LaCie upgrades LCD 300 series

LaCie introduces the second generation of its high-end 300 Series Monitors, designed for graphics professionals on Macs or PCs who are serious about accurate color rendering. 300 Series Monitor panels are now corrected at the factory to ensure the highest grade of brightness and chromaticity uniformity across the display area. Furthermore, 12-bit gamma correction enables even smoother color gradients. LaCie also added a 20-inch panel, the LaCie 320 Monitor, to its lineup of 19- and 20-inch panels.

The LaCie 320 Monitor is equipped with a uniformity-enhanced A-TW-IPS LCD panel offering a resolution of 1600x1200 pixels, luminance of 280 cd/m2, and a strong contrast ratio of 700:1. All 300 Series Monitors offer the benefit of a CRT-grade color gamut in a flat screen monitor. The broad gamut of displayed colors is a wide 72% of the NTSC (National Television System Committee) video standards gamut and 100% of the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) gamut.

Thanks to an embedded integrated circuit containing 12-bit look-up tables, the smoothest color gradients can be reproduced. Superior 12-bit gamma correction actually makes color transitions 16 times more precise than on regular 8-bit monitors and 4 times more precise than on 10-bit displays. Expansive viewing angles of 178° in all directions prevent grayscale inversion or any loss of contrast from the widest range of vantage points.

Version 4 of the LaCie blue eye pro calibration software is delivered with each 300 Series Monitor. Combined with the LaCie blue eye pro colorimeter (sold separately in a bundle or standalone), the LaCie blue eye pro software performs single-click hardware calibration of the display and produces an advanced ICC Profile that ensures color consistency throughout the workflow. It includes favorite features such as Colorimetric Environment Switching and Test & Report with new features such as manual FineTune enabling more precise white point results, Reference Profile Calibration enabling close matching of two monitors to the same profile, and more.

For the most demanding color-related tasks, such as photo retouching and on-screen proofing, the included LaCie easyHood ensures that external lighting conditions and surrounding light sources do not interfere with the display's intrinsic colors. The anti-glare hood's hinged design ensures an easy and stable installation, and includes a retractable hook for placement of a colorimeter during calibration.

LaCie 320 features

• Uniformity-enhanced A-TW-IPS LCD panel
• 12-bit gamma correction for smooth color gradients
• CRT-grade color gamut at 72% NTSC
• Brilliant contrast ratios up to 700:1
• Strong 280 cd/m2 luminance
• Expansive 178° viewing angles
• Max resolution: 1600x1200
• Exclusive LaCie easyHood shields from ambient light
• Pivot Pro software for Windows enables portrait mode
• Comes with LaCie blue eye pro software for single-click hardware calibration
• Optional colorimeter bundle available from LaCie

Availability

LaCie 300 Series Monitors are immediately available for order via LaCie websites. The LaCie 320 and 321 will be widely available via LaCie's specialized dealer network in July, and the LaCie 319 in September. The LaCie blue eye pro colorimeter is available as a standalone device for $349 or as a bundle at the suggested retail prices below. Monitors ship with the LaCie easyHood for optimal viewing, LaCie blue eye pro calibration software, Pivot Pro software and all cables needed for immediate use. More information can be found at http://www.lacie.com.

• SKU 130732 LaCie 319 Monitor $999 (+ LaCie blue eye pro colorimeter $1249)
• SKU 130734 LaCie 320 Monitor $1399 (+ LaCie blue eye pro colorimeter $1649)
• SKU 130736 LaCie 321 Monitor $1799 (+ LaCie blue eye pro colorimeter $2049)