24-27" Computer Monitor

[DDirector]

So, as to my last thread about getting the right computer, as seen here: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?287957-Need-Custom-Laptop-for-Adobe-Premiere&highlight=
I am also looking for a good monitor. :)


My max budget for a monitor would be roughly $250 - Depends on monitor
I still need to purchase a keyboard and a mouse. Which isn't a lot, but I'm already reaching my max.

- Anything from 24-27" flat screen
- 1080p or higher quality
- LCD?
- Best colour/contrast for video editing for its price
- Would be nice to have thin/non-glossy boarders

Not sure what else to look for in a monitor. I may be missing some info, so dont forget to keep that in mind too. As long as its a good monitor for editing videos with good colour, it should be good.

Purchasing it in Canada; Tiger Direct, Best Buy, Future Shop, or any electronic store that will be available locally.

[Lowlypawn]

I know they are outside your budget but I bought some Asus Pro Art monitors. I really like them. Fully adjustable stands (up/down/tilt + rotate) and some on screen grids and other stuff I never use.

But what I wanted to mention is don't focus on the manufactures specifications too much. Cheap manufactures overrate their products and the good manufactures will actually be honest so on paper the monitors look comparable. Try to buy name brand if you can. Just make sure it's 1920x1080 so you can view video pixel per pixel full screen. I also highly recommend you buy two monitors at the same time because it seems like they only make a certain model monitor for about 6 months before the slightly-different-new-model comes out. And nothing is more annoying then a dual monitor setup with two different monitors. For video serious video editing 2 monitors is almost a must. In fact I use a triple monitor setup and it's even better (it's also great for FPS games :)).

EDIT: I buy most of my stuff from Newegg don't know if they ship to Canada or not. But if they do check em out.

EDIT2: Yep Newegg.ca is for Canada customers.

[DDirector]

So, what makes the monitor you have good? - but yes, $500 id too much for me
What should I be looking for in the monitor?
It needs to be properly or closely calibrated

I know I want a 1920x1080, and a name brand, and a good size (preferably 27"), but other than that, I dont know what else, or how to tell its a good kind or a bad kind.

And how do you use multiple screens?

[Postmaster]

You should get a used one with a good panel instead a crapy new one if you are on a budget.

First go to Wikipedia and read the Article on the differences between TFT panels.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TFT_LCD#Patterned_vertical_alignment_.28PVA.29

Than look at Ebay and search for "Sun Microsystems X7236A 24" Monitor" - they are cheap and have a good PVA panel.

best, Frank

[Lowlypawn]

So, what makes the monitor you have good? - but yes, $500 id too much for me
What should I be looking for in the monitor?
It needs to be properly or closely calibrated

I know I want a 1920x1080, and a name brand, and a good size (preferably 27"), but other than that, I dont know what else, or how to tell its a good kind or a bad kind.

And how do you use multiple screens?

I think people make way too much about monitor specifications. Go to best buy (or wherever) and look at some different monitors, you will see a significant difference in the looks of the different brands. Find a name brand that looks good to you. I had some BenQ monitors before the Asus and they seemed really good (I gave them to my parents). Maybe you won't like the look of BenQ and prefer ASUS or NEC ETC. Once you find a manufacture and comparable model you like. Go online and find the best deal and buy it. I wouldn't buy a used monitor, no telling what it's been through or how many hours are on it. We have some NEC monitors at work that are on 24/7 and the brightness has to be maxed just to see the damn things they are so dim.

Whatever monitor you buy, once you get it home you can download some monitor calibration JPG pictures, set the brightness/contrast so you can see all the shades of grey, maybe adjust the colors and white balance a little. Trust me, you can get it close enough without investing into a Spyder calibration tool. I mean you're not making the next Avatar right? Anything you put on the web (Youtube or Vimeo) is going to be viewed by people who don't have a clue about monitor calibration and their monitors are probably not even close. What I'm saying is unless your pro, you can use any halfway decent monitor, spend 20 minutes, get it reasonably calibrated, and make some nice videos.

I know my Asus Pro-art monitor are suppose to be much better then then the old BenQ monitors I had, but in the real world the difference is minimal IMHO.

The benefits of dual (or triple) monitors is huge. You can keep one monitor as a full screen preview and keep the editing/timeline on the other. That way you can watch your video full screen while you edit. I often keep file folders open in the 3rd monitor so I can quickly drag video clips into the Vegas (it's a little faster then searching for them inside of Vegas). Or on the 3rd monitor you can pull up a clip of a movie trailer you are trying to match the look of or keep some notes / script up, or stream the news while you work. You can never have too many monitors IMHO :)

I know I've given a bunch of vague advice up till now, so if I was in your shoes and had to order a monitor tonight what would I pick? Well looking at Newegg.ca I would probably pick...

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236174

It's a name brand I trust, 23.6 inches, 1920X1080. LED backlit, bezel look fairly thin, has lots of good reviews and it's $189.99, You can buy two for $400 and be set. The only negative I see is the stand only tilts. I don't really like Acer (not sure why), I own a super cheap Hannsg monitor I bought for a 2nd computer, it looks just OK. My BenQs looked nicer.

