SmallHD vs Tvlogic vs Marshall

B

Berk

Well-known member
Hi
I'm looking for some inside review regarding these monitors.
the only reason i added marshal is just because it has some reputation when it comes to renting out. the name is known
SmallHD and TVlogic look quite similar on the spec sheets.

I wouldn't think of more than a sec to buy a Smallhd or TVlogic
My only concern with them is that i got calls from clients asking Marshall monitors to rent. It seems like these don't have much buzz in the community.

anybody out there who got to compare them each other please share your thoughts

thanks a lot

Ps: we''ll be using the monitor with AF100 in our productions
 
TV Logic is very well known amongst broadcasters, can be seen in control rooms, post suites, mobile video trucks. The TV Logic WFM-056WP has more features than any of its 5.6" competitors or anything at its price point. It is a good deal at $1595, with the DVXUser group discount through FilmTools at $1350, it's an amazing buy, IMO.

One feature that is unique is the HDMI to HD-SDI converted output, made at Zacuto's request for DSLR shooters. I like the scopes, zoom, markers, resolution, colorimetry, menu layout.
The TV Logic and SmallHD 5.6" monitors have industry leading resolution, in an incredibly lightweight, small form factor.

In the higher end camera rental business, Marshall is not taken as seriously as a professional level monitor, it's more likely to be used for DSLR's and palmcorders.

edit: I don't want my post to sound like Marshall doesn't make higher end monitors, they definitely do--the Orchid series is very nice, and pricey.
 
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AFAIK, SmallHD does not, unless new firmware has addressed this. TV Logic definitely does, and you can make the markers different colors, widths, brightnesses and change the opacity of the areas outside of the markers, I believe.
 
If you have calls to rent the Marshall then your ROI should be really fast. I assume you are talking about this Marshall that is around a grand. It's been getting great field reports. It's not as feature rich as the TV Logic but I assume the housing would be better for a rental scenario anyway.
 
My experience with the DP6

My experience with the DP6

Berk said:
Hi
I'm looking for some inside review regarding these monitors.
the only reason i added marshal is just because it has some reputation when it comes to renting out. the name is known
SmallHD and TVlogic look quite similar on the spec sheets.

I wouldn't think of more than a sec to buy a Smallhd or TVlogic
My only concern with them is that i got calls from clients asking Marshall monitors to rent. It seems like these don't have much buzz in the community.

anybody out there who got to compare them each other please share your thoughts

thanks a lot

Ps: we''ll be using the monitor with AF100 in our productions
Click to expand...

As I haven't used the other two I can tell you my experience with the SmallHD DP6. It is simply an amazing monitor where you can not just frame and pull focus, but you can "tune it" to a fine color reproduction of what you are filming. It is packed with features, and in the last firmware upgrade you can really customize your "pixel mapping" of the display to help you shoot in any aspect ratio. I love the size, the fact that it is built on a REAL metal cage, and the battery options is almost infinite. Outdoors, their Sunhood really makes things easier to see especially when you are shooting at angles that may no allow you to use the camera's viewfinder.

Hope this helps.

Carlo Zanella
www.santafetvshow.com
 
Small HD is an amazing monitor. Very good off-axis viewing and built like a tank.
Also, customer service is top shelf. Company is located in Cary, North Carolina.
I have had mine for about six months, so far so good.
BTW, it is HD. Is the TV Logic 5.6"?
 
Yup, that is one thing I wish Small HD had.
Originally they had a histogram(it was unusable). They have since pulled it with the last firmware upgrade.
 
wbrock001 said:
Yeah the tvlogic uses the same LCD from what I heard as the smallhd.
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That's correct, both use the same LG panel at 1280X800 vs. 800X480 for the Marshall. The TV Logic has multiple scopes, can be sized differently and the back can be blended so it doesn't block that area of the frame completely. In addition to 1:1 pixel to pixel, selectable in quadrants, it has a zoom function in 10% increments, all the way to 90% and positioning of the zoomed area can be adjusted horizontally and vertically. The good thing about starting out with such high resolution is that the zoomed in image doesn't fall apart as soon. There is also false color modes, red peaking with control of its sensitivity threshold, H/V delay, blue only, full gain calibration by channel, DSLR framing modes, embedded time code display from HD-SDI, as well as audio meters, speaker, headphone jack. The WFM-056WP menu layout is more logical to me than the SmallHD layout, but that could be because I'm used to TV Logic monitors.

The hardest thing about using the TV Logic is deciding which features to use at a given time. The feature set can be overwhelming and I know they're not finished yet!
 
the TVlogic at that price (1350) is pretty hard to beat. the SmallHD looks good too, but not having 2.35 markers sucks for my use. I imagine those could come with a firmware upgrade at some point.
 
I just picked up my TV Logic 5.6 from Filmtools. I have spent about an hour studying it on my HPX170. It is VERY light, nice unit and the menu's seem easy to understand.

I did not choose a battery configuration yet, but will probably use the AA battery adapter.

The folks at Small HD were very nice and professional on the phone, but I chose the TV Logic based on scopes and the local retailer. (firmware updates need to be done there)

Oh, and this is my first ever monitor.

Cheers,
Brian
 
Dino said:
TV Logic is very well known amongst broadcasters, can be seen in control rooms, post suites, mobile video trucks.[/I]
Click to expand...
this is exactly my concern, Those are the big fishes that don't rent from us. we carry stuff like hvx, redrock, ex series, af100 accessories for those cameras..etc that would serve Indie market.

Marshalls don't have usb port where u can update the firmware, do they?
if they don't, i'd would stick with something that is upgradeable...

I don;t think it is just wise to invest in HDMI-only models. I'm sure in next 2-3 year there will be another consumer input where manufacturer will push.
 
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SmallHD 5.6" DP6 monitor does not have audio meters or headphone jack for audio monitoring - deal-breaker for me.
 
While everyone is giving valid answers and information, a potential problem is that their info is based on the monitor they use (and know).
Unless they've used 2 of the 3 monitors, or 3/3, (or done a side by side test) they can only speak to the one they know.

Myself, I use and know the Marshall, and while the lowest resolution, I believe (if my memory serves me correctly from when I did my homework) it's the best color accuracy (please correct me if there's evidence or consensus otherwise).

The Marshall's not the most feature-rich (no scopes or 1:1 pixel to pixel), but false color is a nice facial exposure tool used in combination with the camera's WFM.

I find the 7" size to be just right, also. YMMV...
 
bill totolo said:
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Flanders Scientific.
Click to expand...

The Flanders is a larger panel, heavier. I think it's 12V, so larger, more expensive batts, but could be wrong. My biggest issue, other than size, is the processor is slow, so focus in red lags, scopes don't update as fast, more latency with the image overall. I like Flanders Scientific, we own a 17". TV Logic is my first choice in small monitors, especially the new 7" model--that one ticks ALL the boxes for me.
 
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