Monitor recommendations?
 

Hey guys--I'm going to be putting together an NLE system pretty soon with a 15" PB and one additional monitor. I wondered if anyone here had some recommendations on the monitor. Ideally I'd like to be able to do some accurate color correction on the monitor. I am open to LCD or CRT, basically anything...except the 23" Apple Cinema Display as it's too expensive. OK, looking forward to suggestions.

Peter

I'm using a Mitsubishi DiamondPro 2070SB 22" CRT for video editing. Check it out here:

http://www.necmitsubishi.com/

I use it at 1600x1200 resolution, but it can go much higher. And the image quality is impressive. At less than $700, it's hard to beat.

It is, however, around 60 lbs!!!

Peter,
You will need a good CRT production monitor with calibrated phosphors to do accurate color work.

Thanks for the recommendation Jaime, I'll check it out. What made you decide to get this monitor? Ken, can you recommend any monitor that meets these specifications?

Peter

I use a Sony PVM 14L5 but there are many other models and brands. Basically, you're looking for a monitor that can be accurately calibrated (ex: featuring contrast, blue-only, and other requisite controls), rather than a consumer television or computer monitor.

Thanks Ken. I checked out the monitor and immediately realized the lack of clarity in my first post. I'm looking for an additional computer monitor, not a client monitor. Can I expect any computer monitors to afford me the color accuracy to be able to do some color correction work? Thanks!

Peter

No, computer monitors operate in a completely different display system and color space.

If your work is destined only for the computer display realm then a good computer monitor may be all you need.

Thanks Ken. The work is destined, hopefully, for beyond the computer. It sounds like the client monitor is essential for proper color correction so I will look into this. Do you know how this would intergrate with Xpress Pro? Also, can you recommend a good computer monitor? Thanks!

Peter

Well, I've never found a computer monitor I liked better than Apple's Cinema Displays. I have used a 22" for the past couple of years and it's been fabulous. I'd replace it with the 23" in a heartbeat when the time comes.

By integrating with Xpress Pro I assume you ask how a production monitor would be configured with your editing system. I'm a Final Cut Pro user but I'm pretty confident that the following kneebone-to-thighbone configuration would be similar with Avid. In FCP I set the Preferences to indicate that I have an "External Monitor" connected to my Firewire bus. My editing deck is connected to the computer via FW cable. The production monitor is connected to the deck via analog video and the video is just passed through the deck to the monitor.

There are other variations, such as passing through a camera that has a video-out facility. But the gist is the same.

Thanks Ken. The firewire method you describe is the one I usually use, as well. I wasn't sure, however, how color corrections would be reflected in the monitor. How does that work in final cut? Can you see your color corrections in real time on the client monitor? Also, I'm assuming that out of your DV deck you take a component signal into the monitor? Thanks for the help!

Peter

You betcha.

Yes, actually a composite signal in the case of my Panasonic deck.

And just to know, what the average indie filmaker that doesn't have 2000 bucks to invest on a monitor do to calibrate their colors?

Good question. Basically, you do the best you can do. By that I mean you use the best consumer television you have available, preferably one that has contrast, brightness, and chroma controls. Feed it SMPTE bars and follow the calibration procedure just as if it was a pro monitor.

Note, however, that there are many good production monitors available for less money. JVC and Panasonic, in particular, both have models priced for just a few hundred dollars.

Thanks Ken. 2G's is def. a lot to spend for now on a monitor, but glad to hear there are other serviceable options. Can you recommend any monitors in particular (although I'm sure this topic has been written on ad infinitum on the boards and will do a search). I will be curious to see if Xpress Pro can do the realtime color correction in the client monitor like FCP. Keeping my fingers crossed...

Peter

I don't have specific recommendations; I've only used Sony's. But do poke around here and at B&H and EVS. The features that seem to make thee biggest price difference are resolution and multi-format ability. Size, of course, also matters.