NEC new high-end 24-inch MultiSync monitors

NEC's offerings or as jaw-dropping as some others, but the company's new MultiSync LCD2490WUXi² and LCD2490W2-BK-SV displays will no doubt be just the ticket for at least a few graphics professionals out there. From the looks of it, the two 24-inch monitors are mostly identical, and pack an IPS panel with a 1,900 x 1,200 resolution, along with a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 320 cd/m² brightness, 96.7% coverage of the sRGB color space, and NEC's AmbiBright ambient light sensor with automatic backlight adjustment. The big difference is that the LCD2490W2 model comes bundled with NEC's SpectraView color calibration sensor and, of course, a slightly higher price tag. Look for it to run you $1,299, while the SpectraView-less LCD2490WUXi² will set you back $1,099.

Sony unveils BRAVIA W4000-Series LCD HDTVs

Sony's unloaded a nice foursome today with its all new (but eerily familiar) W4000-Series lineup. Available in 32-, 40-, 46- and 52-inch sizes, the newest members of the BRAVIA family all feature a 1080p resolution, Picture Frame Mode, BRAVIA Engine 2, BRAVIA Sync, XMB, 24p True Cinema, USB Photo Viewer, 178-degree viewing angles, a built-in DVB-T tuner, VGA port and a trio of HDMI connectors for good measure. The 32-incher gets stripped down a bit with the omission of Live Color Creation, a 10-bit panel, PhotoTV HD, and x.v.Color -- all of which are included on the larger models. Unfortunately, Sony's keeping quiet with regard to pricing / availability, but we'd certainly keep an eye out for any strange new shelf inhabitants over in Europe.