Substitute for NEC PA-series monitors - discontinued

[vartkes]

I called NEC SHARP Display Solutions in USA, and found out that NEC has discontinued the PA-series of monitors. These monitors have been at the core of our colour managed printing practice well over a decade. Further NEC-USA has no information from HQ in Japan for what if any plans exist to replace the the PA series. The next "best" thing in the NEC pro monitor line is the EA series which has 76% Adobe RGB gamut coverage. Hardly a replacement for the 98% coverage by PA series.
SO the question is what monitor are those who want more than 76% coverage will use? BenQ, Eizo? What else is available out there at the quality of these brands? Would Jeff Schewe or other printing gurus have any opinions?

PS- please spare the comments about why > 76% of gamut coverage is NOT needed. That topic has been put to bed long time ago.

[digitaldog]

In a word: Eizo.
Based on "word of mouth" around the web, I'd avoid BenQ.

[digitaldog]

Please limit the question to one forum. TIA.

[TechTalk]

Please limit the question to one forum. TIA.

+1... This identical topic has already been duplicated within at least three different board categories: Colour Management; Printers, Papers and Inks; and Computers & Peripherals, where the topic fits best ["Discussion of Computers, Displays, Media, Backup"]. Please close the duplicate topic threads you've started to consolidate and facilitate discussion of this topic.

[Rhossydd]

I replaced a PA271(Spectraview) with an Eizo CS series monitor and have found it excellent.

[Frans Waterlander]

So, any ideas why NEC is doing this?

[Czornyj]

So, any ideas why NEC is doing this?

Panasonic ceased production of IPS panels used in NEC PA and EIZO CG series.

[digitaldog]

So, any ideas why NEC is doing this?

Make something up.

[Frans Waterlander]

Panasonic ceased production of IPS panels used in NEC PA and EIZO CG series.

To me this looks like a rather serious issue. What if this means the end of NEC PA and Eizo CG monitors? Are there any other reasonably-affordable, high-quality wide-gamut monitors available? Any rumors about if and when NEC and Eizo may switch to other panel suppliers?

[Frans Waterlander]

Make something up.

Very, very helpful!

[digitaldog]

Very, very helpful!

To your audience, indeed. You have this odd repetitive habit of asking questions of others, both here and on PhotoNet (two sites dedicated to photography, an activity of which there is zero proof you've tried) when your posting history and agenda show/prove, you have no desire or ability to accept any answer. No need to ask questions of us. The factual answers provided will be ignored at best, or as is more often the case, you will disagree with the answers without any kind of evidence: sharing with us your strong opinion about a subject you’ve demonstrated you know virtually nothing about.
A partial paper trail for your readers new to your posting agenda:
https://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=136134.msg1185926#msg1185926

To me this looks like a rather serious issue.

Another habit, assuming, jumping to conclusions, panicking. 

Any rumors about if and when NEC and Eizo may switch to other panel suppliers?

Those who know don’t talk. Those who talk don't know.

[Frans Waterlander]

To your audience, indeed. You have this odd repetitive habit of asking questions of others, both here and on PhotoNet (two sites dedicated to photography, an activity of which there is zero proof you've tried) when your posting history and agenda show/prove, you have no desire or ability to accept any answer. No need to ask questions of us. The factual answers provided will be ignored at best, or as is more often the case, you will disagree with the answers without any kind of evidence: sharing with us your strong opinion about a subject you’ve demonstrated you know virtually nothing about.
A partial paper trail for your readers new to your posting agenda:
https://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=136134.msg1185926#msg1185926Another habit, assuming, jumping to conclusions, panicking.  :'(Those who know don’t talk. Those who talk don't know.

Yet another example of your boring, childish behavior: contributing nothing to the topic at hand, but spouting the usual, pitiful rants.

[digitaldog]

Yet another example of your boring, childish behavior: contributing nothing to the topic at hand, but spouting the usual, pitiful rants.

At least I'm an actual photographer posting on a site dedicated to photography.
What's your excuse? 

Very, very helpful!

You are quite welcome. 

