Sony LCD TRIMASTER monitors cement position as number one choice for master and evaluation purposes in Europe

Basingstoke, 11 April, 2010 – Sony announced today that its award winning TRIMASTER monitors have reached over 2000 units sales worldwide, with a notable contribution of the EMEA region involved in a number of significant deals to supply leading broadcasters and production houses. Sony’s track-record in the broadcast and professional equipment industry coupled with the outstanding picture quality produced by the TRIMASTER monitors, have played a crucial role in ensuring that the BVM-L230 and BVM-L231 models in particular are now seen as the number one choice for professional users looking for products to use for master and evaluation applications.

TRIMASTER monitors are being used across a wide range of applications, thanks to their versatility and high quality imaging. Production companies like SRG in Switzerland have purchased 3 OB vans and equipped them with 13 BVM-L170 products. Germany has seen SIVision make a similar choice for its van. Sony’s monitors are also used further down the line with post production houses like Digital Post Production and Medialab (part of the Transatlantic group in Paris), Smoke & Mirrors, Molinare and The Farm in London. All of these institutions have chosen BVM-L and PVM-L as their reference monitors, for high-end editing. Major broadcasters across Europe have also selected Sony’s TRIMASTER series as their latest de facto monitor choice. From ITV and BskyB in the UK - to WDR and BR in Germany, Italian RAI, and some other Broadcasters within the EMEA zone. The PVM-L2300, BVM-L230 and BVM-L170 have already proven to users their value and superb image reproduction.

“The versatility and quality of Sony TRIMASTER technology demonstrates that we are seen by the production and broadcast community as the benchmark for monitors used for master and evaluation applications in Europe.” remarked Olivier Bovis, General Manager Product Marketing, Sony Professional. “The adoption of Sony monitors reinforces the view that this technology is now seen to provide the same level of quality as traditional CRT monitors.”

For many years leading broadcasters and post production houses across Europe have regarded LCD as a lower grade technology to traditional CRT. However, strong sales of the TRIMASTER range suggest that this perception is changing and adoption of LCD is now widespread. Sony’s premium TRIMASTER technology allows users to view excellent smooth pictures comparable to CRT standards, accepted as the industry benchmark for image quality.

With the growing popularity of flat screens for broadcast purposes, it is important for post production houses and broadcasters to be able to view images in the same high quality and brightness as with standard CRT monitors. The way in which an LCD screen displays colour and brightness is different to CRT and requires processors to reconcile the difference. Sony’s TRIMASTER monitors do this using a unique dual processor display engine. One processor works on pixel conversion for interlace and progressive scan conversion, including SD to HD, while a second processor provides all other video control, colour management, panel calibration and picture control.

The Sony TRIMASTER technology contributes to the desirability of the whole monitor range, with its exceptional ability to reproduce images with the highest level of accuracy and picture consistency. The BVM- L series models enable not just matching of CRT quality images, but also expand its application beyond the scope of conventional Broadcast use, thanks to a wide range of colour spaces available such as, EBU, ITU-709, SMPTE-C and even D-Cine, with the inclusion of Cinema features. The BVM-L170 monitor is also a distinctive offering in the market due to its ability to rack mount for quality evaluation monitoring. This TRIMASTER technology led to the PVM-L2300 being able to offer the best performance at an affordable price for broadcast use.

Recent additions to the Broadcast monitor range are the PVM-L1700 and the PVM-L3200 models which complete the PVM range. The PVM-L1700 released in late 2009 offers the same superb picture performance as the rest of the range and is a cost effective alternative to the BVM-L170 master monitor. The PVM-L3200 offers broadcasters and Post Production houses the choice to use a larger display with a 32-inch LCD panel still maintaining the high level of picture performance and specifications found in all TRIMASTER monitors.