Barco's Grade-1 LCD reference monitor supports Flemish public broadcaster in transition to High-Definition
KORTRIJK, Belgium, 1 September 2009 - Visualization specialist Barco has won a frame contract with VRT (Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep), the national broadcaster in Belgium for the Dutch speaking community, for the delivery of High-Definition reference monitors. VRT will use Barco's RHDM-2301B reference monitors for camera shading, program and preview monitoring in its new HD productions. The frame agreement fits into a large-scale VRT transition effort from a Standard Definition (SD) to a High Definition (HD) workflow.
VRT has been offering in-house HD productions since the beginning of 2009. With extensive investments for production and broadcast equipment during the course of 2008 and 2009, VRT intends to develop a fully fledged program offering in HD. The Flemish broadcaster brings its HD offering in the 720p50 format, the standard which is preferred by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).“Barco's RHDM-2301B reference monitors will be used for a wide range of applications where reliable and accurate color presentation of TV images is of utmost importance,” comments Mr. André Saegerman, manager Media Technology at VRT. “We will deploy the RHDM-2301B for camera correction in our TV production studios and OB vans, for color correction inside our post-production center, and as a grading instrument for our support department. In all of these applications, it is very important that any image defects be represented correctly and not be glossed over.”
Barco's RHDM-2301B is a dedicated LCD reference monitor for broadcast monitoring environments, including master control rooms, camera control, camera shading, signal quality checks, technical rooms etc, both in TV studios as well as OB vans. The RHDM-2301B features all the latest display technology in order to ensure the best color accuracy, stability and motion handling.
“In the scope of the tender, we extensively tested various competitive solutions,” Saegerman continues. “Barco's RHDM-2301B came out as the most qualitative, color-stable and user-friendly reference monitor. We especially value the monitor's strong viewing angle performance, excellent black reproduction, the ergonomical display operation, as well as the automatic calibration functionality.”
The RHDM-2301B monitors have advanced calibration and stabilization technology, integrated into the display's electronics, which tracks color performance in real time and corrects for any changes related to temperature and aging. Thanks to the high-speed 120Hz panel and scanning LED backlight technology, the RHDM-2301B prevents motion blur and judder. Additionally, a black line-insertion algorithm presents native interlaced images without any de-interlacing artifacts, resulting in excellent motion handling and lifelike motion scenes. To ensure color accuracy the RHDM-2301B offers a native 10-bit panel (12-bit with time dithering), calibrated LED backlights, unique 48-bit processing and embedded 3D LUT cross-talk compensation.
Barco has a history of supporting Belgium's national broadcaster (formerly called BRT – Belgian Radio & Television) during important technological transitions. In the early nineteen seventies, Barco's CTVM (Color Television Monitors) were used to guarantee the seamless transition from black and white to color TV production.
The first deliveries of RHDM-2301B reference monitors to VRT are planned for 2009 and will continue throughout 2010.
About Barco
Barco, a global technology company, designs and develops visualization products for a variety of selected professional markets. Barco has its own facilities for Sales & Marketing, Customer Support, R&D and Manufacturing in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. Barco (NYSE Euronext Brussels: BAR) is active in more than 90 countries with about 3300 employees worldwide. Barco posted sales of 725 million euro in 2008.
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