Kessler-Ellis Products Marine debuts widescreen offerings

by Andrew Golden on 26 Oct 2012 Kessler-Ellis Products (KEP) Marine, the manufacturer of industry-leading marine sunlight readable displays and high-quality marine hardware and software products, announced today its range of marinized widescreen displays. Allowing for full screen perspective and greatly enhanced viewing of navigation software, vessel monitoring, web browsing, and media and entertainment, KEP Marine’s widescreen displays are available in its sunlight readable KEPlite and Glass Bridge Series, as well as Pilot House Series models.

Incorporating KEP Marine’s signature ultra-reliable, rugged design, highest quality performance, and optimum crisp, clear and vibrant on-the-water viewing features, the TFT Active Matrix LCD displays deliver the widescreen benefits of higher resolution, larger screen viewing and installation in consoles where height is limited.

As the output of more onboard devices become available in widescreen formats, the KEP Marine widescreen offerings provide the premier option for the most discerning captains and owners.

'More boaters, having become accustomed to widescreen displays in the office and at home, prefer the higher resolution benefits of widescreen viewing on their vessels as well,' said Keith Cariani, sales manager, KEP Marine. 'Data from new radars, sonars, plotters and other marine devices are well suited for widescreen formats. KEP Marine’s new widescreen displays are high quality, feature-packed solutions, available in different sizes and specifications, and at different price-points. Backed by our industry leading warranty and product fulfillment times, KEP Marine’s widescreen displays are the ideal solution for any mariner’s needs.'

Designed for the pilothouse or flybridge, the high performance Lite Series’ KEPL-21W sunlight readable widescreen monitor is specifically engineered to stand up to, and excel in, the most demanding working environments. The 21.5-inch diagonal display has a maximum resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, is rated at 1000 nits brightness and features a 1000:1 contrast ratio. Housed in a milled biller aluminum case that is lightweight and watertight, the front-mounted sunlight readable display offers clear, vivid viewing. The widescreen KEPL-21W is also available in a user-friendly, touchscreen model.

Offering unparalleled screen clarity in all conditions, the KEPM GB Glass Bridge KEMPGB-22, KEMPGB-24 and KEMPGB-27 widescreen displays provide a modern and sleek monitor design, and feature renowned patented bonding technology that provides exceptional sunlight-viewing. Designed for open cockpits, flybridges and bright pilothouses, the glass bridge displays’ small bezel and large screens maximize space savings at the helm while providing the largest screen size possible in the available space. KEPM GB monitors can be flush mounted side by side for a beautiful glass bridge appearance.

The widescreen 22-, 24- and 27-inch Glass Bridge monitors have a maximum resolution of 1680x1050, 1920x1200 and 1920x1080, with brightness and contrast ratios of 1100 nits/1200:1, 700 nits/1200:1 and 600 nits/5000:1, respectively. Accepting multiple inputs including composite, S-Video, DVI, VGA, UXGA and SXVGA, the displays support simple custom labeling for organization and ease of use.

The Pilot House Series PilotGB-22, PilotGB-24 and PilotGB-27 widescreen monitors incorporate the same signature reliability, ultra-bright viewing and easy installation features as KEP Marine’s Glass Bridge Series for installations where bright light is not a concern. The widescreen PliotGB 22-, 24- and 27-inch monitors have a maximum resolution of 1680x1050, 1920x1200 and 1920x1080, respectively with a brightness and contrast ratio of 400 nits/1200:1 for all three models.

Manufactured under the strictest quality standards, the displays accept four common video inputs and include three VGA, two DVI, three composite and one S-Video connectors without the need for a secondary control box. Pilot House displays are equipped with one-touch hot keys for ease of viewing navigation, sonar, and surveillance or entertainment systems.

All KEP Marine widescreen displays offer advanced three-stage Picture in Picture (PIP) capabilities including a floating and resizable child window, split-screen and widescreen mode, and can display any input with a touch of a button from the front keypad. Additional features include a wide backlighting range that can be dimmed to complete black for night viewing and a 12-24 VDC voltage input range, as well as RS323, Ethernet remote keypad and BridgeView compatibility for added control options.

The monitors high power efficiency and low heat design guarantees the stability and longevity required for extended voyages in the harsh marine environment. KEP Glass Bridge and Pilot House Series displays are rigorously tested to meet the IEC 60945 maritime navigation and radio communication standard, DNV 2.4 shock and vibration, and are fully compliant with Lloyds Register’s Marine Equipment Directive (MED). The KEP Marine widescreen displays are dust and water resistant to the IP66 standard, and are protected by an industry-leading 2-year advanced replacement worldwide warranty and unparalleled technical support.

The KEP Marine widescreen Lite, Glass Bridge and Pilot House displays have suggested retail prices starting at US $6,200, $12,800 and $10,000, respectively, and can be purchased from authorized KEP Marine dealers and distributors throughout the United States and Canada. For more information on the new KEP Marine widescreen displays, or the entire line of KEP marine electronics, contact 800-631-2165 (toll-free) in the USA or visit the KEP Marine website.