How Do You Setup Your Monitors for 3-Screen Editing?

C

Chris Lawes

Active member
How Do You Setup Your Monitors?

I'm setting up a new 3-screen editing room and am trying to decide how I want to do it this time.

I’m considering three main options:

1. "Standard 3-Screen” – 3 roughly same-size monitors: left for bins, center for source/record/timeline, and right for full screen playback. PICTURE

2. “Bigger Center 3-Screen” – 3 different sized monitors: 22/24” left for source/record & bins, 27/30” center for dedicated timeline, 17/24” right for full screen playback. PICTURE

3. “TV Center with 2 Smaller Monitors” – Large plasma screen in center for full screen playback raised slightly behind monitors, right for source/record/timeline, left for bins. PICTURE

Tweak to taste of course. Some people are very passionate others not, but I am interested to hear from folks here how you setup your systems, physically and NLE-window setups. Thanks!
 
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Well, like you said it's a matter of preference. I have 3 main workstations and here is how I have them:

Workstation 1: [ Center (Two 19" monitors which share/split the desktop] and [Right (TV for montoring output)]
Workstation 2: [Center (20" Widescreen monitor)] , [Left (17" 4X3 monitor) ] , [Right (22" HDTV calibrated for monitoring output)]
Workstation 3: [Center (24" widescreen monitor)] , [Left (19" 4X3 monitor)] , [Right (22" HDTV calibrated for monitoring output)]

2 and 3 are my newer ones and I have found that configuration to work well for me. The center monitor has the timeline and preview/source screens and much of the effects and other option panals go to the left monitor. Kind of like two of your configs posted except I keep my preview and source windows on the center monitor. I use a lot of different software and each is set up according to ease of use.
 
Cool. Do you use the 17/19" 4x3 monitors because that's what you happen to have or is that size and aspect ratio your preference for your FX/options/bins monitor?

How do you feel about having to turn to your right to watch the TV monitor instead of having a fullscreen playback screen in the center?
 
Well on my number 2 workstation I used the 17" 4x3 monitor because it was what I got free.
However it worked out so well that when I bought the 3rd workstation I modeled it after the 2nd except a little better so it was all intentional and new purchases for it.
The 4x3 monitors just work well with what I put on them and aren't as wide as another widescren would be which takes less space and stays better in my easy viewing range.

The tv monitor to the right side is small enough that it can sit edge to edge with the center monitor and also be in easy viewing without wasting eye movements scanning around.
On the 2 newer workstations I have all 3 screens edge to edge but with the right and left ones angled slightly
 
I thought about a large HDTV screen in the center which would probably be great but due to furniture configuration etc I ended up with the afore mentioned setup. And then liked it so I duplicated it.

I think it depends on how you work and what you do most.

I tend to watch the tv output more when playing the timeline and working color and the center program preview screens
more when trimming and editing.

My configuration seems to work great with premiere, photoshop, 3ds max and after effects especially but doesn't make a big difference with some of the other programs like audition. I never even took the time to set up final cut 7 on all the screens since I don't really use it but I expect it would work well.
 
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