ARLINGTON, Texas - Jerry Jones just couldn't hide his emotions. He turned to his left and noticed his sons, Stephen and Jerry Jr., had tears in their eyes, too.

The Jones family had just watched a preview package on the world's largest 1080p, high-definition video board at the new Cowboys Stadium. Behind them sat some 30 reporters in the stadium's third level, taking the first public peek at the center-hung display.

"Historical" best describes most aspects of the $1.1 billion venue. It's the largest domed stadium ever built. Supported by massive twin structural steel arches, its quarter-mile length measures twice the distance of the St. Louis Gateway Arch.

But perhaps no feature demonstrates the Joneses' fan-friendly intentions like the four-sided board, produced by Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision, which carries 30 million light bulbs and a $40 million price tag.

The two sideline boards, stretching from 20-yard line to 20-yard line, and the twin 48-foot wide boards facing each end zone ensure a quality vantage point throughout the 80,000-seat stadium.

Not a bad seat in the house.

"As I said when I started, this is such a privilege to get to do something like this - and I mean it," Jerry Jones said. "I shudder when somebody says 'Jerry's World.' This is for sports and this is for the Cowboys. I'm just driving this train for a little while."

Weighing 600 tons, the four screens are suspended 90 feet directly over the center of the playing surface - a first for an NFL stadium. The board weighs 1.2 million pounds and is supported by a 72-foot tall steel structure containing 10 levels of catwalks. Three-inch diameter steel cables grip each end of the video board and are tethered to the stadium's large steel box truss arches.

In designing such an unprecedented display, Mitsubishi had to ensure the video board could stand up to the ambient sunlight peeking in from the roof and end-zone plazas.

"We took on the challenge, and we're happy to report that we've delivered what we believe is the vision that Mr. Jones had here at the stadium to deliver to the fans of the Dallas Cowboys," said Mark Foster, general manager of Mitsubishi Electric's Diamond Vision Systems. "We're very proud."

Reporters watched a five-minute video package featuring Cowboys practice clips and game footage. On game days, eight cameras will capture the action and provide angles unique to the TV network's coverage.

"I believe that it will be an experience, watching a player like Marion Barber or Felix Jones or Tony Romo, in a way that no fan has ever seen," Jones said.

Workers continued putting the final touches in and around the building, which is more than 90 percent complete. The Cowboys will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony next week and open the stadium June 6 with a George Strait-Reba McEntire concert.

"It's beyond anything I could have ever imagined or dreamed when I bought the Dallas Cowboys," Jones said.

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