[Frans Waterlander]

At least I'm an actual photographer posting on a site dedicated to photography.
What's your excuse?  :PYou are quite welcome. 

No need to prove myself, certainly not to you.

[digitaldog]

No need to prove myself, certainly not to you.

An excuse as predicted.
Please get in the last silly word, takes a dump on the carpet here again so we photographers can back on topic, one you have no experience with.

[TechTalk]

To me this looks like a rather serious issue.

It isn't. To me, this looks like you worry too much.

What if this means the end of NEC PA and Eizo CG monitors?

It doesn't. Eizo recently announced two new 27-inch CG models which will soon begin shipping as they continue to update their ColorEdge line of displays and software with new models and versions.

Are there any other reasonably-affordable, high-quality wide-gamut monitors available?

Yes.

Any rumors about if and when NEC and Eizo may switch to other panel suppliers?

If you're looking for rumors, you've come to the right place. Welcome to the internet.

[TechTalk]

This isn't a supply or supplier issue for Sharp/NEC Display Solutions. This is a business decision. More specifically, it's a product portfolio and strategic direction decision.

Sharp purchased controlling interest (66%) of NEC Display Solutions in November, 2020. It's clear, from a look at their current product offerings, that a major focus of Sharp Electronics and Sharp/NEC Display Solutions is in large displays and projectors for commercial applications like digital signage, advertising, conference/collaboration, etc. A growing emphasis on large commercial displays is a direction in which the two companies have both been moving for some time.

Whether Sharp/NEC Display Solutions will return to displays for applications like medical diagnostics or creative content producers, which require a high degree of reproduction accuracy, is anyone's guess. NEC left the medical diagnostic display market in November, 2016. It appears that they are withdrawing from another market for high color accuracy displays as their market emphasis has shifted toward large commercial solutions.

NEC is a member of the Sumitomo Group and a roughly $23 billion annual revenue corporation engaged in a variety of businesses. The LCD display business, as a whole, has been declining in revenue at NEC for over a decade and they were happy to find a partner to buy the majority of that business. Sharp, since their 2016 acquisition, is a subsidiary of the largest electronics manufacturer in the world, Hon Hai Technology Group based in Taiwan, more generally known to the world as Foxconn. Foxconn generates about $200 billion in revenue and employs well over 1.2 million people. Sharp/NEC Display Solutions is one gear in a very big machine.

The $430 million in sales that Sharp/NEC Display Solutions generates is not insignificant, but the professional graphics display segment is only one slice of that pie. The future, as someone may remind us, is hard to predict. Sharp/NEC may have retreated from the relatively small color critical graphics segment of the display market, buy there are still a number of other options available including several from Eizo.

[Czornyj]

To me this looks like a rather serious issue. What if this means the end of NEC PA and Eizo CG monitors? Are there any other reasonably-affordable, high-quality wide-gamut monitors available? Any rumors about if and when NEC and Eizo may switch to other panel suppliers?

EIZO swiched to custom AOC panels, NEC temporarly gave it up.

[Czornyj]

SO the question is what monitor are those who want more than 76% coverage will use? BenQ, Eizo?

NEC PA, EIZO CG, and HP DreamColor used the same Panasonic IPS W-LED PFS panels, which were as good as it gets - suprisingly uniform, and with excellent OCF that reduces off-angle IPS black glow. New EIZO CG will use custom AOC panels with OCF, time will tell if they will be as good as Panasonic.

Newest Benq are not that bad like former models, but they have no OCF so the off-angle black is not as good, and calibration software has some flaws (it uses wrong spectral correction for i1Display Pro, which can be fixed by a small hack).

New Apple Studio Display is similar quality (most probably 3DLUT factory calibrated like PA and CG series), it uses custom 5k LG panel with OCF. The advantage of this display is higher resolution and glossy surface with excellent anti-reflex coating which both give better sharpness, purity and is less prone to flare from ambient lightning and than standard satin diffuser in CG/PA etc.

[Frans Waterlander]

... NEC temporarly gave it up.

Thank you Czornyj for sharing your insights with us. This may very well mean the end of NEC IPS monitors.