Is an HD TV good enough for a basic monitor?

B

blando3

Well-known member
I am looking into a monitor and don't know if I should go the route of a high-end monitor such as the Convergent Designs Odyssey 7, or my Samsung HD TV with HDMI. It would be for client viewing as well as critical focus. Would the the TV be sufficient, even for the occasional 4K shoot?

For that matter, would the Odyssey 7 be sufficient for 4K?
Budget is a consideration, so sticking with any equipment I already own is preferable.
Thanks,
Andrew
 
It can be kinda tough to battery power a consumer TV...

I don't think they make very many with blue-only and color controls to calibrate to color bars, either.

There are dozens of decent 5-7" screens with your choice of batteries and powering options, with mounting points and calibration and peaking and 1to1 pixel buttons and so on. You can get a used Marshall VLCD 5" for $200 if you shop around.

For sets with power, get an active HDMI splitter from Amazon and mount your TV on a stand for clients/etc. Just can't see lugging a TV set around for "Critical focus" though...
 
Most recent model Samsungs and LG's in the higher model ranges have blue only settings and controls that will let you do a proper calibration to color bars. These two brands we install a lot in commercial applications, so I am familiar with them, both commercial and consumer lines. Unless you are going to spend big bucks on true broadcast reference monitor, I think they are a very good option, especially the more recent LED models.
Battery power can be an issue, but you can always use an inverter if necessary. Just be sure to check your TV's power consumption first and get a true sine wave inverter rated for at least 1/3 more capacity than your TV pulls. It can take a pretty big marine grade deep discharge cycle battery to run one for a day.
 
This would be for indoor shoots, so power would not be a problem. I appreciate the feedback on color, but this is more for the client to have something to look at. Nonetheless I'll see if it has calibration capabilities.
Thanks.
 
I like the LG's personally. They have very comprehensive menus for hardware calibration with colorimeter. They also have a nifty built in guided calibration wizard that will get you close enough by eye for any normal viewing purposes and they are 10 bit displays.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top