View Full Version : Using Dell 24" for HD editing...can you use for cable HDTV also?


Kevin Wild
August 27th, 2005, 01:24 PM
Just wondering if anyone has done this. I'd love to get ready for the HD movement and get one of those Dell monitors for editing, but I'd also like to kill 2 birds with one stone and use it for viewing my Atlanta Falcons beating up on other teams in high definition. :-) I would want to connect a Time Warner cable box to it, so I guess it's either DVI or HDMI.

Has anyone tried getting a tv signal to this monitor? Anything I'm missing with this setup?

Thanks!

Kevin

Boyd Ostroff
August 27th, 2005, 01:44 PM
Which model is "one of those Dell monitors"? It's going to depend on what inputs it has and what outputs your cable box, tuner and/or DVD player have. If the input matches the output then you're good to go.

For example, this one has DVI, composite and s-video but no HDMI or component, and it doesn't have a built-in tuner.

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/ProductDetail.aspx?sku=A0508112&c=us&cat=snp&category_id=5792&cs=19&l=en&Page=productlisting.aspx

I have a Samsung 22" LCD with DVI, component, composite and s-video plus a tuner. It's only 1280x720 however:

http://product.samsung.com/cgi-bin/nabc/product/b2c_product_detail.jsp?eUser=&prod_id=LTP227WX%2fXAA

Kevin Wild
August 27th, 2005, 04:18 PM
Sorry, Boyd. It's the one I think most people are using for HD playback with the Decklink box and AJA to get true HD: the Dell’s UltraSharp 2405FPW

It has DVI in so I'm wondering if it can take a signal straight from a Time Warner cable box without any weirdness.

Thanks.

Kevin

Khoi Pham
August 30th, 2005, 10:15 PM
I'm using it for editing with the component input, works just fine, I see no reason why it won't work with HD signal from your cable box.

Damien Molineaux
October 29th, 2005, 02:59 PM
I'm using it for editing with the component input, works just fine, I see no reason why it won't work with HD signal from your cable box.

Hi Khoi,

Are your editing HD ? Are you getting a true HD image via component ? If so I don't understand why most people seem to be using an HDLink or the Kona equivalent, unless they don't have component out of course.

Cheers,
Damien Molineaux
earthling productions

Boyd Ostroff
October 29th, 2005, 03:25 PM
I don't know what he's doing, but the Sony FX1 and Z1 can't feed an HD monitor from a firewire connection to the camera like you might do with standard DV editing. So if you're on a Mac using one of these cameras you either have to use the digital cinema desktop feature of FCP or you need a card like the decklink.

Giroud Francois
October 29th, 2005, 03:45 PM
this monitor (dell 2405) is great because it has all inputs.
composite, component (YUV), DVI, Y/C.
if you really need the SDI, you can purchase a SDI to component converter (AJA)
Unfortunately, such converter will probably cost more than twice the price of the monitor.
you can use it with you PC and as TV monitor for HD, or video monitor to play back HD from cable recorded on a D-VHS.
I did not try it yet with my JVC HD1, so i am not sure it can resize to full screen signal that are smaller than 1920x1200 (but probably, since there is a picture in picture feature).
currently regarding feature/price ratio it is one of the best monitor.

Component is great to play video and most SDI card have now a monitor output in component. Component unfortunately is not into the digital world so it will probably disappear very fast. DVI (for output) and SDI (for input) being the future.

Khoi Pham
October 30th, 2005, 12:07 AM
Yes I'm editing in HD using Edius NX, it has HD component output and the Dell has component input... it also have 1:1 pixel maping so you will see 1920X1080 resolution instead of 1900X1200.
I saw the new price down to $750.00, I think that is a steal.
One problem I do have with it is that if you feed it a signal or white .bmp that is 100 IRE or more it will blank out and goes to black, it can be a nuissance but also a good thing, I will never have illegal signal. (-:

Christopher Cruz
November 6th, 2005, 09:06 PM
Yup i've got the Dell 24" Widescreen monitor for my computer and it works if you feed it the hd signal from a cable box.

Mike Medavoy
November 6th, 2005, 10:02 PM
Khoi,

Where are you seeing a $750 price for this monitor?

Thanks.

Kevin Wild
November 6th, 2005, 10:44 PM
They have coupons and deals that occasionally will get the monitor down to $770 or so. However, I just missed the one last week for this price. I called Dell and asked about it...they asked if I wanted a call the next time there was a deal. Surprisingly, they did call a few days later and offered the monitor for $900 w shipping included. Not quite $770, but still a pretty nice price. I should get it this week and will immediately try it with my HD cable box for it's secondary purpose...NFL games in HD. :-)

Kevin

Mike Medavoy
November 7th, 2005, 10:08 AM
It does work with Mac, does it?... No problems integrating it into an Apple system with Apple Displays? Color matching etc...

Shane Ross
November 8th, 2005, 12:09 AM
I have two of the Dell 2405 displays, and I am using them with a G5 running Final Cut Pro. These are SO good in fact (barefeats.com has them beating the Apple 23" displays soundly) that I will be using one to color correct my DVCPRO HD footage. I am using it now to view the footage with Digital Cinema Desktop and the imagry is STUNNING.

Yes, it can be used for CC. Several post facilities use them, and I just had a colorist and HD expert look at mine and swear that they would have no problem Color Correcting with them.