HD Production Monitors
 

I could use some advice in selecting an LCD HD Production Monitor.

Here is what I want, at a minimum:

1. Accurate colors. The current crop of LCD HD Production Monitors seem to have special circuitry to ensure accurate colors.

2. 709 color space for HD.

3. Pixel for Pixel HD display (1920 x 1080 or 1920 x 1200).

4. Quiet Operation.

5. HDCP.

6. Waveform Monitoring.

7. Audio Level Monitoring.

8. HD-SDI.

9. Component Inputs.

10. 24" to 30" diagonal screen size.

11. DVI-D or HDMI inputs.

I have not found a professional HD monitor that meets all of the above.

This rules out the current Panasonic BT-LH2600W as it is a 1366 x 768 monitor.

The JVC DT-V24L1DU 24" does not have waveform monitoring but does have HDCP on its DVI-D input.

The Sony LMD-2450WHD does not have HDCP. While this is a very nice monitor, I find the lack of HDCP to be a concern. I realize that I do not need HDCP for any professional signal format, such as HD-SDI or a component input from a professional camera.

However, I would like the monitor to be usable for viewing copy-protected content.

I realize that at this time many HD DVD and Blu Ray disks may not have the Image Constraint Token (ICT) flag set so that the full resolution output may be available for both HDMI and Component outputs. However, I am reluctant to invest over $4,000 for a monitor that may be rendered obsolete for viewing commercial, copy protected, media, or possibly copy-protected broadcasts.

I welcome your thoughts, advice and suggestions.

If you find a production monitor out there that beats the Panasonic BT-LH2600W price-wise and feature-wise, I really want to hear about it.

Hi David, I just purchased a new Mac Pro Dual 3.0 GHz Xeon, upgraded it to the max with 16Gb or RAM, 3Tb storage and using the ATI Radeon X1900 XT 512MB (2 x dual-link DVI) video card. I'm currently doing the research for selecting the "ideal video monitors" (I prefer to use duals) and now also considering to purchase one Panasonic BT-LH2600W monitor instead.

I'm capturing 1080/24 HD using my Canon XH-A1 and editing using Final Cut Pro Studio 2, do you recommend that I go with the Panasonic BT-LH2600W? If not, what would you recommend instead?

Love to hear your opinion. Thanks in advance!

I love the features of the Panasonic 26" monitor.

But, the resolution is limited, not 1920 x 1080. The JVC and Sony both have 1920 x 1080, pixel for pixel displays.

My other concern is fan noise. Their 17" model has a very noisy fan, I have not heard the 26"'s fan so far. The Sony 24" model is very quiet, you can not hear its three fans.

Check out the various EIZO LCD monitors.

I did check the Eizo HD's out and...
 

...purchased two from PCUniverse.com at $1,735 each. Ask for Paul Black http://www.pcuniverse.com/product.as...295761&m_id=32

I was thinking of buying the JVC 24-Inch Broadcast Studio Monitor w/HDSDI DT-V24L1DU http://pro.jvc.com/prof/attributes/f...l_id=MDL101631 at about $3,699+ ending up with one (awesome monitor!), then decided on two Eizo FlexScan HD2441W-BK Flat panel displays instead.

Thanks for the tip Allan!

PS: If I later feel I need the JVC, I can always sell one Eizo and trade up.

Great Armando, I'm surprised those Eizo's don't come up more often. You get great prices over there.

Be interested in reading your Eizo impressions too.
Cheers.

I couldn't be any happier!
 

Hello Allan,

I want to first thank you for the Eizo monitor recommendation as I didn't know the company even existed.

About the Eizo FlexScan HD2441W monitors...

They are simply and truly amazing! True story; As I said earlier, I purchased two monitors with the idea that if I didn’t like them that well, I could always keep one and sell the other to possibly upgrade to the much more expensive 24” JVC DT-V24L1DU. As soon as I unpacked the first one and connected it to my Mac Pro, we were blown away and proceeded to also open the second box without hesitation. The colors are fantastic, bright, and sharp, the screen anti-glare is the best I've seen, blacks are truly black with no bleeds or ghosting, the tilting flexibility of the screen is also a really clever design, and the touch-controls are very easy to use giving the monitors a very clean look.

By the way, my graphic-designer friend first comment was "I have never seen blacks that black in a monitor before" (as he stood there with his mouth open). We browsed around the web realizing how much nicer and cleaner all those graphic oriented sites really looked with these monitors, everything looks different and we were hooked!

Anyway, I'm obviously very happy with the purchase and feel they’re worth every penny and then some!

Thanks again Allan!

PS: No, I didn't get paid by anyone at Eizo for these remarks. lol

Hi Armando, a big smile reading that, yep they are amazing. I first saw a display of them at a convention here, I was attracted by the crowd around the stand and you're right in every respect, your jaw just hits the floor.

For anyone else they are dangerous, don't check 'em out unless you're looking for a new monitor, you might get too upset.

But there's more Armando, are you aware of their calibration tools? No I'm not paid by Eizo either or Image Science...unfortunately. LOL.
Cheers.

http://www.imagescience.com.au/EizoM...tionNotes.html

Excelent choice
 

Hi Armando. You've done a very good choice. EIZO monitors are fabulous. In advertising industry where I come from, the brand is very well known since the company built the first (and as far as I know, the only) monitor that displays the whole Adobe RGB color space.

I do own a 24" FlexScan2411W and I was more than thrilled until I read your post. I bought it two months ago and unfortunately at the moment EIZO were not producing HD monitors. On the EIZO website, yours is labeled as NEW entry. Don't forget to make a proper calibration;)

I'd like to ask you a question as you probably have more recent information: Do you think that I should be able to judge any HD footage on my 2411W? Is it reliable for this sort of things?

Cheers,
Petre Nicolescu