Monitors Are Freakin Expensive!!!

Logan LeBlanc

Logan LeBlanc

Well-known member
Ok, I bought a great 35mm adapter. I then discovered that it's damn near imposible to focus using the LCD. So hear are the options, a great EXPENSIVE LCD or CRT monitor, or a monitor program for my laptop. Any suggestions?
 
You could certainly consider Serious Magic's DV Rack or DVC Rack (beta), I use both, but I still always have a real (CRT) monitor as well.
 
Recently I've been looking for monitor options as well as I, too, am thinking about getting a 35mm adapter. The cheapest solution I could find right now are the LCD monitors that they sell for in-car entertainment use. These come in a number of varieties and aspect ratios. I've managed to find some 7-inch LCD monitors, with 16:9 aspect ratio (234-pixel vertical resolution, 1440-pixel horizontal resolution) for about US$160 or so. Of course you still have to provide power for these things but I think I've got an idea for that as well. This LCD takes composite input though, and not DV input. It doesn't have a flip function but can easily be mounted upside down with the provided mount.

For other readers, perhaps you can comment if this resolution is sufficient (especially the low vertical resolution) or do we need something closer to 800x480 pixels?

Daniel Wee
 
Logan LeBlanc said:
Will this work w/ a DVX. I'm dumb when it comes to these things.
Click to expand...
:)

I'm not one of those hacks that just posts to hear the sound of my keyboard. I HAVE that monitor and it's great. you'll need the right cables, but everything is standard.

here's how you hook it up:

out of the DVX via s-video, and into the monitor via BNC (looks like the old coaxial ethernet if you know what that is).

so you'll need s-video one end of the cable and BNC on the other. just get a two sided RCA cable and put the necessary adapters on each end.

the monitor is great for the production studio, or on the road. very tough

B&H for the cables or your local video store
 
I have a 35mm adapter and I'll need to be able to flip this thing over. Can I do that without damaging it or does it have a flip option?
 
I think you may need to provide more information about your setup and equipment.

I assume that your adapter doesn't already flip the image, and if so, you will need to flip the image in post when you finally import it into your NLE. However, even when working with it, you will need to flip the image for best convenience unless you are very adept at working with an upside down image. To do so, you have several options, depending on your DVX model.

If you are using the DVX100/100A/102/102A, then all you really need is a little magnet and it will flip the image for you. Easy and practically free, possibly the best solution in many cases.

If you have a DVX100B/102B, the magnet trick won't work so you will have to either perform a little hack (you can search for it on this forum) which involves opening up the hinge assembly of the LCD. If you're not up to that, then you'll probably want to look at using an external LCD, hooking that up to the composite output of the DVX (or the DV output if you have a monitor capable of taking that). You will then need to flip the image in the LCD if such a function is available, or simply mount the LCD upside down to straighten out the image. You will have to think about how you will power the LCD as well if you use this setup.

Getting a suitable and economical LCD is what this thread was about as the professional LCD monitors can be very very expensive. What they do provide is DV input, better resolution (800x480) (and probably colour matching), built in flip function, built in portable power solution. You'll be paying through your nose though.

Alternatives range from cheaper (and lower resolution monitors - 480x234 and usually only composite input) LCD monitors, to portable DVD players with AV/composite inputs (similar low resolution but with built in battery), to CRT monitors. Most of these cheaper solutions do not have built in electronic flip functions so you'll need some way of rotating the screen by 180-degrees to get the picture upright.

I'm not sure how well these lower resolution monitors will work but some have reported that they are okay.

There are some LCD monitors out there that seem to be good candidates but I'm not sure how well they will work in practice so maybe the collective wisdom of the forum here can shed some light on this:-

Xenarc 700YV 7-inch LCD monitor (800x480 resolution - US$350)
http://www.xenarc.com/product/700y.html

Liliput 618GL-70TV/C/T or the HR702-NP/C/T (800x480 resolution)
http://www.lilliput.cn/618.htm
They have several models that may fit the bill, as well as lower resolution ones.

Necvox FD-7569 and FD-7369 (480x234 resolution - about US$160)
http://www.necvox.com/fd7569all.htm

Datavideo TLM-700 (same resolution as the Necvox)
http://www.datavideo.info/products/tlm700.htm

Datavideo TLM-70D (same as above but has electronic flip, DV input)
http://www.datavideo.info/products/tlm70d.htm

And if you're feeling rich, what the pros use:-
Marshall V- R70P- HDSDI VR70PHDSDI (800x480 resolution - US$1750)
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&Q=&is=REG&O=productlist&sku=392894


There are also other innovative solutions such as the modification of the SONY viewfinder and such but they're all pretty expensive, for me at least. Again, as I mentioned, with most of the cheaper solutions, you'll have to think of powering them, usually 12V but some have a wider range from 11V to 15V allowing the use of Li-Po battery solutions. Still kludgy but you know what they say about beggars and choosers.

You may also want to refer to this thread:-

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=45448

Daniel Wee
 
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