flat TV
 

looking for opinions .i need a flat tv about 40in . my use is video straigt from camera and also as monitor to edit dv . i am looking at JVC PD-42V475 42 inch ED Plasma .what do you think thanks in advance . dp

I couldn't imagine using something that big as an editing monitor. I wouldn't use anything bigger than 21".

However, for a home theater, or just watching your footage, that would be great.

Are you working with some sort of high quality 16:9 footage (like the XL-2, PDX-10, FX-1, etc)? If not then I can't see why you'd want a widescreen monitor. I work in anamorphic 16:9 most of the time and have a couple widescreen LCD panels that I've used. Recently I got a 22" Samsung LTP227WX widescreen LCD monitor which I'm very pleased with. It has has s-video, component, DVI inputs and a builtin TV turner. The resolution is 1280x720 so it can display HD as well. I purchased mine at a local "big box" home electronics store where I was able to do some comparisons and AB testing, and felt this screen was the best in its size range. However B&H's price of $1,200 is much better than what I paid... that will teach me not to use a DVinfo sponsor! ;-)

There is some downside to using an LCD panel for editing however (in addition to the fact that my screen is 1" larger than Dylan prefers ;-). For one thing, they overscan - by about 3% in the case of this Samsung, according to my test chart. Secondly, you can't calibrate them like a real NTSC monitor - you have to just "eyeball" it with color bars and adjust as much as possible with the menus.

But I think there are plusses as well. Last year I did a project which was shown on a 44 foot screen with a 10,000 lumen Barco projector. I felt that my LCD monitor gave a very good idea of what to expect, and was in fact better than a good Sony CRT production monitor for this purpose. Also, if you're editing video that will primarily be viewed on DVD by people that have large screen plasma or LCD monitors then it also makes sense to use one for editing.

Aside from this, there is something more subjective which I find important. Having a large monitor that fills my field of view helps immerse me in the project as I edit. That's worth a lot to me personally. I don't think I would mind using a 42" screen for this either, but obviously I'd put it some distance away such that it didn't fill any more of my visual field than my current 22" screen. That would be a little tight in my studio. So all things considered, I might as well use the 22" screen on my desktop... it's cheaper and more compact :-)

thanks guts for your reply
 

where do i start i have a panasonic dvc30 . great picture but not real 30p .and poor sound . need ex mic. i take video of machinery mostly in opperation . 30p works good for stopping action on slow moving things . helps get ideas of why things might not be working rite . any way i have the room for a large screen .also when i edit in final cut exspress whitch i am just learning to use and need to know alot more about the veiw boxes are small i figured the bigger screen would help .and i have the funds for it .just want to make the most of the funds if you know what i mean . if i realy had the money id buy a hi speed canera . there big bucks even used from what i see . anyway thanks for your imput .dp

Donald, do you mean to use this primarily as a monitor for your desktop computer, or as a preview monitor for your footage?

Since the DVC-30 doesn't do "real" 16:9, I don't think it makes much sense to buy a widescreen plasma display (unless you want it for other types of home entertainment). Why not just buy a decent 4:3 CRT type production monitor. There are a number of threads on this topic already, such as:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...threadid=29241
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...threadid=30141
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...threadid=28127
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...&threadid=9034

Use the "search" function to find more info on monitors.

I've had good luck with a panasonic 42: plasma as the client monitor.
Got it ebay for less than 2 grand.

Heres what it looks like:
http://www.grinnerhester.com/grinedit.jpg

thanks for your advice
 

i am glad i ask this question , you've all given me alot to think about . first yes this is mainly to look at video from camera .since i dont have a wide aspect tv it will also upgrade my home entertainment .yes the dvc30 dosn't do real 16:9 .although the dvc30 has squeeze mode whitch works good . just used it on vacation . most of what a shoot is in 4:3 .but as i mentioned before when i edit with my power book g4 the sreen is small .also the final cut screen lays out better in the 16:9 .i quess what i am asking is what flat screen tv that can also be used as a monetor will give me the most bang for the buck ?thanks dp

One thing to keep in mind since it sounds like you also want to use the screen as a computer monitor... the enhanced definition (ED) plasma screens are actually rather low resolution - 852x480. Although the screen is physically large the individual pixels are accordingly big as well. The 15" powerbook screen is 1280x854 - exactly twice the number of pixels. I don't think you will be very happy using an ED plasma screen as part of an extended FCP desktop, although it would be fine as an external video device. Even the high definition (HD) plasma and LCD screen are mostly 1280x720, not a whole lot of pixels for a computer monitor of that size.

Apple's 30" cinema display (2560x1600) might be the best solution, although pricey. I don't know if there's any way to drive it from a Powerbook though, is there? Have you looked at the 23" cinema display (1920x1200)? That might be the most practical solution; it will plug right into your powerbook.

thanks Boyd
 

i looked at the apple screens there great .i dont think you can just plug a camera into it though . your rite about the low resolution on the 42in . i always use my neighbors and i never realy got a close look . standing away its great . well i think i am just going to buy the flat screen so i can use it for TV and straight from camera . thanks for your reply .dp