Sony, Apple roll out big LCDs

Sony and Apple today announced the latest models in their flat-panel LCD monitors, with larger sizes and wide-screen formats.

Apple announced its 30-inch Apple Cinema HD display ($3,299), a wide-screen monitor that supports 2,560 by 1,600 pixel resolution that includes dual FireWire 400 and dual USB 2.0 ports built into the display, and a digital video interface (DVI) connection. The company says that two 30-inch displays can be driven simultaneously from Apple's new Power Mac line of desktop workstations. The company also plans to have a 23-inch (1,920 by 1,200 resolution, $1,999) and a 20-inch (1,680 by 1,050 resolution, $1,299) model with the Cinema HD display brand name.

The 30-inch Apple display includes a wide viewing angle (170 degrees), and requires the use of an NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL graphics card ($599) and a Power Mac G5 professional desktop, the company said. The display is expected to be available in July at the Apple Store Web site.

Sony's 23-inch SDM-P234 flat panel display will be available very soon (late June, early July) and will cost about $2,600, the company said. The P234 supports a 1,920 by 1,200 high resolution screen (widescreen), has a 500:1 contrast ratio, and includes Sony's ErgoBright technology, a one-touch "luminance control system" that lets users adjust screen brightness without losing contrast or color fidelity. The P234 includes both analog and digital connections, and includes support for arm or wall mounting.