With a price of $12,999, the new Quantum Dot OLED HDR Reference Monitor from SmallHD is designed to meet “the color-critical requirements of the best eyes in the world.”

SmallHD is a NAB (booth C5816) showing the company’s product line, but one of their most exciting monitors is only going to be available next Summer: the Quantum 32 – a new 31.5” OLED monitor designed to provide reference HDR/SDR images for post-production final color grading, as well as critical on-set monitoring for Cinematographers, DITs, and Directors.

Quantum 32 leverages next-gen Quantum Dot OLED display technology that combines unprecedented luminance and color uniformity with an exceptionally wide viewing angle. As a complete set-to-post monitoring solution, Quantum 32 meets, according to SmallHD, “the highest standards for picture contrast and color accuracy, with customizable software tools as well as a rugged and lightweight chassis, rich with integrated mounting options and accessories.”

“Our R&D team continues to pour effort into evolving our hardware/software platform to enable development of monitors that can achieve the color-critical requirements of the best eyes in the world,” says Greg Smokler, VP Cine Products. “This collaboration with Samsung Display allows us to combine their world-leading quantum-dot OLED display technology with our Emmy Award-winning monitor platform to deliver the best monitor display SmallHD has ever made.”

Emmy Award monitor tech and Nobel Prize technology

Quantum 32’s Quantum Dot OLED self-emissive display panel is an innovative implementation of 2023 Nobel Prize-winning nanotechnology. The new monitor represents, according to SmallHD, “a quantum leap in display technology” – pun intended, I guess.

Developed by Samsung Display, QD-OLEDs direct high-energy light from blue organic LED (OLED) into a layer of printed red and green quantum dots. The quantum dots are optimized for maximum light transmission; when the quantum dot sub-pixels are excited by blue light, they become photoluminescent, emitting very pure red and green light while the blue light is directly passed through. The result is an exceptionally wide range of volumetric color expressions that more closely approximate human vision when compared to conventional OLED.

Here is some more information, shared by SmallHD, about the Quantum 32:

Powered by PageOS

PageOS – the powerful and unparalleled monitor operating system from SmallHD – is the intuitive monitor control center that has become ubiquitous on movie sets around the world. Adding to an already robust feature set that includes exposure tools like EL Zone, Waveform, Vectorscope, and Monitor Calibration Wizard with Calman integration, SmallHD’s next update will include new features and tools such as:

• Simplified Color Pipe User Interface
• New rotary control knobs for improved tactile adjustment of tools and settings
• Multi-view – compare multiple inputs, color pipes, and LUTS
• Fleet Control monitor network app
• WiFi adapter support for wireless monitor control

These features and more are why PageOS is the most capable, flexible, and advanced monitor control system in our industry.

Durability and Versatility

The SmallHD Unibody Smart Chassis offers multiple, interchangeable mounting points, DC power IN and 2-pin power OUT, pre-threaded (M4) 100mm pattern mount, dovetail mounting rail for battery plates and other accessories, and support for a new WiFi dongle. Quantum 32 ships ready for color-critical studio and broadcast desktop use and includes a top handle and cheese plate inserts for mobile field production configurations.

QD-OLED 32 Specifications:

• Display Tech: Quantum Dot OLED
• Resolution: 3840×2160
• Bit Depth: True 10-bit
• Color: 99% DCI-P3 / 80% BT.2020
• Contrast Ratio: 1,500,000:1
• Peak Brightness: 1000nits
• SDI: 4x 12G-SDI Input
• 4x 12G-SDI Output
• HDMI: 1x HDMI 2.0 In, 1x HDMI 2.0 Out
• Control Ports: RJ-45 Ethernet
• Power Input: 1x 3-pin XLR (XXXW max, XXV-XXV, XXA max)
• Battery Options: 1x Dual-GM/VM Batt.Plate (26V) (optional accessory)
• Power Outputs: 2x 2pin (12V / 2A combined), 1x USB-A (2.4A), 1x USB-A (1.5A), 1x USB-C (5V / 1.5A)
• WiFi Adapter: RP-SMA (female) antenna connector
• Data I/O: 1x SD Card Slot, 1x RJ45 Ethernet, 1x RJ45 GPI

Coming Summer 2024, the Quantum 32, has a price of $12,999. SmallHD created a priority list for those interested in this new solution that meets the demands of HDR color grading and mastering.