A Courageously Stupid Monitor Question
 

Okay, I have this spare Dell computer monitor which >I guess< could be utilized as a secondary editing monitor for my other Dell setup, which is used only for video editing. Or am I on the wrong track? How would I connect the second monitor to the other system? Or is a regular TV monitor more appropriate?

Any helpful suggestions are welcomed. :)

You can hook that up as a second monitor if your video card supports it. Check the outputs on it. DVI-VGA adapter and two heads/outputs indicates that the card can drive 2XVGA usually. If the adapter doesn't come with your card then it probably doesn't, even if you add the adapter.

You should definitely hook up any TV to your deck/camera, *especially* if you're starting out.

Thanks!!

I use 3 monitors for editing, and most people I know do. Two computer monitors--one for the bin monitor, the other for the edit monitor, and an NTSC monitor so you can see what things really look like.

Bill, how do you connect them all together?

Barry,

I use a setup like Bill. My feed deck is a sony dsr20 which has ntsc and s-video. Firewire connects it to the edit computer. The edit computer has a Matrox G450 dual head card. So I have 2 vga monitors for editing, then the firewire out goes to the dsr20 which feeds a consumer Sony monitor from its composite port and its s-video out feeds a distribution amp that has an Ikegami Hi-res broadcast monitor on one of its outs in addition to a variety of dub decks.

From the firewire, I preview and color correct. You know exactly what you're getting that way...

Best,

John

Noted--thanks alot!!

I have an ATI 8500 and it has on the back 1 vga (being used) a port for what looks like a LCD monitor and a S-video plug-in. The S-video would only work with a TV monitor, right? Would it show what I am seeing while "playing Back" in PP?

As for the LCD port, can I assume that if I buy a LCD monitor, I could just plug it in and go through the ATI setup and be able to use both the CRT and the LCD monitor?

When I use encore there is no way I can keep everything on the screen. If there is anyway to adapt the LCD port so I can use it with other CRT's I already have?

Barry, the 2 computer monitors are just plugged into the computer. All Macs come equipped for that. The firewire goes out to a DSR1800 deck from Avid, and then video cables from he deck to the NTSC monitor. I have real time effects and real time color correction I can see on the NTSC monitor, but I have to render effects before I can play them back on the NTSC monitor, because I haven't ever got motivated to get the Mojo box. Rendering times are so short anymore that it's not a big issue for me these days. I also have video from the Betacam deck going to the NTSC monitor too, and VHS, so I can watch video from Avid, from a DVCAM tape, a Betacam tape or a VHS tape by pushing the appropriate monitor button. I don't have component from the DVCAM deck going to the monitor because I've got it wired component to component to the Betacam, so what I see on the monitor coming through the deck is S video. It's good enough for color checking, etc., and I use BNC composite from Betacam.

Okay, good to know! Thanks!