View Full Version : Anybody using the camera with two monitors?


Michael Maier
May 23rd, 2006, 12:50 PM
I will have to use two preview monitors for an upcoming shot, but the camera only has one video out source. Has anybody used two monitors with the HD100? What's the cheapest solution for that? I only need one component source. The other can be composite.

Thanks.

Antony Michael Wilson
May 24th, 2006, 02:18 AM
I suppose the simplest route would be at least one monitor with loop through. Most of the decent high-end field monitors have loop through for component, s-video, composite or all three. Then you just need another cable run, of course. Otherwise, a DA powered by the camera battery or on-board power would do the trick. Unfortunately, I don't know of any portable CVBS DA units.

I hope that helps.

Michael Maier
May 24th, 2006, 04:21 AM
Unfortunately the monitors I will use have no loop. I was hoping to be able to use something simpler like a splitter of some sort. Thanks for the input.

Michael Maier
May 26th, 2006, 08:00 AM
Is the loop really the only solution or nobody is using two monitors?

Jiri Bakala
May 26th, 2006, 08:13 AM
As Antony Michael said, you need to use - rent or buy - a video DA (distribution amplifier). I just got one off eBay for $50. They are all powered by 120V but you could feed a whole bunch of monitors with it - composite or component and it's handy to have in your edit suite as well.

Antony Michael Wilson
May 26th, 2006, 08:45 AM
Michael

I've had a look on the web (I'm bored, you see) and there is a lot of choice out there. We use a Kramer unit for sending Black Burst to multiple destinations. It's been on constantly for years and it's fine. Here's a link to a UK re-seller.

http://www.proav.co.uk/index.php?cPath=26_167_168&osCsid=8480d7d546eb196f599844238dfe5dce

It should give you a good starting point. I notice that they are powered by 12v DC so it's just a matter of working out the connector and polarity if you can take something like a D-tap (assuming you have a battery upgrade, of course).

Jonathan Ames
May 26th, 2006, 09:06 AM
Please note that HD and SD signals are different and conventional RCS splitters don't provide the quality one needs to use multiple monitors for their intended purposes. Your principle interest in the use of monitors should be to assure focus, latitudes, blacks and whites and, with limits up, framing within safe areas. To this end, quality equipment is a must, especially someting like the 6-camera shoot as we do and will be doing next month in Gillette, WY. For this reason, we use CAT 5 or 6 instead of conventional, quality component cables. Our new system includes a solution from NTI and I'm quite happy with the results. Setting monitors side-by-side, I see no difference between the images coming directly from the camera and through 200 feet of cable through the separator. Hope this helps.

Douglas Villalba
May 26th, 2006, 09:45 AM
I will have to use two preview monitors for an upcoming shot, but the camera only has one video out source. Has anybody used two monitors with the HD100? What's the cheapest solution for that? I only need one component source. The other can be composite.

Thanks.
try this page http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/Dist-amps.html

Michael Maier
May 26th, 2006, 10:12 AM
I was hoping something as simple and specially smalls as this would work:

http://matrixeecom.siteprotect.net/audio_and_video_component.html

I really didn’t want to have to get a bigger amplifier for that. I hopping for a more portable unit. Specially not something I would have to AC power. 12v should be ok, since I can power it from my battery.

Anthony, what Kramer model are you talking about?

Douglas, I will check the link you gave.

Thanks everybody.