Sony has the monitoring solution for on location HD monitoring...
 

Sony has a new line of pro LCD monitor with an optional i.link cards!

17", 21", 23", 32" LCD monitors are available with pricing running from $3,200 - $7,200 not including the $600 I.link card update.

Sounds like a viable soultion for those who were looking for an on location monitoring solution and this would provide HD monitoring via i.link.

Link.

Troy

Admittedly, I don't know anything about this stuff, but don't the JVC cameras have component outputs?

If so, there are a couple of probably cheaper solutions that may work for just monitoring....

Get a VDigi VD-Z3 box (~$50 - http://www.vdigi.com/). These are mainly used by video game console owners who want to output progressive scan signals from their Xbox, Gamecube, or even DVD player to a VGA monitor, or even a widescreen HDTV (the VD-Z3 supports widescreen, but the game needs to as well - but that is inconsequential to this discussion).

Plug the component video cables in, and you get VGA out. The VGA is really high quality, and you can connect it to any VGA monitor (like a cheap 15" LCD or CRT). I think you can even find 5" VGA LCD monitors online, but they are not so cheap. I am thinking in the $300 or more price range.

To test one out I put my Xbox in 720p mode (the VD-Z3 supports 480p, 720p and I think 1080i), and plugged the component RGB cambles in and ran it to my 21" PC monitor. The games looked amazing! I also hooked it up to an old LCD projector, and it looked good, but the LCD projector is OLD so the quality was not that fantastic (Projectors fault, not the VD-Z3).

Anyway, for around $300 or so you could get one of these and a 15" LCD for monitoring... just a thought.

If anyone tries it, I'd be interested to hear the results!

Alex F

They do, but you can only monitor 480p out of the component outputs.

The I.Link or firewire connection allows for 720p HD monitoring.

Troy

Is it possible to record in 720p and view in 480p simultaneously just for monitoring's sake (not for monitoring for picture quality, but for framing shots, etc.)?

Alex F

Yes.

While those are very nice displays the iLink option for them will not allow you to hook up the JVC camera and get HD. That option is for DV in not MPEG.

For $2000 you can get a killer laptop from Dell with a 1920x1200 display (WUXGA) that will take the Firewire out of the camera and display that in full res. Plus you can edit with it as well. And if you move up to the Sony it will handly the 1080i from it as well.

I saw Sony's latest 19 inch LCD with a stated 12.5ms response time and 700 to 1 contrast ratio. Thats twice as fast as most. It was selling at Best Buy for under 800.00 US. Only 1280x1024, but had dvi and rgb(analog) connections. And a great picture.
Has to be a way to hook that up to a laptop and use it for monitoring.

What I don't get is their resolution is less than their consumer based LCD moniters. Is the converter box really better than a laptop doing the same thing?