Hewlett Packard on Monday released two new HP DreamColor displays: the HP Z27x and the Z24x. Both feature HP's second-generation DreamColor Engine and provide up to 1.07 billion on-screen colors. Compared to the previous generation, both are up to 57 percent thinner, have up to 60 percent more pixels, and contain up to a 4,000 percent increase in the internal color palette.
"The HP DreamColor Engine and our line of DreamColor products have become the gold standards for professionals who demand color accuracy," said Jun Kim, vice president and general manager, PC displays and accessories, HP. "This next generation of HP DreamColor Displays will once again disrupt color technology, providing customers with richer and more accurate colors than ever before."
The HP Z27x DreamColor Display packs three times the color accuracy over the previous generation. This display is also the first to feature HP's hostless integrated calibration engine with built-in support for third-party professional color measurement instruments. There's also Ethernet-based remote management with an integrated web server, and a published software development kit (SDK) for integrating the HP Z27x into the user's color workflows.
The specs show that this model has a 27-inch viewable image area, a 2560 x 1440 resolution @ 60, 50 or 40 Hz native sync, 178-degree viewing angles, a contrast ratio of 800:1 (minimum), and a typical response time of 12 ms GTG. The panel also has a color production of up to 1.07 billion colors, and a backlight lamp life of 50,000 hours minimum.
As for the smaller Z24x DreamColor display, this IPS panel has a 24-inch viewable area backed by LED backlighting. The panel also has a 1920 x 1200 resolution @ 60 Hz, 178-degree viewing angles, a typical contrast ratio of 1,000:1, and a typical response time of 20 ms (6 ms GTG). The display also features color support of up to 1.07 billion colors, and a backlight lamp life of 30,000 hours.
Both displays provide one-button access to presets including sRGB D65, sRGB D50, Adobe RGB, BT.709, BT.2020 and DCI-P3. Users also have the ability to create a custom color space with full control over primaries, white point and tone response. The panels even promise consistent 10-bit color accuracy from design to production with push-button color space selection and easy color calibration.
The DreamColor series is the result of a collaboration between HP, DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., and a number of other leading studios. The goal is to create displays with accurate and consistent color from print to the big screen. Each new feature is a result of direct feedback from key advisory council members and customers looking for new ways to transform the way they work, HP's announcement reveals.
"The new DreamColor Z Displays are amazing and will be a game changer for many photographers," said Chris McLennan, an international, award-winning adventure and travel photographer and Nikon Ambassador. "The price point will mean that everyone who is into photography—whether a full time pro or a keen enthusiast—should be looking into this product."
The HP DreamColor Z27x is now available for $1,499, and the smaller Z24x for $599.
