HD monitors for the edit bay

M

meddesigner

Active member
So the final decision is going to be this. What would you all do?

1. Something like a 23" Apple Cinema Display connected to the editor via an SDI to DVI converter like the one from Black Magic.

2. A Panasonic 17" HD monitor that has SDI and anaolog inputs like the new BT-LH1700W or a Sony Luma

3. Something else?

I want to be able to see the full 720P or 1080i picture and the 23" cinema can handle that.

Thoughts?
 
The Dell 2405FPW will give you a full 720p or 1080i/1080p picture at substantially less than the Apple Cinema display. I got mine for $780; you have to wait for Dell coupons to get it that cheap, but it's a killer monitor.

Regarding the 17" BT-LH1700W: if you saw it at DV Expo, it slays the Luma. Way better picture with much less aliasing, cheaper, has built-in waveform and side-by-side splitscreen, it's all one piece instead of needing to be two, and it has options for a rain cape and hoodman. Granted, I was watching a demo put on by Panasonic, but it was still a very convincing side-by-side presentation that showed the 1700 as notably better.
 
I already have the Sony BVDM-20 with dual HD-SDI, component HD, SD SDI & component and it handles 1080 I/P & 720P...and while it is THE CRT, it is expensive. However, if you're onlining you want to see the deficiencies in the picture...this monitor will do that. If it is simply to view HD on your NLE, clearly the newer monitors that Barry is suggesting work fine. Unfortunately I've been using and investing in HD R&D since early 2000, so I've got hardware that is significantly less now than what it was five years ago.

jt
 
i'm a fresh-out-of-college newbie, but i'm kinda/sorta in charge of picking on the new HD equipment for my company. at this point, we're looking at two 23" apple cinema display to use as the computer monitors for the editing bay. will i need another monitor to view the NTSC HD output, or can i get by with a single apple cinema?
 
Get two Dell 2405's. They are not as flashy as the Apple's, but I think they're amazing and when you put two of them side by side they look impossibly mean. Plus, the height adjustment makes them nice to sit in front of for hours...oh, and then there are the usb ports and card slots that are on the side. I didn't think I would need these features, but now it takes just a couple seconds to get images from my digital cameras onto the desktop.

Dude, you're getting a dell....sorry, I couldn't resist.
 
Well I am an Apple snob - I have a 30" and 23" cinema display now and was going to add another but I think I am going to get the Panasonic monitor that has SDI and analog video inputs. I want to see it but it looks like it might be a pretty good buy in the $3k range. The 30" display is really quite cool. Final Cut Studio really shines with this display real estate.

I am also flying out to MacWorld in about a week to check out the church of Steve along with the rest of the Mac snobs. Dell resently had to replace a video-on-demnad server that runs Red Hat twice due to a failed SCSI interface so I am not a big fan of Dell.

Hopefully I can give a good report on what I find out. I am attending an HD production seminar for two days while there. I will check and see the best way to handle P2 for the forums other Mac users.
 
I'm an Apple snob as well, I'm typing this message on a 30" Cinema Display right now... The Dell 2405 is a teriffic monitor, I ended up buying 4 of them because they are so handy in a busy HD studio for both computers and edit monitoring. I've used both the analog HD inputs and the HD Link with great results. Not a single bad pixel on any of them.
 
Back in LA i got to shoot on location with the HVX and the Panasonic 1700w with Nancy Schreiber.. we both loved it, the built in scope really helps. It is a little pricey, but you can take it out in the field or use it at home. It has blue "gun" only as well so calibration is great, and as Barry mentioned various other features... like SDI which the dell doesnt have. It is possible to run it off battery as well.

I have the 24" dell as well, and for the price its a knockout. Its not as accurate as the Panasonic or Sony HD monitors, but for just cutting (not timing) it will work very well.

Dell is releasing a 30" monitor in a few days though that is gonna be incredible.. its specs kill the apple 30". You wont want to lug that around in the field, but its pretty good for the desktop.
 
sweet!

3007wfp
 
Jarred - what do you mean when you say the specs of the new Dell 30" monitor
"kills" the Apple? The res is exactly the same: 2560x1600. . . did you see them side by side? Just wondering . . .
 
the 20`` dell (2005FPW) is now going for euro 557 incl tax here. 2 ofthose should be sweet as editing system for a great price.
Did anyone try thse? Contrast is lower and it would not be full 1920x1080, but still good for editing, no?
 
the new dell 30" have way better color accuracy, brightness and contrast than the apple 30". As is the name of the game lately, resolution isnt everything.

Also i would skip the 20".. the 24" are such a better monitor for editiing.
 
I've noticed that when using my powerbook at 100% in final cut pro, while viewing footage that it isn't a s sharp or clear as an NTSC monitor. Does the Dell, or Apple while using the Digital Cinema Preview look as good as a CRT?

In the LCD I can see pixels a lot more clearly than on CRT NTSC.

When going with HD at native resolution is that taken care of, or do the same issues apply?
 
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