Realtime Playback of HDV on Plasma in FCP?
 

What is the best option for realtime HDV playback
to a plasma/LCD/HD Monitor from Final Cut Pro?

If you want to monitor as you edit then there are two choices. First would be to use FCP's digital cinema desktop feature and connect the plasma screen to your Mac's second DVI port. This works OK, but you don't get full quality. Unfortunately the only other solution is to buy an expensive HD capture card like the DeckLink. The current software and hardware isn't able to compress HDV in realtime and send it over firewire like you can do with regular DV.

If you don't want to buy a capture card you can also connect your plasma screen directly to your camera via component video. This won't let you monitor in realtime, but it will let you watch tapes as they play on the camera.

of course expensive is a relative term. for $ 995 you get a card which provide you both HD-SDI and component outputs. In Holland that means not going to a pub for a month... ;-)

What card is $995 with HD component out?

I'm going to mainly be shooting weddings and other events, and just purchased two HDR-FX1 cameras.

I'd like some way to monitor my video, without spending $3,000, that will give me a more accurate representation for color correction and evaluating shots and previewing my edit than the canvas in FCP.

What are my best options?

Also, am i ok to be editing HDV native in FCP 5, adding color correction, transitions (dissolves and wipes), slow motion, or would I be better converting to some "intermediate" codec? If so what should I be looking at for this?

Sorry, I got my FX1's... and now I am thinking... "now what?"

Apple has just recently upgraded the brightness of the 30 inch Cinema Display and its still $2,499. If not then you can always get the 23 inch model for $1,299. Hopefully you have a Mac that can handle the 30 inch version.

Decklink HD Pro Singe Link

SDI in and out, component out only for monitoring

How are you going to deliver HD weddings to people? I would downconvert to standard def and color correct using an SD NTSC monitor. If you are going to deliver on h.264, you can color correct to your computer monitor.

Check out the new XMO from Matrox!

Matrox MXO (coming in June) $995.00
Portable broadcast-quality audio/video output for the Mac

Matrox MXOMatrox MXO takes the DVI output from your Mac computer or laptop and converts it to broadcast-quality video.You can preview your Apple Final Cut Pro projects or the output of other QuickTime-based applications such as Apple Motion, Shake, DVD Studio Pro and LiveType, as well as Adobe After Effects as they will actually appear on TV and record them frame accurately to tape - no drop frames, no repeat frames. You can also use Matrox MXO to provide flicker-free recording of Keynote and PowerPoint presentations, web browser sessions, and software application training.

Matrox MXO is a cost-effective external box that's easy-to-use and portable. You'll wonder how you ever worked without it.

for more info and to pre-order
http://www.videoguys.com/mxo.html

Gary

Looks pretty cool. I bet there will be alot of stuff like this coming out making the change over to formats like HDV much less troublesome.

I like the idea that it isn't a pci card and I could use it with my Powermac in the studio, and take it on the road to use with my powerbook.

Using h.264 codec you can color correct accurately on your computer monitor?