Laptop as production monitor

B

Brad Neal

Well-known member
Until I can justify the purchase of a couple of 8" Pany monitors, I have been using laptops in conjunction with Adobe OnLocation for field work when I can.

I must say that I am really getting quite spoiled with all of the options that this combination has to offer with the scopes, clocks, analyzer and so on. It's also really nice being able to reach down and press Alt>Enter, and jump to full-screen monitoring.

It's not right for every job, and you have to contend with considerable latency from the firewire connection, but I am finding the more that I use it, the more useful the tool really is.

Anyone else using this setup?

-Brad
 
I use it and like many of the features but as you've stated, there can be quite a bit of latency which makes it nearly impossible to monitor or use to follow focus when there's any appreciable motion in the scene.
 
I've had it for a couple of years (since Serious Magic owned it) and have used it both in my studio and on location. I still haven't tapped into all the options and tools available, but what a deal in terms of what you get in a small package. I must have $700 in the program with the HD upgrade, but you can get it now as part of the CS3 package (I use Vegas and Broris FX so I haven't bought the Adobe version). It's too bad it's not real time because it would sure be cheaper than buying monitors. I'm waiting on delivery of a Carrion monitor, however, I'll miss the vectorscope from the software. I'll almost always have my laptop though, if I need any of the features and it will still be my main setup in studio. Of course, I should be able to do both component to the Carrion and have the laptop set up when I can be tethered. Best of both worlds!
 
Adobe OnLocation is not yet available for the Mac. The only way to use it on a Mac is to run the Mac in Windows Mode using BootCamp.
 
Doh! Barry is right.

But I would hold off buying the Windows version until CS4 is released if you want to run it on a Mac.
 
Is there any software to use a Mac as an external monitor or is it just CS3? I used to do this all the time with my XL2 and I am really missing it now I have a 500!

Thanks

Stuart
 
Ive done the monitor from a laptop in the past. The whole latency thing drove me insane after first time, almost impossible to use as a focus assist. I gave up and started using monitors, the latest is the BTLH80 I bought with my HPX and have used it on a number of different cameras. No stuffing around.
 
stuart said:
Is there any software to use a Mac as an external monitor or is it just CS3? I used to do this all the time with my XL2 and I am really missing it now I have a 500!

Thanks

Stuart
Click to expand...

Stuart,
OL is available for the Mac, but I think it comes only with Premiere Pro CS4 and not as a stand alone app.

As for using a Mac monitor, I don't think that would be a software limitation, but rather a lack of proper connection options on the monitor, like composite or SDI.
 
How fast of a computer does one need to capture DVCPROHD?

I have a Dell dual-core 2.2 Mhz laptop 2gig ram, would this be plenty to use On Location safely?
 
Bassman,
You should be ok with that configuration, but recording HD with OL really puts a strain on the processors, so the faster, the gooder. :-)

I would suggest some testing if you already have OL, or even download a trial version if it's available.

Asside from the latency issue, my biggest complaint with OL is the lack of feedback or warning when you are pushing the limits or encountering dropped frames.

Keep an eye on the buffer meter and make sure that it stays out of the red zone. It is also advisable to use a clean NTFS formated HDD for each new project, and defrag before you start recording.

Also, if you see the latency times begin to encrease, you are probably pushing your processors to its limits. 6 to 7 frames of latency is normal. 15 to 20 is not.
 
I think my company will upgrade to CS4, just not right now. So I guess that seems like the best option, thanks for the information and the help is really appreciated!

Stuart
 
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