Last week HP announce New Zbooks, now at NAB 2017 in Las Vegas, HP announced the latest additions to its line of DreamColor displays, the DreamColor Z31x Studio and the Z24x G2 DreamColor to go along with them.
“From the purest black to the most vivid rainbow of colors, our new DreamColor display for Cinema sets the gold standard for color accuracy and ease-of-use at a disruptive price point to outshine the competition,” said Josh Peterson, vice president of product management for Z Workstations.
HP’s DreamColor displays has been the standard for color-accurate desktop displays in the visual effects and animation world. They’re developed with the assistance of several high-end animation and effects studios and were used by 80% of the Academy Award nominees for Visual Effects between 2011 and 2017. hack, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored the HP DreamColor display with the Scientific and Engineering Award.
The DreamColor displays are designed to be high bit depth-calibrated stable so that artists can get absolutely predictable color from their displays, and between displays at the same facility. Since the tend these days is using multiple facilities, having color match between facilities is critical.
DreamColor Z31x
The HP DreamColor Z31x Studio Display is a 31” diagonal display with a true 10-bit IPS panel with over one billion colors. HP has worked carefully to ensure that the color reproduction, even in the blacks stands up in off axis viewing. The display is a true “Cinema 4K,” display running at 4096 x 2160 resolution at 17:9 instead of 16:9 (3840 × 2160) of UHD 4K. The 4096 x 2160 resolution at which films are mastered for theatrical release.
The monitor sports a built-in colorimeter that can be set to work on demand or on a schedule, automatically keeping your display calibrated. It’s common for serious content creators to use two machines, so the Z31x features a built-in KVM. In addition, it features a “True 2k” mode where it will function as a 2048×1080 display without scaling the pixels. This important for releasing films in some markets.
The DreamColor Z31x also features support for multiple working color spaces, and the display’s color gamut covers 100% of sRGB, 100% of Adobe RGB, 99% of DCI-P3, and 80% of Rec 2020. It can also handle multiple frame rates, including native support of 60 Hz, 50 Hz, and 48 Hz. 48Hz should make Peter Jackson and Ang Lee happy!
HP Z24x G2 DreamColor Display
HP also announced the HP Z24x G2 DreamColor Display—the most affordable member of the DreamColor family. This 24” diagonal display uses 8-bit plus FRC display technology to give 10-bit color depth in a 1920×1200 display.
The idea with this model is to be able to put a color-accurate, color-stable calibrated display on every artist’s desk. The display covers 100% of sRGB and 99% of Adobe RGB, and it directly supports sRGB, Adobe RGB, and BT.709 color spaces. Users can calibrated the display with the included DreamColor calibration software.
The HP DreamColor Z24x G2 Display is scheduled to be available in early July for $559. The HP Z31 x DreamColor Studio Display is scheduled to be available later this year.
| HP Z31x DreamColor Studio Display | HP DreamColor Z24x G2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Display Size | 31.1” | 24” |
| Color Depth | 10 bit | 8 bit + FRC |
| Max Resolution/Refresh | 4096×2160- 60 Hz | 1920×1200- 60 Hz |
| Viewing Angle | 178° Horizontal and Vertical | |
| Brightness | 250 cd/m2 | 300 cd/m2 |
| Contrast Ratio | 1500:1 static | 1000:1 static |
| Response Time | 10 ms on/off | 6 ms gray to gray |
| Supported Gamut | 100% sRGB, 100% of BT.709, 100% AdobeRGB, 99% DCI-P3, 80% BT.2020 | 100% sRGB, 100% BT.709, 99% Adobe RGB, User |
| Inputs | 2 DisplayPort 1.2; 2 HDMI 2.0; 1 USB Type-C (DisplayPort Alt Mode) | 2 DisplayPort 1.2 (in/out); 1 HDMI 1.4; 1 DVI-D |
| Connectors | 1 USB 3.0 Type-B (up); 1 USB Type-C (DisplayPort 1.2, power delivery up to 60 W2); 4 USB 3.0 (down, two side and two rear) 1 | 5 USB 3 (one up, four down) |
| Dimensions | 29.05 x 9.76 x 22.28 in (73.8 x 24.8 x 56.6 cm) |
22 x 9.4 x 20.7 in (55.94 x 23.8 x 52.5 cm) |
| Weight | 33 lb 15 kg |
15.4 lb 6.98 kg |
| Ergonomics | Tilt: -5 to +30°; Swivel: ±45°; Height Range: 144 mm | Tilt: -5 to +20°; Swivel: ±45°; Pivot rotation: 90°; Height: 120 mm |
| Features | Integrated colorimeter, integrated KVM switch, Anti-Glare, preset and customizable on-screen markers, user presets, remote management, customizable on-screen controls | Anti-glare, Brightview panel, on-screen controls, pivot rotation, plug and play, LED backlight |
| Price | $3,999.00 | $559.00 |
