Time to Upgrade to a "real" HD monitor. Suggestions?

Jim Brennan

Jim Brennan

VHS Member Old Skool
The majority of the client work I do is still standard def. I have a 9" Ikegami for field work and a 20" Sony for editing for that. Very happy.

When I shoot on the HVX, I have an ikan monitor for the field, and have been outputting via an Intensity Pro card to a 32" HDTV in the edit suite. It's not ideal (colors are way off), but it does the job.

But I want to start the process of researching a good HD production monitor that I can use in both the field and the studio. I also shoot on the Red from time to time, and would like to have it for that as well.

I imagine that outputting through the IP card limits some things. The connectivity is limited, and the res is only 720P (although I am less concerned about res than I am color accuracy and correct chroma and luma levels). But I will probably upgrade the card further down the line.

I don't want to say that money is no object, but I am willing to invest in something that will carry me few a few years of quality HD production work.

Suggestions?
 
Well I need to look at this as well...but I researched it a while back. I didn't like the Pannys as they weren't 1:1. At that time I found a review on one of the JVC's (full HD LCD) that was reviewed and recommended by a colourist over his Sony CRT and he is used to the high-end Astros.good enough for a top colourist then I reckon it's good enough for me! It was large so only for studio work but worth investigating the JVC line. Can't remember the model number though.

Please keep this thread updated if you find anything worth looking at.
 
Will do.

I've used the Panny's before. It's true it's not 1:1, but I think the one I used allowed you to punch in for focus. I only used it in the field, not for color grading. I liked the built in waveform monitor though.

I will look at the JVC's as well. I'm about a month or so from buying (unless a screaming deal comes along)
 
Jim,

I think it was this one:

http://www.amazon.com/JVC-DTV24L1U-24-Inch-MultiFormat-Resolution/dp/B000SNBKL2

Last time a I emailed our local supplier about 6 months ago, this model had been updated with a new one - I think - or maybe this IS the new one...not sure - I seem to remember the "U" at the end of the model number being absent but I'm not entirely sure. It does seem to be available on amazon. Either way, doing a quick Google search everyone seems to rave about it. Price seems to have come down quite a bit since I last looked at it too. I'm sure there's an HD-SDI version too....from experience with the JVC's there's usually a slot that allows for SDI as an add-on.

I don't have time to research this right but I'm keen on it so if you find good reviews please let me know.

Some opinions on this (just a quick Google search):

http://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/8/981778


EDIT: Sorry couldn't resist doing further research. Here's a great review of what I think was the odler model:

http://www.dv.com/article/13574

The reviewer puts it up against an eCinema and it comes out tops!


Thanks.
Cheers,
mP
 
Last edited:
CRT is dead! For many of us that's a tough pill to swallow, but it's true
Click to expand...

From that article - cough bullshi* cough

I have just finished researching this over a period of a couple of months.

A CRT with 1080 capability through HD-SDI is still flat out better than any LCD for grading. Well unless you have 15k to 20k for an lCD which is trying to emulate CRT anyway. The downside to CRT is the weight.

BUT, theres a slight alternative. A professional panasonic plasma such as the th58pf12 as shown here. http://panasonic.net/proplasma/proplasma/ph_features.html

With the optional SDI in board and properly calibrated it by all reports is as good as just about anything out there.

So Im still using my 2005 CRT with SDI and HD SDI in/out. As well as the panasonic plasma.

I was reluctant to believe in the plasma at first but seeing it (almost) next to my CRT its so very close you cannot discern any difference in gradations or color.
 
Thanks for the tips and info. I will keep digging.

I'd have no problems going with a CRT if I was just using it in the studio. But seems like it would be a bit prohibitive for the type of shoots I do.
 
Anyone else have any thoughts on a good monitor? I'm probably willing to go 3 grand, but I'd rather save a little by going used.
 
Jim Brennan said:
Anyone else have any thoughts on a good monitor? I'm probably willing to go 3 grand, but I'd rather save a little by going used
1x1.jpg
Click to expand...

did you buy anythign yet? would love to see the feedback, im wanting another monitor too, i have a CRT right now but im afraid the LCD/TFT ones are bettter loil
anyways, yeah did you buy it?
thanks! (:
 
Thanks for the feedback, Matt.

Both 24" models are a bit more than I have to spend at the moment, although I could maybe stretch my budget to get the 8 bit version. Do you (or anyone else chiming in on this thread) have any experience with the performance of the 17" models for color correction? Is the lower resolution enough to disqualify them for gradiing 1080 footage? Finally, how would the 17" monitors compare with a Matrox MXO running a 23" Apple Cinema display (my current set up)?

Thanks to all for any advice,
Kevin
 
I wound up going with a JVC DTV-20. I bought it used here in the marketplace and it looks like it's going to work out well. 20" is a nice compromise for both field and studio use. My only gripe about it is that I thought the 1:1 feature would allow you to punch in for focus on signals higher than the monitor is set up for (since it isn't quite 1080), but instead it punches OUT for lower res signals showing them in their native resolution.

No HD-SDI, but I only use component and HDMI/DVI, so that wasn't a worry.

Overall I am very happy with the image. Screen is a bit glossier than I like, but for what I paid I am pretty darn happy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top