EIZO's first organic EL monitor "FORIS NOVA" is fascinated by the beauty of miniature garden images. Highly sensitive video fans should definitely enjoy this world: Reiji Asakura's Institute of Good Things Report 28

Reiji Asakura's HDR (high dynamic range) compatible monitors and developer interviews will be delivered. This time, we will focus on EIZO's first organic EL monitor "FORIS NOVA". The company's monitors are highly trusted not only for professional use but also among design professionals. Furthermore, FORIS NOVA is designed for private use at home, so many StereoSound ONLINE readers are probably interested in it. We asked Mr. Asakura to explain how it came about. (Editorial department)

●Organic EL monitor
EIZO FORIS NOVA Open price (EZIO direct sales price ¥350,000, tax not included)

Asakura: Today we will visit EIZO Galleria Ginza in Ginza and hear about the EIZO brand 21.6-inch 4K organic EL monitor "FORIS NOVA". First of all, please tell us an overview of FORIS NOVA.

Kajikawa: My name is Kajikawa, and I'm in charge of marketing communications. FORIS NOVA is our company's first 4K monitor using an organic EL panel, and we planned it so that you can enjoy high-quality images in a private space. Of course, playback of HDR signals is also possible.

Asakura: Earlier, I was shown a picture of FORIS NOVA, and the image with a natural sense of detail and gradation that is not ostentatious is very nice. I really liked the organic EL-like smoothness of the self-luminescence, and the generated visuals without any sense of emphasis or extrusion. In the first place, the surface is non-glare, so there is no glare even when approaching. I think that the image quality is suitable for close viewing in private viewing.

Kajikawa: We were also aware of this point. For example, if a man in his mid-30s who is addicted to overseas drama series such as "Game of Thrones" tries to watch it on the TV in the living room, his wife will tell him, "You can't do such cruel scenes in front of children." I hear that it is often stopped.

　But on a PC or tablet in the study or bedroom, you can't properly enjoy such elaborate and beautiful images. This is a waste, isn't it? I thought that if you could use FORIS NOVA at such times, you would be able to discover what the director and the production team were aiming for, such as what kind of expression was used in this scene, how the picture was created.

Asakura 　"FORIS" was the name of the series when LCD TVs first came out. At a time when it was said that liquid crystal televisions were still out of reach, they showed surprisingly high image quality. At that time, the image quality was moist, and the image is very similar.

Matsunami I'm Matsunami from the EIZO Display Device Development Section. At that time, HiVi was evaluated by Asakura-san as having a “blessed” style. I believe that this is the direction that our company has continued since then.

Kajikawa　This FORIS has a product name of NOVA. NOVA means "new star", and we wanted users to make new discoveries from the images.

Asakura: It's a good proposal to make new discoveries from the "video" of "EIZO". Are video modes prepared?

Matsunami: For HDR, we have prepared modes for HDR10 (PQ curve) and HLG (hybrid log gamma).

Asakura　By the way, the organic EL panel used in FORIS NOVA is JOLED's 21.6 inch. This is a panel made with RGB printing method, and the reproduction of color and contrast is very good. It is used in medical applications and PCs, but I think this is the first time it has been used in a monitor.

Nakakita: This is Nakakita from the JOLED Panel Business Headquarters. Thank you for your compliment on the panel. We believe that the adoption of FORIS NOVA has enabled us to develop new product fields. Until now, it was mainly for business use, but I was told that there was also such a development.

Asakura: So far, JOLED has never had the idea of ​​going B to C. By the way, is this your first collaboration with the EIZO brand?

Nakakita: This will be the first time for JOLED.

Matsunami: We are a manufacturer that makes monitors, so if there is a good device, not limited to liquid crystals, we would like to make full use of it to express the images that the video creator envisions.

JOLED is a valuable manufacturer that manufactures printed organic EL panels, so we have been in contact with them at exhibitions, etc., but this time we have finally reached the stage of commercialization. rice field.

　After seeing the actual panel, we were able to confirm that it has the ability to reproduce contrast, tight blacks, and faithfully reproduce even harsh images, so we decided to use this panel.

Asakura: This is the first organic EL monitor for EIZO. What was your impression when you first saw this panel?

Matsunami: I was surprised at how stable the black was.

Asakura: Were you dissatisfied with the reproduction of black on the LCD panel?

Matsunami: I'm going to do my best to reproduce black by trying out various liquid crystal panels. However, I felt that the organic EL panel this time still has black that cannot be produced.

Asakura: When was that?

Matsunami 　In the latter half of 2017, product development started in the spring of 2018.

Asakura What was the impetus for the commercialization decision?

Takahashi: This is Takahashi from the Video Product Development Department. I was in a position to supervise the overall development of FORIS NOVA, and I wanted to take advantage of the new product's thinness, lightness, and blackness.

　ColorEdge series monitors such as the "ColorEdge PROMINENCE CG3145" released in December 2017 are for professionals aimed at video production sites, but FORIS NOVA is designed for both end users and those who enjoy it. I was thinking of proposing impressive image quality. For that purpose, I thought that JOLED's panel would be beneficial.

Asakura: EIZO already had the CG3145, which is an excellent monitor with a brightness of 1,000 nits and a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1. What is the difference between that and FORIS NOVA?

Matsunami CG3145 uses a backlight, so it has an advantage in terms of brightness. Due to the increase in HDR content, there is a demand for proper brightness in video production sites. Of course, you also need a bright, high-contrast monitor, and the CG3145 meets those demands.

Asakura: What is the brightness peak of FORIS NOVA?

