LAS VEGAS (NAB Booth# SU107) April 23, 2006 - The newest high-definition mobile production unit from National Mobile Television (NMT) features more than 270 Sony professional displays, the majority of them LUMA™ nine-inch LCDs, as well as several CRT monitors.

Named "HD-11," the 53-foot-long truck is the sixth HD unit in NMT's fleet. The decision to outfit this newest truck with all Sony display technology was driven by several factors, according to NMT's vice president of engineering, John Kemps.

"The primary consideration was image quality," Kemps said. "There is just no comparison to an HD signal going into a LUMA monitor. They produce beautiful pictures."

Of the 264 LUMA monitors, model LMD-9050, 103 are installed in a production monitor wall, with the rest dispersed throughout the audio, tape, video and transmission areas. Kemps noted that the LCDs will be used primarily for camera and tape monitoring, while eight Sony BVM-A series CRT monitors are slated for quality control and program monitoring.

One of the LCD displays' features that Kemps found particularly attractive was their auto-detection ability, which "automatically identifies the type of signal—either SD or HD—and gives our operators more flexibility in terms of the types of signals being fed into them. We can handle either or both seamlessly, without having to flip a switch."

He added that having an all HD monitor rack completes the truck's high-definition infrastructure and enables faster set-up times at live events, especially with the growing demand for live HD production.

Kemps noted that in addition to the LUMA monitors' quality, the added benefits of LCD technology—low weight and low power consumption—also enhance the truck's operations.

"We've saved more than one full ton in weight with the LCD displays, we've reduced our heat load significantly and we've shortened the depth of the racks—all without sacrificing anything in quality," he said. "In fact, our monitoring and operational capabilities will increase greatly."

Kemps drew on his vast experience in managing trucks to help him make the decision to outfit HD-11 with Sony displays.

"In the field, I ran trucks for years," he said, "and I've worked with Sony gear for years. Now that I'm in a position to purchase and choose the equipment myself, it makes me sleep well at night knowing that I've put NMT's money to good use with Sony displays."