Just wanted to chime in on the color issue.

Thanks for bringing it up - it's a legitimate concern and i'll do my best here.

First - this is the first of many monitors to come from SmallHD. The purpose of this one, is to actually produce a compact unit with a much higher resolution into the hands of people who typically can't afford it. So many monitor companies run around touting HD, but 99% of the time they're no more than 800 x 480. Many claim "1440" by something, multiply the actual resolution by 3 and call it HD. We got very sick of this, and for some reason the panel manufacturers (Sharp, Toshiba, Samsung, etc) currently don't see video production as a large enough market to drive the production of small HD panels - we are forced to adapt existing technology from sister markets and make them work in this one. Because of this, there may be a few things missing from this first model. Some of the bells and whistles that the old broadcast pro is accustomed to may be missing - from this model.

The way we see it, it's far easier to fix color in post than missed focus. So getting as many pixels into a small enclosure is our primary focus for this monitor.

The reason we can't throw everything in the box at once, is because it would have to lose other features, and the fact that we would be releasing this monitor way later than January. We want to get a quality product into the market as soon as possible, so the many that don't care as much about quickly getting perfect color matching can have something, while we work on the more advanced models.

This monitor does have detailed color controls, and if you spend a couple minutes with it you should be able to get it darn close, but it currently does not have blue only.

Paul - i believe what i said is that we'll be offering an HD-SDI version in the future - this one will not have HD-SDI.

David - hope this answers your question a little more thoroughly, or at least gives you somewhat of an explanation.

Trevor - thanks for the kind words, and i'm glad you're as stoked as we are. It's going to be a fantastic product in many ways.

Thanks, and feel free to ask any other questions.

Dale
SmallHD.com

Dale,

Have you got a waiting list yet? I'd like to be in line if possible.

Dan

Dale you are correct you told me the HD-SDI would be on future models.

It is great to see another company on the forum listening to the end users. I look forward to the HD-SDI unit.

15" monitor
 

Hay Gint,
do you have any suggestions with that type of monitor?


Thanks Shawn

For which size? For the 8-9", the SmallHD monitor appears promising, although they are supposedly a few months away from shipping. For an 11" monitor, the Manhattan HD is just right. I have that one. For the 15-16" LCD TV, just go to Best Buy or Fry's Electronics. I noticed a Samsung model with both component inputs and HDMI. I have not compared the TVs extensively, so let me know what you find out. I would stick with a real 1280x720 "720p" device that doesn't do any scaling. Also, it's probably better to get something in the 20" range, especially if you're doing 1080i. A lot of these cheap TVs, and even a lot of expensive ones, have poor scaling hardware that yield overly soft video.

Yes. That's the IR port for the remote.Very important since you can custom calibrate the monitor for color, contrast, brightness etc. via the remote. The IR port is your friend in 10.9 land.

I would too. Very interested to get my hands on one ASAP. I understand you guys are still finishing them up, but if there's some point at which you set a release date and have some sort of waiting list, I'd love to be able to have an in.

Thanks again Dale!

More on Calibration
 

First, thanks, Dale, for a clear, comprehensive response to the question regarding color calibration on the SmallHD LCD monitor.

Second, M. Paul, what precisely do you mean by using the IR port for the remote to achieve custom calibration? How are you able to do that without "blue gun" capabilities on a monitor? Are you using the term, "custom callibration" loosely? I use it to mean such things as matching cameras and reproducing on a color critical monitor precisely what the camera is outputting using the camera's color bars. Do you know a another method?

Calibration vs. Focus
 

Dale et al,
I don't mean to ignite a controversy regarding your priorities around providing a field monitor that makes focusing HD easy. There's no doubt that a crisp HD image is critical. But, I have yet to find maintaining focus using our HVX200 much of a problem. Maybe it's more of a problem with the larger chip cameras.

But evaluating other aspects of the image is much trickier: color, contrast and ratios, etc., you know, the details that set a superior image apart from an adequate one, take precise controls and feedback with true fidelity. That is why the "blue gun" is so essential, or at least some means of ensuring image calibration.

I get what you're trying to do in SmallHD's infancy, and it's laudable, but I may not be able to wait for the next gen to meet my needs.

I hope one of these HD monitor makers creates a fully-enveloped hood with a magnifier. It would be a very large HoodPro that is popular in the Sony EX1 group.

This is understandable, there are definitely people such as yourself where this is super important to them..

However in the 100s of people i've spoken with, it's an issue that rarely comes up as a concern, because most people color correct in post now, so if perfect color balanced isn't achieved in the field between cameras, its something that is easily remedied in-house.

Thank you for your kind words, though. We will be catering to these and many other needs as we progress... first things first!

Dale

New features
 

Dale,
Really appreciate your informative responses. The next logical question then is, will you be able to add features to previously-purchased monitors. In my case, if I buy one of your new LCD monitors arriving in January and later you add blue-gun capability, would I have to buy an entirely new monitor to get that feature? Or, will this first gen unit be sufficiently modular to permit updates as substantial as blue-gun?
thanks,

Small field HD Monitor
 

iKan have two new version of 8" field monitor, V8000HDMI for only $ 995 and V8000HD2 which is the same monitor spec without the HDMI input for $ 795.

Partial solution to lack of blue-gun
 

I share your concern about the lack of blue gun capability on the SmallHD and Manhattan LCD. However, following a tip I found in The Filmaker's Handbook by Ascher and Pincus, you can still adjust a monitor that doesn't have blue-gun capability by using a Lee 363 blue gel (Appendix A, p. 767). It's not ideal, but it's better than nothing. Also, Appendix A in The Filmaker's Handbook provides a nice step-by-step tutorial for adjusting a monitor. This might be especially useful to those with limited experience, like myself.

