Re: the LCD "manufacturer" Gints mentions.

Quick caution: do a Google search on the URL and follow the link to the HV20/HV30 forum for more info.

Thanks. I found more positive words here :

Http://www.manhattanlcd.com/ - Lumenlab

I just received a reply from Manhattan LCD stating that they are in Orlando, FL.

Good. I didn't REALLY doubt the seller but Caveat Emptor, right?

With this HD monitor on the way, I'm selling my Sony FX820 portable DVD player monitor. Send me an email and make an offer.

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/private-c...vd-player.html

LCD4VIDEO vs Sony
 

Which is better? They are both around the same price.


http://lcd4video.com/products.php?pr...2v-Battery-Kit

or

DVP-FX820 | Portable DVD Player - Black | Sony | SonyStyle USA

I've owned the Sony FX820 and haven't seen the other LCD kit. The weird thing about the LCD kit is the 1440x234 resolution. Very odd combination of high horizontal rez and low vertical rez. Both appear to have low viewing angles. Though, the Sony's inputs are very soft anyway ev en though it advertizes 800x480. On-screen text overlays are sharp, but corners on DVD menu are soft. It's not just that the component input isn't great, but there is some issue with NTSC deinterlacing the produces an excessively soft image. The Sony FX820 is the best of the portable DVD player bunch under $300 as I tested a dozen. I would be wary about image softness due to the low vertical rez of the 4LCD kit, so let us know how well it works. It advertises a horizontal flip option, but you need a vertical flip if you use one of the 35mm adapters. I liked that the Sony FX820 allowed you to fold and invert its screen for the image flip.

1440x234 is in fact 480x234, because sometime the horizontal pixel count is expressed in RGB mode. (you got 3 physical pixels to make one image dot).

This thread got me thinking as I wanted something to allow for easy viewing at sporting events. I have had a portable DVD Player for some time which has not gotten a whole lot of use. I think it will get more attention now :)

I'm ordering a couple of the little Sony's today, so thanks for the tip guys.

In terms of mounting, I was hoping to do something self contained.

I came across this: Hot Shoe Mount to L Bracket at Markertek.com

and I'm wondering (not knowing the weight of the Sony) if the XLH1's shoe would be sturdy enough to support it?

Question 2, the XLH1 comes with a metal bracket that screws on the back, which I believe is a battery mounting option of the "V" type. I wonder if there is a mounting option there? Do only batteries mount with the "V" system, or could I for instance pick up the appropriate male "V" piece and attach that to the back of the Sony?

Matthew

I picked up the FX820 and need the right cord for my FX1. I have component out and s-video out. I read the earlier posts, but don't see how that would work. Ideas?

Dana, according to the manual, the FX1 has a composite video/audio output via a mini-jack.

I guess there are two options... purchase a male-male 3 RCA adapter piece and join the camera's mini-jack cable to the Player's RCA-Minijack cable, or, for a far more elegant solution, make a mini-jack to mini-jack cable and dispense with the adapters.

If you choose the latter, you'll have to do a bit of fooling about to see which bit of the mini-jack maps to what (I'm not sure if there is a standard).

If you only want vision, then all you need do is join the yellow output rca to the yellow input RCA with a single male-male adapter.

It's funny you should post this today as my two 870's just arrived this morning! All good so far, though I am searching for a good mounting solution for them. I really would love to attach them to the camera in some way.

Matthew

Small HD field monitors
 

iKan has just introduce V8000HDe, a replacement for the V8000HD, same price, but allows multiple options of DV battery

It should be working but it isn't. I'm using yellow rca 1/8" males for the connection, and the only thing I see on the player is a black screen with 'Line In' on the upper left. The menus don't help. I could try S-video to RCA, but it seems like this should work. I tried both filming mode and VCR mode. Thoughts?

Another cam I want to use is an HC3 and has HDMI and Firewire out. Would either work?

Dana, if we can just go back one step: check to see that you are using the specific LINE IN video cable that comes with the player. It has three male RCA plugs on one end and two 3.5 minijack plugs on the other, one of them a yellow MONO plug, the other a black STEREO plug.

The reason I ask is that when I first hooked mine up I was using the triple-collar yellow minijack lead. This is the WRONG one.

HDMI and Firewire are both digital and the player will only take analogue signals, so you're out of luck there. But according the manual I just downloaded, the HC3 does have the combination audio/video composite out in the form of a minijack marked "A/V", just like the FX1.

