Cheap Field Monitor

O

oldboy

Member
Hey everyone,

Gonna be shooting a short with the HVX and wanted to know of a cheap field monitor I could buy to check framing, focus and color. In the past while working with the DVX we used cheap 13 inch TVs since that was SD, but with an HD cam, I'm afraid that method will just not work properly in terms of reproducing the color and the sharpness of the actual HD pic being captured. As we want this to look like film, we do not want that razor sharpness that HD delivers and want to be able to see it all on a somewhat affordable (less than $400) tv or monitor. Renting is out of the picture as this short will be shot over weekends when crew and cast can donate thier time, so no hard schedule that would lend itself to a rental package.

Thanks
 
We have been using a Viewsonic N2060W which is a HDTV/Monitor combo. It isn't the greatist but you can calibrate it pretty well and it was only $350 online. The other nice thing is that it is really rather light.

Bob
 
I just bought a 23" samsung lcd 1200x720 with 3000:1 contrast ratio. Looks pretty good. light. great color rendition, thought I still have to figure out if it can even be calibrated correctly, and the only thing I'm not happy with is that its not underscanned & i haven't figured if it can do it. (so it clips some of the image)
It was around $540 on Costco. If I can't figure out how to underscan, I might return it. But boy was I able to see alot more detail. (I have the M2 so I really need it)
Maybe someone knows of an LCD 20" to 26" screen that has underscan, that can be color calibrated really well, while still retaining the 3000:1 contrast or higher. with component in ofcourse, has an anti reflective coating, etc....
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
siniarch said:
I just bought a 23" samsung lcd 1200x720 with 3000:1 contrast ratio. Looks pretty good. light. great color rendition, thought I still have to figure out if it can even be calibrated correctly, and the only thing I'm not happy with is that its not underscanned & i haven't figured if it can do it. (so it clips some of the image)
It was around $540 on Costco. If I can't figure out how to underscan, I might return it. But boy was I able to see alot more detail. (I have the M2 so I really need it)
Maybe someone knows of an LCD 20" to 26" screen that has underscan, that can be color calibrated really well, while still retaining the 3000:1 contrast or higher. with component in ofcourse, has an anti reflective coating, etc....
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Try running the component connection through a vga adpater, maybe it will underscan VGA inputs for you.
 
HELP PLEASE w/ Field MOnitor

HELP PLEASE w/ Field MOnitor

Ok, so I did a test shoot last night, and I must say that I was very unpleased with the Samsung (Samsung LNS2351W 23-INCH HD Ready LCD Flat Panel TV. http://www.nextag.com/Samsung-LNS2351W-23-inch-510580385/prices-html) for some reason I was getting totally different images on the HVX lcd and this Samsung. I also felt like it was limiting as far as adjusting the color and the brightness.
Besides the problem with no underscanning, the HVX LCD showed alot more detail than the TV and I could just not get them to match.
Since I bought this at COSTCO, I can return it. But I want to know who is using an LCD as a field monitor, and how are you calibrating it,(since the camera doesn't send out blue only color bars) and how is the under-scanning capabilities of it?
Thank you,
Luis
 
I tried a CRT computer monitor

I tried a CRT computer monitor

I'm in a similar situation. It occurred to me that I should be able to plug the RGB from the HVX into a 21" 2000x1500 pixel CRT computer monitor (less than $200 on ebay), and have good calibration and even under scan settings, but so far I'm getting no signal in my Veiwsonic P225FB when I switch it's input to RGB (input on monitor could be broken?). I tried my HVX's RGB on a 1080 plasma at work and it looked great, but was way too bug and way to expensive. Has anyone else had any luck with these types of monitors?

As for powering it outside, you could get a few hours from a decent UPS, run a hefty inverter from a running car, or plug into a generator.

_AARON
 
I bought the 23" samsung from costco and am very happy with it as an on set monitor. I have made a mount for it to be used on a 750 stand and can mount it upside down as well when using my Brevis35 adapter. I have calibrated it with the help of the Avia Home Theater guide dvd. The image looks sooo much better after calibrating. While its not at all perfect, for $450 it does me right. By playing with it enough to know its limitations, I know where I have to compensate.
 
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