Sony announces the release of four Crystal LED monitors named VERONA, designed for virtual production applications, including market-leading features such as anti-reflective technology with deep black tones to further assist filmmakers and content creators.
The new anti-reflective surface technology with deep black tones offers both intense blacks and a low level of glare, significantly reducing contrast loss caused by adjacent LED monitor light and studio lighting equipment.
This innovative technology greatly reduces the contrast difference between the image projected on the LED monitor and the actors in front of it on set, seamlessly blending the virtual and the real in the most natural way, thereby reducing post-shooting adjustments, saving both time and money.
In addition to outstanding black levels and glare reduction, VERONA monitors achieve a brightness of 1500 cd/m² and a wide color gamut covering over 97% of DCI-P3 for realistic shooting location reproductions. They also employ high-performance integrated LED driver circuits, allowing a refresh rate of up to 7680 Hz to significantly reduce camera scanline defects. Both models, ZRD-VP15EB/23EB and ZRD-VP15EM/23EM, are available with pixel pitches of P1.56 mm and P2.31 mm.
In the design of VERONA, Sony has closely collaborated with industry creatives and considered their feedback to create a highly specific monitor that meets the distinct needs of the film, television, and theatrical community.
A new 1:1 cabinet has been designed to help production teams quickly, easily, and efficiently assemble a monitor that fits the desired stage size, featuring large easy-grip handles, alignment pins for easy setup, and a lever-type locking mechanism that can be operated without tools.
VERONA not only adapts to curved, suspended, and stacked studio spaces but now the frames are more robust to support more weight, allowing screens to be stacked up to 7 meters in height. Surface technology and various protection mechanisms prevent damage to the LED surface and edges.
"We are thrilled to announce the release of four new state-of-the-art monitors designed for virtual production, which will enhance realism and streamline the growth of this type of production in the film industry," says Rik Willemse, Director of Professional Displays & Solutions at Sony Europe.
Our pioneering virtual production technology offers comprehensive solutions that drive and support artists' creative activities, enabling them to develop limitless sets. We are the only company that can support virtual production from start to finish in terms of solutions and workflow, which has allowed us to gain essential technical expertise. For this reason, we are in a unique position to leverage our award-winning VENICE digital cinema cameras and Crystal LED monitors to deliver the best virtual production systems to studios of all sizes," says Sebastian Leske, Director of Business Development for Film at Sony Europe.
The new monitors are compatible with the most widely used industry controllers. The ZRD-VP15EB/23EB works with Brompton Technology's Tessera SX40 processor, and the ZRD-VP15EM/23EM uses Megapixel's HELIOS processing platform. Additionally, the models also offer a 27% reduction in energy consumption when comparing the new ZRD-VP15EB model to the current ZRD-B15A model.
This release follows Sony's recent announcement of a new set of virtual production tools designed to address common issues in this type of production and enhance the quality of visual effects on camera. The set consists of the camera and monitor plugin and the color calibrator, which uses Unreal Engine to blend the real and virtual worlds, achieving synergy between hardware and software to design, visualize, and refine virtual production shots during previsualization before moving to the virtual production phase. In addition to film, television, and advertising, Sony's virtual production technology is expanding into live and corporate spaces to drive creativity across a wide range of content creation applications.
The new VERONA monitor will be showcased at IBC, at Sony booth 13.A10 in Hall 13 from September 15th to 18th, 2023, and will be available in the market in spring 2024.
