External monitor for iMac, non thunderbolt, FCP Studio 2.0

[Philip Goetz]

Just got off the phone with a guy asking me how to connect an HDMI monitor to his FCP system. If he had thunderbolt there are solutions. I didn't even bring up USB 3.0. Typically I would just recommend an IO HD, but that is well beyond his price point. There is no way to use a MARTOX MINI because there "non desktop with PCI slot" version would require a FW800 to female express slot adapter, which probably doesn't exist. Is the best solution getting a new mac mini with thunderbolt? If so, FCP Studio 2.0 will no longer run but at least he could get the Black Magic intensity extreme or the AJA IO express... just thinking out loud...

 

[arniepix]

MOTU makes FW 800 box that will give him HDMI and SDI: http://www.motu.com/video-products/v4hd

 

[VGurcu]

Here is a $59 solution EVGA+ usb to dvi adapter:
http://www.evga.com/uvplus/

Works great, simply put Video playback(under view menu in FCP) to 'Digital Cinema Desktop Preview' and your canvas is on the 2nd monitor! It is a poor mans monitoring solution, do not expect to have results(for colour accuracy) like having a proper I/O box.