While LCDs have become standard in production, they've only recently begun to offer advanced capabilities. Enter Panasonic's BT-LH2600W, a 26in. widescreen production display that debuts at NAB. Features include two auto-switching SDI/HD-SDI inputs, a waveform monitor that graphically displays luminance levels from zero to 108 IRE in any of the monitor's four corners, and a splitscreen/freeze-frame function for scene comparison and color matching (live input vs. freeze-frame).
Secaucus, N.J.
(800) 528-8601
www.panasonic.com/broadcast

All-in-one design eliminates the need for umbilical cord or separate AC power supply. Price: $4,950

Higher-res projectors can still be pricey, but some second-generation products now deliver a price break as well as better images. Case in point: Canon's REALiS X600 multimedia projector. Claimed to be the first XGA-res LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) projector offering improved color reproduction at an affordable price, the X600 throws a bright 3500-ANSI-lumen image. Features include 1000:1 contrast ratio and quiet 31dB operation.
Lake Success, N.Y.
www.canonprojectors.com

Includes HDCP-compliant DVI-I terminal and film mode (3:2 pulldown). Price: $3,999

Today's higher-frequency video signals require particular interfaces developed to handle them, but who thought you could then move those signals over standard Cat-5 cabling? Intelix, for one. Its HDMI Balun supports HDTV resolutions and allows an HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) signal to be transmitted up to 150ft. over two Cat-5 cables (one shielded, one unshielded). Each Intelix HDMI contains a send balun, a receive balun, a power supply, and a 6ft. HDMI cable.
Middleton, Wis.
(866) 462-8649
www.avovercat5.com

You'll need a balun at each end of a run. Price: $559

Our control over LCD monitors is pretty much limited to tilting a desktop monitor a little this way or that. If you realize that more flexibility helps when staring at the screen all day, consider the Neo-Flex Wall Mount Lift. The Neo-Flex can be moved with one finger, says the company. It's that easy to raise or lower an LCD, pan it left or right, tilt it up or down, and even rotate the screen for portrait or landscape viewing.
St. Paul, Minn.
(800) 888-8458
www.ergotron.com

Accommodates LCD weights of 6lbs. to 16lbs. Price: Starts at $49

When a monitor wall starts to grow beyond a manageable eight or 10 screens, you need help in controlling and monitoring. If that's the case for you, check out Dayang's MagicWall 5000, which debuts at NAB 2006. The multidisplay controller handles up to 32 SDI video sources simultaneously on a single 1600×1200-pixel flat-panel screen or paired screens. Switchable dual DVI outputs with integral de-interlacing allow the controller to feed arrays at an adjacent desk or in a separate suite.
Beijing, China
www.dayang.com

Incorporates 32 auto-sensing analog/SDI inputs. Price: TBA

Working with a wide variety of input sources demands a flexible method of signal handling. Extron Electronics' IN1508 provides a solution. This eight-input AV switcher provides upscaling and downscaling for signals including high-resolution RGB computer video, HD, and SD. Features include picture-in-picture; glitchless switching between RGB and video inputs; multiple source capability (two S-Video, one component video (SD or HD), one DVI-D, and two RGB computer video inputs); and 29 selectable output rates, including RGB computer video up to UXGA (1600×1200) and 1080p HD.
Anaheim, Calif.
(800) 633-9876
www.extron.com

Audio switching provided for each input source. Price: Upon request