Anyway I'm sure you get the idea by now. But then again I'm no pro and just do this as a hobby so take my advice with that in mind. I hope this helps you make a decision. Good luck!

[Nate Haustein]

If you have an iPhone or an iPad or something like that, bring it with to the store and find a monitor that simulates its contrast and color cast as close as possible. Everyone watches their content on mobile devices anyways these days, and in my opinion, the iPad image looks the closest to what most people see when a video is posted on YouTube, Vimeo, etc as far as contrast and saturation goes.

I know this isn't the "professional" way to do things, and it's certainly not appropriate for higher-end broadcast work, but it at least can give you an approximation of what an end viewer will see. I use the "AirDisplay" app from the Mac App Store that costs $9. It lets me mirror my desktop over wi-fi so I can see the preview monitor on the iPad. Helpful.

[Shooter]

Sorry man but I think that advice is ridiculous.

One does not want to work to the lowest common denominator ever...no matter what the end use is.

Video has standards that need to be monitored and observed to a higher degree of "reference" than what you suggest.


If you have an iPhone or an iPad or something like that, bring it with to the store and find a monitor that simulates its contrast and color cast as close as possible. Everyone watches their content on mobile devices anyways these days, and in my opinion, the iPad image looks the closest to what most people see when a video is posted on YouTube, Vimeo, etc as far as contrast and saturation goes.

I know this isn't the "professional" way to do things, and it's certainly not appropriate for higher-end broadcast work, but it at least can give you an approximation of what an end viewer will see. I use the "AirDisplay" app from the Mac App Store that costs $9. It lets me mirror my desktop over wi-fi so I can see the preview monitor on the iPad. Helpful.

[Nate Haustein]

Sorry man but I think that advice is ridiculous.

One does not want to work to the lowest common denominator ever...no matter what the end use is.

Video has standards that need to be monitored and observed to a higher degree of "reference" than what you suggest.


Ridiculous in some ways perhaps, but I can't help to think that the display on a brand new product like the iPad is equal if not better than 90% of existing viewers systems – PC, mobile or otherwise. I wouldn't say it's the lowest denominator in any sense of the word! I completely agree with you on a properly-calibrated quality reference monitor, but if the OP is going to buy a $250 LCD anyways, wouldn't it be best if he had a neutral baseline (the iPad) to help decide on the best looking LCD at the store? Calibration is one thing, but why start with a LCD that has a purple, blue or yellow color cast in the first place?

I deliver most of my work to the web, and I find that the image I see in Final Cut is sometimes very different than the image after uploading to YouTube. When I use the AirDisplay feature, the image in Final Cut and YouTube look identical. Call it OSX gamma-shift or whatever else you please, but it works for me, and for $9 its at least a quick way to spot-check contrast. YMMV.

[Shooter]

Use of that as a down stream QC and reference is a good idea and ingenious with the app. Just like checking an audio mix thru television type speakers instead of the studio refrence monitors. I would not choose

I suggest to the OP that he gets a computer monitor in the AV class. True 1080p. These monitors have AV connections as well as computer connections.

Windows and Mac OS both have vey good calibration tools built in .. to set them up to a level appropriate for the average users.

Simple set up . Use bars in Premiere (and match up to the OS calibration).

[Blue Bomber]

Save up! This is probably the best monitor you'll get for under $500 as far as image quality is concerned:
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=asus+pa246q&hl=en&safe=off&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.,cf.osb&ion=1&biw=993&bih=540&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=14730730256963420417&sa=X&ei=FeMXUNKlMoKm8ATqj4GwDg&ved=0CIoBEIIIMAc4Cg#scoring=tp

P-IPS panel with 100% sRGB reproduction and 10-bit compatibility. When you see what 100% sRGB looks like, you'll be blown away like I was. So many colors you've been missing. You'll be able to see more detail in colors that were previously clipped on cheaper monitors. I had an LG IPS monitor previously that was around 95% sRGB, and the difference was still amazing. Best part is, it comes extremely close to being accurately calibrated from the factory, unlike budget monitors that try to wow you with extreme saturation and contrast.

As far as form factor, it's chunky, but not overly heavy (like my LG). It's completely matte, screen and body, with a relatively thin bezel with measurements on the sides. Has a standard VESA mount on back, so you don't have to chew up desk space with the usual monitor stand. The usual HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI, card reader, and headphone jack around the bottom and sides, along with a ton of settings in the menus to ensure a perfect calibration.

The only negative I can say about it is that when hooked up to a cable box, it scales the image to 16:10. So it stretches out regular TV. But if you're only using it on your computer, it's fine.

[Nate Haustein]

Just got the ASUS from eBay for about $350, and it's REALLY nice. The matte screen is great and the 16:10 ratio gives quite a bit more real-estate than a 16:9. I'd recommend as well.