship 30” version offers a resolution of up to 2560x1600, a contrast ratio of 1000:1, a 6 ms response time and a luminance of 200 cd/m2. All three models feature an impressive power consumptive which is at least 50% at typical LCDs with a comparable screen size. The 20” model is rates at a maximum power consumption of 43.5 watts, the 24” model at 55.6 watts and the 30” model at 98 watts.  

Of course, the privilege of owning one of these monitors does not come cheap. The 4:3 720 with a screen size of 20” is priced from $1599; a screen with an optional hood is offered for $2040. Add a color meter and you end up at $2290. The 16:10 24” 724 model is priced from $2299 ($2930 with hood, $3179 with color meter). And if you are looking for the 30” LCD, you should be willing to part with at least $4599 ($5849 with hood, $6109 with color meter).