Field / production Monitor options
 

I have been pricing a field monitor / monitor I can have on my desk while I'm editing and have been trying to research good (and yes, inexpensive) options.

Is anyone using something unique or have any ideas on monitors?

I read somewhere that one guy was using an old monitor from a Commodor computer monitor as a field monitor and had favorable things to say about it.

Kevin,
While editing, I use an 8" Sony (PVM-8045Q) on my desk to check color, etc. NTSC/PAL/SECAM switchable, full pro controls. It can also be taken into the field and can be powered by battery. Here's its description on B&H's site http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bh1.sph/...ID=F3282C07300.

In the field, however, I generally use a Panasonic 7" lcd. Excellent unit. Look at Nebtek's site to see a variety of very good lcd monitors, most of which can be adapted for powering by Canon 7.2v batteries or Sony's.

At an office sale last month my dad happened to find a Commodore Model 1702 monitor, and he was nice enough to bring it home for me for the princely sum of $10. It has composite video and mono audio RCA jacks in the front and luminance and chrominance video and mono audio RCA jacks in the back. A front bottom panel reveals knobs labeled TINT, COLOR, BRIGHT, CONTRAST, H.POSITION, V.HOLD, and VOLUME. It produces a good color picture for its age, and I wouldn't hestitate to use it on a DV production shoot, especially in hazardous conditions (e.g., rain, or in a dusty desert) where I'd otherwise fear to use an expensive SONY production monitor.

As to monitor recommendations, there are many threads, such as this one, discussing the topic. I give my recommendation of the SONY SSM-14N1U here. You can do a search and find a number of other threads as well.

I'd really like to get a Sony PVM-8045Q myself but I have to go one model lower and and get the PVM-8042Q instead with less resolution. Ken, do you have any recommendations on what batteries to get for the Sony monitors?

I have an NEC 2000 video monitor. It's a 20 or 21 inch color screen, which is great, cause I wouldn't be able to see a 10" screen that well. It has more resolution than the TV, and better color/picture control. It also has connections for a VTR.

I found it on ebay for about $110, and have even seen the same model RENT for $250 a day.
Keith

What do you think about this Sony PVM-8042Q and hardcase with hood:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=21517

Click on the pictures for more images, I like how the case pulls out to provide a hood and shade. Is this too expensive to pay for the Sony monitor, case, and a 'professionally done' calibration?

(BTW I'm not endorsing this auction or Ebay in the least, simply wanting to know from those who are more experienced if this kind of price for this kind of product is too much)

That is the 250 line low res version of the PVM-8045Q and sells for around $650 at B&H. Obviously the case costs some money, but I'd guess you would be paying about full retail price at the auction. I've got the 8045Q, which sells for around $995 at B&H. My feeling is that in a monitor with a screen that small you need the higher resolution. I would prefer to get the higher res one and then buy a case later if I really needed it. I use a Portabrace bag for mine, and if it has to ship on an airline, I have other cases that work, although that is a very nice case they show on eBay.

That was what I was thinking too, Bill, thanks. I've never seen any of these monitors in person before nor do I know the advantages of having a case. Wonder if I'll realize what I'm missing if I go for the lower res one?

Here and there I'll read about proper monitor calibration. I don't know how to go about doing this obviously and so that was one of the things that attracted me to the auction. It appears they do a thorough calibration of the monitor, do you think this is a difficult process or whether it is worth it to pay someone to do this for you?

David Riddle Company is a very reputable company and ebay dealer. I've sent monitors to him for repair and calibration and it is all first rate work. However, unless your doing work for broadcast, his prices are also very high. Don't get me wrong, I think they're fair for the type of work he does. Most people (including me, since I don't do much work for broadcast anymore) don't need that level of work and calibration.

I'm not sure what professional calibration of the monitor means. We did have a monitor one time that was stretching the image a little, so we had an engineer come out and get it set to factory standards. Maybe that's what they did. But you have to calibrate a monitor every time you use it, in terms of putting up bars, running through blue check, adjusting color, etc.

Don't get me wrong, that's a decent monitor. I used an old 10" Panasonic for years with low resolution, and it was fine for location work. But when I needed a 16:9 monitor, I went with the higher res 8" Sony because of the smaller picture size, and in 16:9 you're using even less of the screen size. If the case and all that is important to you, then it's not a bad deal. I know cases like that can cost 300 bucks or more.

I've quoted from his ebay site what he does for monitor calibration (the all caps is his, not mine).

THE MONITORS THAT I SUPPLY ARE UNIQUE IN THAT THEY HAVE BEEN PRECISION CALIBRATED IN MY LAB USING STATE OF THE ART TEST EQUIPMENT (THAT COSTS OVER $10,000!) TO INSURE ACCURATE COLOR TEMPERATURE AND TRACKING (HI-LIGHT TO LO-LIGHT, 100IRE TO 7.5IRE, 30FL TO .8FL @ 6500 KELVIN), PROPER GEOMETRY (OVERSCAN, UNDERSCAN, H-V CENTERING), PURITY, CONVERGENCE, FOCUS ETC..

WITH OUT THIS LEVEL OF ATTENTION (THE FACTORY DOES NOT TAKE THE TIME TO DO THIS PROPERLY, IT TAKES AT LEAST 2 HOURS) ANY VISUAL JUDGMENTS THAT ARE MADE USING A UN-CALIBRATED VIDEO MONITOR DURING PRODUCTION OR POST PRODUCTION ESPECIALLY COLOR CORRECTION AND FRAMING ARE INVALID AND CAN AND DO CAUSE MANY PROBLEMS FOR YOU, THE PRODUCER AND YOUR CLIENT.

Most monitors are way off on color temperature, in my experience.

Thanks for the confirmation. I read that as well on the auction description but wanted to know if this calibration was worthwhile or not. If you've had first hand experience with Mr. Riddle's company, Jeff, and you approve, then that's good enough for me.

Would be nice to have that 8045Q though...

This is a great alternative for a production monitor for post work--

http://fnordware.com/ubercolor/

it obviously wouldn't work in a field setup as it is an AE plug in, but if you haven't purchased a monitor yet...you really can't beat the price. I haven't used it yet myself, but I've pondered the possibility of using it for color adjustments after the fact.

Umm this may be a stupid question but?

Do any production monitors exist that have a direct firewire input, so there is no middle DAC needed?

Zac

Not a dumb question at all...I asked the same thing a couple of months ago when I was looking for a new 16:9 production monitor. Most of them now have S and SDI input, but no firewire. There was one large LCD flat screen monitor that had firewire, but it wasn't suitable as a production monitor. It was in the Markertek catalog.