Hope this helps.

matthew

Thank you Michael,

Yes, that is the adapter I'm using. I have it plugged into three couplers and a 3-RCA to an 1/8th mono plug. I guess my next step is to hook it to a dvd player to make sure it's not the Sony player.

that would be a sensible next step.

I'm only guessing now (as I don't own that camera) but it would be worth looking through the camera menu and see if that port is configurable. For instance on my canon I can send it SD or HD. On some camcorders you can set it to be AV or Headphone out.

Like I said, just guessing, but worth a look.

MP

I'm not familiar with the FX1, but is it possible there's either a menu setting or a switch on the body for allowing composite signal out?

*edit* dang! I didn't see the last post prior to mine until I hit enter to post. Weird :-\

Just thought I'd throw this out: Fry's Electronics has the Sony DVP820 on sale for $149.00 USD. I bought one about two hours ago and have been playing with it on my XL2. Looks good. Not a perfect match to the viewfinder's colors, but I can tweak it close. My plan for the moment is to use it for critical focus in production shots, and as a directors' monitor. That should cut down on the usual question, "well, did it look good?" It's also slated to become a jib monitor.

Next up is a tripod mount for it.

Regards;
Martin

I was out shopping yesterday and happened to see a "caddy" for portable DVD players that's designed to clamp onto the headrest bars of a car's front seat (facing back).

It got me thinking that those bars wouldn't be disimilar to the top part of my Miller tripods...

I've been racking my brain trying to come up with a good mount for this unit (still havn't ruled out using the battery bracket that comes with the camera, sadly it makes the unit just slightly too long for the case I have).

If anyone has any truly elegant and simple mounting ideas, do share!

MP

Anyone knows if this might just be a piece of poop: 7" LCD Monitor Canon XL1 XL1s XL-1s XL-1 XL2 XL-2 XLH1 - eBay (item 120314860228 end time Jan-05-09 03:08:17 PST)

I'm looking for a larger monitor for my XL2 to do focusing only, (i.e., not for color corrections). Any help & pointers appreciated.

-- peer

Peer, I noticed this in the specs:

Resolution: 1400x234 pixels / 480x240 lines

Not sure what to make of that! I can only guess that it's a sub-SD panel.

Also curious to see where the battery is mounted, and how. Looks like you need to buy your own cells.

I do like their mounting solution though....

MP

LCD4Video and the FX1 output
 

The LCD$Video set up has a line of kits at their webpage. I mentioned it in post 88, and have since bought it. It is SD, so you will always have a level of uncertainty to your critical focus if you rely on it.

Also, regarding the FX1, it has an SD AV out mini plug, for SD out, as well a composite out BNC port.

Yea, also I thought that seemed a bit odd. So again, anyone out there who can advice me on this unit? 7" LCD Monitor Canon XL1 XL1s XL-1s XL-1 XL2 XL-2 XLH1 - eBay (item 120314860228 end time Jan-05-09 03:08:17 PST)

-- peer

Earlier in this thread someone mentioned the monitors by Manhattan LCD

Since those Manhattan guys appear a bit incommunicado along with their incomplete technical spec (doesn't say if it can be rigged to run off bricks, etc.), I wonder if anyone knows about this monitor first hand and if it's perhaps possible to use as an on-board monitor for my XL2.

-- peer

1400x234 means a 466x234 pixel display. For some random reason with these small monitors specs sometimes tally up each of the R,G, and B subpixels (or whatever they are called) that make up the "normal" pixels we are used to.

So yes, it's sub-SD resolution.

I go the 10.9 HD Professional Monitor from Manhattan, and the picture is pretty good.
I use it on my FX1E with the component cable.
My only problem is that my FX1E seems to output bad signal, so the picture is visible a quarter of second on the screen and next goes blank.
I tested the screen with many other component HD sources, including PAL and NTSC, and the problem is definitely in my FX1. So i use a cheap component to HDMI converter and use the hdmi input on the screen , That works perfect.
the screen is very light (all made from plastic) , so even it is big, you can mount it everywhere. the power supply is 12V, so you can manage to use some kind of battery easily found on the web.
I would not glue the battery on the screen since it would make it very heavy.
for the price i think you cannot find better.

Hi everyone!
This is my solution for attaching Sony's DVDPlayer to XL2.
Focusing is easier, zebra doesn't work, to check it you have to use viewfinder.
This set-up makes camcorder really back heavy compared to naked cam witch is much better than supporting front heavy brick lifting massive lens with the hand all the time.

