apple can, but monitor companys cant? really?

Dale Backus · January 31st, 2010, 01:59 AM

I couldn't help but chime in here, because i have seen this similar question so much lately it's driving me nuts.

The screen on the iPad is nice: IPS, 1024x768 (4:3, so an effective 1024x576 for most people), and would probably produce a very nice image. But the price argument isn't fair because (and Michael above was correct here), they just have MASSIVE volumes, and when you have that much clout, you pretty much call the shots with your suppliers. "Hey Samsung, you will make me this panel, and you will make it for this price. If you don't, i'll find someone else who can and they'll get my 3mil/year order quantity." If Marshall or Ikan or SmallHD were to buy the same hardware it would cost 2-3 times, or possible more for the raw materials, because they simply can't buy as many. Bottom line, the higher the quantity, the less the cost. The market for these field monitors is minuscule in comparison. Also, and I can't say this with any kind of certainty, but i'd be willing to bet they have plans for digital content distribution that is part of a long term strategy - to price as low as possible, and get these devices into as many hands as possible. The money will come from enormous app and digital content sales. Apple is shifting this way, and now their goal is to just get their hardware into your hands. Part of why you can get an iPhone for 99 bucks these days.

Pricing aside - i'd be shocked if this thing has the horsepower to ingest (even if you could ever physically get the signal to it somehow, don't think the single data connector on this thing would support a 19pin HDMI connector with all the dedicated pins reserved already, plus power and whatever else you guys are wanting) 1080P video and in real-time scale it to fit the screen. It currently only supports 720p video playback. This tells me if it can't even play 1080p video, i doubt it can ingest, down-convert, and then play 1080p video. And as we all know most cameras nowadays are 1080p. This is the most fundamental problem i see (along with several others) with the iPad as a standalone field monitor solution... but i could be wrong. Maybe it's a magical 1ghz chip. I'm just skeptical that a device made to compete with the Kindle would be able to manhandle uncompressed Full HD video...

I do see it having potential in other areas though, like the iPhone.. (b/c after all it is just a slightly beefed up iPhone). Focus/exposure control, directors preview monitor (if it could maybe ingest an SD signal, or via USB like the 5D/7D can)... etc. Who knows.

One thing's for sure... it's interesting. And even if it doesn't work out as a field monitor, you can be rest assured that it will be driving field monitor companies harder. The next iPad might be the one that kills it.

Paul Cook · January 31st, 2010, 04:01 AM

how about as a teleprompter then? Im sure people already use the ipod touch and iphones for this...here the ipad would be ideal - especially if someone wrote a dedicated 'app' for that.

Dave Therault · January 31st, 2010, 10:00 AM

Wouldn't latency be an issue too?

January 31st, 2010, 01:59 AM	#16
Dale Backus Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 132	I couldn't help but chime in here, because i have seen this similar question so much lately it's driving me nuts. The screen on the iPad is nice: IPS, 1024x768 (4:3, so an effective 1024x576 for most people), and would probably produce a very nice image. But the price argument isn't fair because (and Michael above was correct here), they just have MASSIVE volumes, and when you have that much clout, you pretty much call the shots with your suppliers. "Hey Samsung, you will make me this panel, and you will make it for this price. If you don't, i'll find someone else who can and they'll get my 3mil/year order quantity." If Marshall or Ikan or SmallHD were to buy the same hardware it would cost 2-3 times, or possible more for the raw materials, because they simply can't buy as many. Bottom line, the higher the quantity, the less the cost. The market for these field monitors is minuscule in comparison. Also, and I can't say this with any kind of certainty, but i'd be willing to bet they have plans for digital content distribution that is part of a long term strategy - to price as low as possible, and get these devices into as many hands as possible. The money will come from enormous app and digital content sales. Apple is shifting this way, and now their goal is to just get their hardware into your hands. Part of why you can get an iPhone for 99 bucks these days. Pricing aside - i'd be shocked if this thing has the horsepower to ingest (even if you could ever physically get the signal to it somehow, don't think the single data connector on this thing would support a 19pin HDMI connector with all the dedicated pins reserved already, plus power and whatever else you guys are wanting) 1080P video and in real-time scale it to fit the screen. It currently only supports 720p video playback. This tells me if it can't even play 1080p video, i doubt it can ingest, down-convert, and then play 1080p video. And as we all know most cameras nowadays are 1080p. This is the most fundamental problem i see (along with several others) with the iPad as a standalone field monitor solution... but i could be wrong. Maybe it's a magical 1ghz chip. I'm just skeptical that a device made to compete with the Kindle would be able to manhandle uncompressed Full HD video... I do see it having potential in other areas though, like the iPhone.. (b/c after all it is just a slightly beefed up iPhone). Focus/exposure control, directors preview monitor (if it could maybe ingest an SD signal, or via USB like the 5D/7D can)... etc. Who knows. One thing's for sure... it's interesting. And even if it doesn't work out as a field monitor, you can be rest assured that it will be driving field monitor companies harder. The next iPad might be the one that kills it.

January 31st, 2010, 04:01 AM	#17
Paul Cook Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 174	how about as a teleprompter then? Im sure people already use the ipod touch and iphones for this...here the ipad would be ideal - especially if someone wrote a dedicated 'app' for that.

January 31st, 2010, 10:00 AM	#18
Dave Therault Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: USA Posts: 67	Wouldn't latency be an issue too?