Matsunami Peak is 330nits, all white is around 132nits.

Asakura: I see, in terms of brightness, the liquid crystal has a point.

Matsunami: You're right. However, OLEDs differ in their ability to reproduce dark areas, so I don't think they can be simply compared.

Asakura: Another major feature of this organic EL panel is the printing method. In other words, it uses the RGB lighting system, but is that also the reason why you chose it for FORIS NOVA?

Matsunami: I think that the white organic EL panels used in large-screen TVs are able to express themselves to a certain degree. This time, rather than being an RGB system, I focused on things like contrast reproduction.

In addition, the definition and contrast reproduction of 4K resolution with a size of 21.6 inches were important. The reason we chose it was because we wanted to maximize the sense of depth and three-dimensionality when combined with HDR content.

Asakura　By the way, the design of FORIS NOVA is quite different from conventional EIZO monitors. What was the purpose of this?

Takahashi: We also used aluminum die-casting for the chassis in order to have a clean design and to let the buyer feel the high quality. In order to express the image of the screen itself floating, I was worried about the durability of plastic, and the texture was not satisfactory.

I wanted to show a form that makes the most of its thinness, so all the electronic circuits such as the circuit board are stored on the stand side.

Asakura　Recent large-screen TVs are mainly frameless designs, but I feel that FORIS NOVA has a stable screen precisely because it has this frame.

Kajikawa: I think that with this screen size, we were able to achieve a solid molding suitable for the precision of 4K display. This is the first attempt for us to adopt such a design as a monitor.

When it comes to Asakura, it's also important what kind of picture is suitable for that. Including the screen size of 21.6 inches, what points did you attack in creating the picture?

Matsunami: I had a lot of trouble (laughs). In the first place, the product called organic EL monitor itself is a new genre, and there are not so many of them. Because of that, I also struggled with how to set things like aging.

Asakura: If the brightness is high, the life will be short, so even if you want to make it brighter, it won't be so easy. That balance seems difficult.

Matsunami: We also consulted with JOLED to find the optimal value.

Nakakita　Because of the inherent capabilities of our panels and the specifications that EIZO is targeting, it was difficult to decide where to apply them. I believe that the organic EL panel is a device that will continue to develop, so I think we can increase the brightness in the future.

Asakura: Was the panel itself tuned for FORIS NOVA?

Nakakita Based on the mass-produced panel, it is tuned for FORIS NOVA.

Asakura: As a monitor, color and gradation reproduction are also important. How did you go about that?

Matsunami: When considering the concept of FORIS NOVA, we couldn't remove HDR support. I also thought that the combination of HDR and organic EL would be the best, so I made it possible to display both HDR10 and HLG.

Asakura: HDR reproduction requires a peak, so it's difficult to balance brightness and black reproduction.

Matsunami: I think the point of FORIS NOVA is that we were able to achieve both. If you just listen to the peak value of 330 nits, you may feel that it is dark, but I think that it is sufficiently expressive in an environment where the lights are dimmed to some extent.

Asakura: In private viewing, you will likely be close to the screen in many cases, and in that case the brightness will be reduced, so there should be no problem. I saw the painting of FORIS NOVA again today with the lights off, and I really liked the reproduction of the luster of the old building and the brilliance of the sun-drenched roof. What is the color gamut?

Matsunami DCI-P3 is almost fully covered, so there is no problem with movie content.

Asakura: In the demonstration video, I also saw a video of the evening view of Mt. Fuji. On large OLED TVs, banding-like unevenness can be seen here and there in such scenes, but this was not the case with FORIS NOVA. Are you doing some electrical work?

Matsunami: I didn't do any special processing to crush the black. This time, the internal processing is performed in 16 bits, and the input to the panel is 10 bits. The panel can reproduce full 10-bit gradation, so I don't think banding is a concern.

Nakakita: It's not like we're doing anything special, but our company is also particular about gamma reproduction, which leads to natural gradation reproduction.

Asakura: So you're saying that the image quality is only possible because you're familiar with the characteristics of the device? In relation to that, what do you think was the point of mastering the panel?

Matsunami I think one thing is how to think about brightness. Viewing angles and lifespan also become a problem when the screen becomes large. I hope that you will understand these points and think that FORIS NOVA is the result of thinking about how to use the panel to maximize its capabilities and what kind of content it is suitable for.

Asakura: We were able to confirm that the RGB organic EL has technical advantages, and that if you create a picture honestly, you can enjoy a graceful high image quality. I would like to have a slightly larger size in the future.

Nakakita: The other day, a new mass production line was put into operation at our Nomi Plant. We can use G5.5 (1.3 x 1.5m) size mother glass there, so from next year onwards, we would like to mass-produce even larger panels.

Asakura: Does this mean that the 30-inch range is also possible?

Nakakita: I would like to aim for that.

Asakura　There are two ways to enjoy images. One is to immerse yourself in the large screen, and the other is to interact with the detailed small screen.

In FORIS NOVA, I was able to re-experience that compactness has its own charm. With this size, you can enjoy 4K/HDR, so the price of 350,000 yen is a bargain.

Matsunami: Our company has been developing monitors for a long time. We are considering various devices other than liquid crystal. I think that the accumulation of that technology was put to good use this time.

Asakura: Since Sony has ended the production of the "BVM-X300", I think there are many people who want an organic EL monitor in the field of video production. In the future, I would like to expect complete professional monitors based on FORIS NOVA.

Kajikawa: Thank you. I will do my best to meet everyone's expectations.

Nakakita: We will continue to research and develop more advanced organic EL panels, including brightness, so please look forward to it.

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