Elegant! That eliminates most of the instabilities from a mounting bracket. If you have any closeup pix of your mounting, I'm sure we'd really like to see them.

HD it isn't, but I just bought a Nikkai A06HU 7 inch digital TV from Maplin to use as a monitor for framing. Oddly enough it doesn't appear on the Maplin website but you can see it here Portable TVs - The Circuits Shop - Electronics in Meccano (The link to the main Maplin site doesn't work).

This unit works well as an analogue and digital tv (which is how I am justifying buying it!) and is OK for a framing monitor, being light at 0.81 Kg with internal rechargeable battery pack and a reasonable resolution for such a cheapo at 720 x 576. It takes PAL and NTSC on the AV input and comes with 12V car and 230V mains power/charger adaptors and internal rechargeable battery pack which runs for 2 -3 hours as far as I can tell.

As I say hardly the best monitor out there, but a sub-£90 solution for a 7 inch extra monitor with different power options.
I'm still working on how to mount it for various applications.

What are you using to mount the player?

Nice one Krystian!

I think I can see from the bottom of the player that you're using the option V-Mount battery holder that comes with the cams (at least it came with mine).

I'm kicking myself for not allowing for this when I cut the foam out of my pelican.

I'm surprised that the zebras don't work, thought that would be included in the other superimposed feeds in the viewfinder like tape remaining, shooting mode, audio level etc.

My latest plan is to make a MODIFIED version of the bracket that isn't so long to mount my unit on. If only I knew something about metalworking!

MP

thought I would resurect this thread to let you know that I bought a phillips PET1030/5 portable dvd player from cdiscount UK for a fantastic price (half amazons listed!) and it works brilliantly as a monitor.
I was dubious about being able to focus accurately with the canon xh-a1 using it but you can.
The 10 inch screen folds flat and it has a mounting hole on the back so I should be able to just clamp it to the tripod, it will be mainly used for my jib monitor but if i can get a good clamp who knows...its that good.
I see cdiscount have stopped listing it but if they show up again i might just buy a second one.

Thanks for that - is it the same as a PET1030, or does the /5 mean something?

not sure what the /5 means Graham, it was listed as the PET1030 but on the player itself it says 1030 /5.
When you consider what is being charged for some of the dedicated monitors(with the same resolution) these dvd players are really good value and with the car cigarette plug adapter I can probably run this off my 12v battery pack i use for my video light if i need more than the 5 hrs you get off the players in built battery.
Once again i cannot recommend these highly enough. If you cant focus with this, a trip to the optician is required.
cheers john

OK, John, your enthusiasm was contagious. I just bought one.

How did you mount it (post a pic or two?)?

Mine should be here next week.

Hi Scott, Ive just ordered a tripod clamp similar to this
Amazon.com: Pedco UltraClamp - Clamping System with Camera Mount: Camera & Photo

hoping that this will do the trick, failing that i think velcro will probably do.
The dvd player has a mounting hole on the back that takes a standard tripod plate screw.
I wont get a chance to post pics till next week as im snowed under right now(nearly literally haha), but will try to do so early next week.
hope you are as pleased as I am with the philips, I managed to get out for an hour with the jib and it was great to be able to focus using the lanc on the pan handle and watch the footage. The only thing I need is a sunscreen for the display but Im sure I can improvise one easily enough.
let me know what you think when it arrives.
all the best john.

Hi,

Can some of the members that already bought the Sony DVD player say how it performs under direct sunlight?

I'm considering the transflective monitors but they cost much more than the Sony's player so I'm wondering what is the best solution for a 35mm adapter focusing monitor.

Thanks

This is exactly the clamp I'm using for my DVD monitor hack for my XL2 -- I'll post pictures later.

-- peer

Hi Nelson, the Philips dvd player struggles in bright light however I am in the process of making a sunscreen for it that I can attatch using velcro.

Peer,The ultra clamp has arrived and is fantastic, it screws straight into the back of the dvd player and then clamps to the tripod arm. its very strong and can easily take the weight of the player.
All set to go apart from the weather.

OK, I got the Phillips and the bracket. It mounts just fine off a tripod leg.

What output are you using to feed the DVD player? I'm taking the composite signal out of the HV20. It's softer than expected. Can't see any way to increase the resolution (probably 480i?).

The picture was much sharper when playing a DVD. Can't tell if my expectations were off, or I'm not feeding the correct signal...