SmallHD 2403 High Bright Production Monitor with 1600 Nits

February 3^rd, 2020

by Olaf von VossFebruary 3^rd, 2020

This monitor does not call for revolution, but since the all-new SmallHD 2403 High Bright comes with a new logo, a new lightweight design, a lower price tag and a whooping 1600 nits of brightness, it does proclaim evolution, indeed!

image credit: smallHD

The smallHD 2403 High Bright is meant to live on professional film sets, especially if the script calls for “EXT. – DAY”. With a claimed brightness of 1600 nits, even direct sunlight shouldn’t be too much of an issue for this monitor.

SmallHD 2403 High Bright Production Monitor

SmallHD now uses a restyled logo, and this monitor appears to be the first product to have the honor of bearing it. Along with this redesign, the 2403 High Bright sports a newly designed lightweight, yet rugged, aluminum chassis. And of course the price for these high-performance panels has dropped over time. The original 2403 HDR monitor from a few years back almost doubled the price tag of this $2,999 High Bright model.

image credit: smallHD

In terms of technical specifications, this 2403 High Bright monitor seems to be a true professional production tool:

24″ IPS LCD / 1920 x 1080 pixels
milled aluminum housing
daylight viewable display (1600 nits)
13.9 lb / 6.3 kg
pre-calibrated panel with 100% Rec 709 coverage
2x 3G-SDI inputs / 2x 3G-SDI outputs
HDMI input/output
headphone jack
XLR power input (12-34V DC) / 2-pin locking power output (12V, 4A)

image credit: smallHD

Of course you’ll find plenty of mounting options around the frame, including ARRI locking 3/8″ mounts. For easy hauling around set, the 2403 High Bright also features a handle.

Software Features

The smallHD 2403 High Bright sports the latest iteration of the company’s own operating system, simply called OS 3. Watch the video below to get a glimpse of its features:

The OS3 software lets you dial in all the familiar tools such as focus peaking, waveform, custom guides or false color. You even can display two individual video feeds side by side. However, SmallHD will soon (maybe it’s ready by the time the 2403 High Bright is ready for shipping) release OS4 with even more tools and features. That OS upgrade will be free of charge.

image credit: smallHD

This new monitor really seems to be a decent successor to the aging 2403 HDR. It’s lighter, more affordable, brighter and more versatile in terms of ongoing software updates. There’s no word on things like bit depth or contrast ratio, unfortunately but I doubt it’s a true 10-bit panel. As mentioned earlier, we’re not witnessing a revolution here but a very welcomed evolution of professional on-set monitoring.

Pricing and Availability

The price is set to $2,999 USD and it should be ready for shipping around late March, early April 2020. If you happen to be in the London area you can visit smallHD’s booth at the BSC show for a hands-on with the 2403 High Bright. The show takes place as we speak.