The top chart shows the gray scale of the PFM-42B1 HD monitor relative to its color temperature at various levels of intensity, or brightness (20 IRE is dark gray; 95 IRE is bright white). As you can see, the gray scale as set by the factory, in the most accurate menu setting, measures blue at 7,231 degrees Kelvin with dark images and leans more toward blue at 7,500 degrees K with brighter images. After making adjustments using the Photo Research PR-650, the gray scale measures within 80 degrees of D6500 K, the accurate setting, through most of the range. The bottom chart shows the gray scale (or color temperature) relative to the color points of the display's red, green, and blue phosphors. The color points don't come close to those specified by SMPTE, which means that the display will not reproduce the colors accurately in the system. This is the nature of flat panels. The gray scale is slightly blue from the factory. The light output was approximately 33 foot-lamberts for this test. The display has poor DC restoration in NTSC and the same in the component inputs. The PFM-42B1 has a poor decoder pushing toward the red hue.—RW

PFM-42B1 42-Inch Plasma
HD Monitor $7,999
Sony Electronics
(800) 222-SONY
www.sony.com
Dealer Locator Code SNY