Small HD monitor
 

Small HD monitor

Any feedback on this monitor yet?

Is this monitor already shipping?

What's the price? I don't see a price on their website...


Thank you,
Rafael

Rafael, in respect for Dale here I am not going to go into specifics but the projected release date is close, barrelling down on us like a freight train in fact! Price is TBA soon as well. Best thing to do is get on their mailing list via their website and hang tight! It's worth the wait!

Thank alot of the info Trevor.
 

I'll keep waiting.

I have a music video coming up in a few weeks, I totally needed this monitor :)

I have the JVC HD100 and the M2 mini35mm adapter and focusing on the small LCD screen is nearly impossible... But, I guess I'll keep on waiting.

See if you can rent something. Give the miniHD about a month or so. We should hear something before then! If I talk to dale soon I'll see if he wouldn't mind sharing some info here when he gets a chance :-) These monitors will totally be worth the wait though!

Problems focusing
 

This is interesting, yes I too long for a small, affordable, true HD monitor that is also true to the camera's 16x9 output. However, this problem with shots being pin sharp. I personally don't find it difficult to follow focus (I hope), but one of the loudest complaints about 1/3-chip cameras is the huge depth of field they offer! Everyone is chasing shallow depth of field. I guess it's when you are using a 35 mm adapter or JVC's 16mm Arri converter that a monitor for focus becomes vital?

Exactly. As a redrock M2 user, I find the XH-A1's screen completely unusable. Bare camera, sure, who cares? Let the thing focus itself. I prefer the 35mm adapter look though, the bokeh is just downright gorgeous! Looking forward to the new smallHD monitors, I'm going to buy one the moment they become available.

Hi all,

I'm just now chiming in on this thread and am also interested in the smallHD monitor everyone is talking about. I am looking for a monitor that I can use for focusing shots from a 12' crane. However, my script also has a shot of an actor riding a bicycle that will continue for maybe 3/4 of a mile where I will be following the actor and filming from the back of a truck. Therefore, I will need something batery powered unless anyone here thinks an AC adapter hooked to the cigerette lighter might not be a bad idea...

Regards,
Terry

It depends on your camera, I'm guessing it's 12V(+). I personally like to power my monitors using the same battery system (interchangeable and I just need one charger), or using an AC/ DC 12v converter - but we've dealt with that elsewhere. Car power? Well, better to rig a system that you can use without having to have a car with you I guess. I do run my 12v Dedo Lights in-car but that’s another matter. Monitors can eat power and don't usually have a low voltage cut-off, so beware draining batteries to the point of potential cell reversal.

Hey Terry,

You can power the smallHD monitors with the Tekkeon MP3450 found here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000S9JWJI...F2SY2ZQ66NT6S&

It's the battery that they recommend, and the one a lot of people are using on other field monitors. You can also add the MP3450-10 found here https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0017DS0SS...6VQET0F90TDF2& for additional battery life, although the 3450 by itself is said to be able to power the monitor for 3-4 hours on its own... adding the -10 could almost double the run time!

Thanks Trevor, that certainly makes the SmallHD monitor the choice for me.

The price is $450 correct?

Any idea when it will be coming out?

One question about the battery supply; So bassically with this device I can simply plug it into the monitor and the camera powering both?

Terry.

Sign me up for wanting to know when this puppy comes out. It seems there's not been a peep from them lately. I'm really going to need a monitor in the next couple of weeks and this would solve all my woes.

SmallHD? Are you out there? :)

Well, still no word on the smallHD monitor, so I went ahead and purchased a Mahattan LCD 8.9" today. It should be here sometime next week. I plan on using it on a gig 2 weeks from Saturday. I'll post when the shoot is over.

Word of caution guys, expect all these things to go up in price soon. Now is maybe a good time to buy while you can. The cost of the component parts of LCD monitors from China, Japan, Korea etc. is going to push prices higher as the $,£ and Euro fall.

Dan

Good thing mine's on the way then. :)

any sense of date for smallHD?
 

Greetings Dale

I have to order in the next week

but through a university process (so add an additional week or two on to that)

any sense of a release date at this point?

would like to hang on and wait but a ball park time line would help

(last date I saw was in January...)

many thanks
Jamie Jewett

Hey everyone,

as you all can imagine, I'm sure Dale is extremely busy with the upcoming smallHD release, in which case he may not have much time to be on DVI. I'd suggest you guys email any questions for him to info@smallhd.com

Looking forward to the new release!

Trevor, do you think that was such a good idea?

That info is published on their site and readily available. Again, I'm not sure if he will be able to respond since they're probably slammed, but peope can also sign up to be notified of any updates. The sign up is on the 2nd slide on their home page.

Cheers!

over the past few weeks, I've called [smallhd], and emailed them numerous times and never heard a peep.... gave up.... and bought a NEBTEK. VERY happy with it.

you can always sell it when you see the new SmallHD! ;)

I would if it had sdi hd and was at least 600nits

I have an EX1 and may get a monitor. What is the impact of not using one with SDI? Some of the monitors that have it as an option charge $300 for the feature!

tone

I have an EX1 and may get a monitor. What is the impact of not using one with SDI, and relying on component? Some of the monitors that have it as an option charge $300 for the feature, which seems extreme.

tone

http://smallhd.com/
 

SmallHD.com - 8.9" High Definition - the DP1



waoooooooo I cant wait!!!

pretty frickin' sweet huh. i'm really stoked, and it will be so worth the wait. such an amazing little piece of technology!

Yes, the panels are getting more expensive (even as BIG HDTV's fall in price). Grab what you need while you can. Manhattan LCD just got a decent batch of 8.9 finished monitors ready to go. They'll go fast.

They are just right for DOF/framing though I would not count on them for editing preview.