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Home: Video University Forums: Mac Video:
buying a new widescreen for output

LaDonna
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Oct 29, 2007, 11:54 AM

Post #1 of 24 (2386 views)
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I have a G5 (2 years old... got it right before the Intel switch) and would like to buy a widescreen monitor to hang on my wall and see my widescreen HD the way it was meant to be seen! But I'm so confused about how this works! Right now I'm set-up the way I used to save videos to tape (via firewire to my deck). When I edit an HDV wedding, I can only view it through my computer display in the tiny viewer window, and can't tell if there's any flicker and end up de-interlacing every still-frame to make sure. This is making me insane!

What is the best way to go?

~LaDonna

Joel
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Nov 2, 2007, 11:06 AM

Post #2 of 24 (2324 views)
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Re: [LaDonna] buying a new widescreen for output [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi LaDonna,

I know exactly what you mean about the interlacing - you need to display the video at 100% of its intended sized before the monito will show you the fields. Anything less and it blends the fields and hides the scan lines. You'll need a second monitor that is at least 1920 x 1080. Most are 1920 x 1200. What editing app are you using? In Final Cut Pro there is a Cinema Output mode that allow you to use your computer display as an external monitor. That way you can view the full resolution of your canvas in the second monitor and still have the reduced version on your desktop monitor too.

24" 1920 x 1080 monitors have really come down in price lately. I use DealMac.com for most of my computer shopping:

http://dealmac.com/...itor&x=0&y=0

Joel

starting | perfectionists

(This post was edited by Joel on Nov 2, 2007, 11:07 AM)

Joel
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Nov 4, 2007, 12:08 PM

Post #3 of 24 (2286 views)
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Re: [LaDonna] buying a new widescreen for output [In reply to]	Can't Post

Good deal here:

http://www.officemax.com/...436430-1-0-ARTICLE-0

Joel

starting | perfectionists

LaDonna
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Nov 5, 2007, 1:20 PM

Post #4 of 24 (2263 views)
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Re: [Joel] buying a new widescreen for output [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thanks for your help Joel! I've been looking at a Dell 24" (http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku=320-5647) which would be about twice as much. Now I'll have to make a choice! I'm editing a widescreen video at the moment and need to get a monitor pretty quick... would there be any extra cables to buy, or a video card or anything??

Joel
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Nov 5, 2007, 1:35 PM

Post #5 of 24 (2260 views)
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Re: [LaDonna] buying a new widescreen for output [In reply to]	Can't Post

I don't think you'd need extra cables - especially with the Dell. They always come with everything you'd need. The Dell is nice too in that it has every conceivable input- s-video, rca, component etc, in addition to the standard VGA and DVI. HDMI is the only variable that some have and some don't.

Joel

starting | perfectionists

LaDonna
User

Nov 6, 2007, 8:42 PM

Post #6 of 24 (2205 views)
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So I bought the Dell 2407 widescreen monitor (which looks great) and the DVI cable it came with hooked up to my pre-intel Mac G5 no problem. It came up and automatically made that my main display (which I didn't want) so I went to the menu and under "arrange" I dragged the little white bar at the top of the big screen to the smaller screen... so my original 17" monitor is my main display again, and in Final Cut I set up the a/v so it said "cinema desktop display preview"... and now my timeline displays on the widescreen just like I want.

Of course, it will take some getting used to, watching the video on an LCD monitor... but better than the tiny window on my 17" display!

Thanks Joel!

Ron Priest
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Nov 24, 2007, 2:44 PM

Post #7 of 24 (2016 views)
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In Reply To

Hi Joel Im a little confused here. You had stated that LaDonna needed a 2nd monitor that was at least 1920 X 1080, however the ones that your recommended to her, and the Dell that she ended up purchasing are 1920 X 1200? Thanks.
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Joel
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Nov 24, 2007, 11:07 PM

Post #8 of 24 (2001 views)
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Re: [Ron Priest] buying a new widescreen for output [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi Ron,

In Reply To

Im a little confused here. You had stated that LaDonna needed a 2nd monitor that was at least 1920 X 1080, however the ones that your recommended to her, and the Dell that she ended up purchasing are 1920 X 1200? Thanks.

That has always baffled me too - where didi the 1920 x 1200 pixel count come from? Some people say its so play control have space below the actual image area but that can't be true as player controls are mostly superimposed on the image now. Anyway, to see interlace artifacts on an LCD monitor you need to be able to see a pixel-for-pixel representation of the source footage, so viewing 1080i on a monitor that is 1200 pixels tall will work - there will just be black bars at the top and the bottom.

Joel

starting | perfectionists

Ron Priest
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Nov 25, 2007, 12:36 AM

Post #9 of 24 (1996 views)
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Re: [Joel] buying a new widescreen for output [In reply to]	Can't Post

Okay, so it doesn't have to be a 1920 X 1080 monitor then to use a 2nd display as a monitor. Thanks Joe. The reason I ask is because I'm getting ready to switch from Premiere Pro with the Matrox x.100 card to a Mac and I'm use to viewing the output of my timeline to a TV/monitor in real time while editing. That and real time export to disk is going to be the 2 main things I apparently will miss when using Final Cut.
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thatmdvideoguy
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Nov 25, 2007, 2:31 PM

Post #10 of 24 (1973 views)
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Re: [Ron Priest] buying a new widescreen for output [In reply to]	Can't Post

I view my timeline in real time with Final Cut, going back thru my camera to an SD analog TV. Is that what you want?

Allan

Ron Priest
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Nov 25, 2007, 2:39 PM

Post #11 of 24 (1970 views)
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In Reply To

I view my timeline in real time with Final Cut, going back thru my camera to an SD analog TV. Is that what you want?

Allan

Well yes and no. I want reatime output to a TV/Monitor, but I don't want to have to have my camera or tape deck powered up the whole time I'm editing. The Matrox X2 card provides for a realtime output from the breakout box. That's what I'm use to.
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gl
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Nov 27, 2007, 11:58 AM

Post #12 of 24 (1950 views)
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Re: [Ron Priest] buying a new widescreen for output [In reply to]	Can't Post

This is why getting a third party card like the BMD Intensity or AJA LH would help. The Intensity Pro will give you analog output as well as HDMI.

-gl

�Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing.� ~ Abraham Lincoln

Joel
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Nov 27, 2007, 12:21 PM

Post #13 of 24 (1948 views)
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Re: [gl] buying a new widescreen for output [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi George,a

In Reply To

This is why getting a third party card like the BMD Intensity or AJA LH would help. The Intensity Pro will give you analog output as well as HDMI.

I'm patiently waiting for HDMI i/o via express34...

Joel

starting | perfectionists

Ron Priest
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Nov 27, 2007, 1:12 PM

Post #14 of 24 (1942 views)
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In Reply To

This is why getting a third party card like the BMD Intensity or AJA LH would help. The Intensity Pro will give you analog output as well as HDMI.

-gl

That is what I'll do then as soon as I can aford it. I'm so use to seeing the output on a monitor during editing, that I would really miss that.
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Ron Priest
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Mar 8, 2008, 8:30 PM

Post #15 of 24 (1518 views)
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In Reply To

So I bought the Dell 2407 widescreen monitor (which looks great)

Of course, it will take some getting used to, watching the video on an LCD monitor... but better than the tiny window on my 17" display!

Thanks Joel!

Hi LaDonna

I was wondering how you liked your Dell 2407? That's an UltraSharp model is it not? I just ordered the the UltraSharp 2408WFP 24-inch Widescreen Flat Panel LCD and was wondering just how happy you are with yours? Do you find that it's pretty accurate for color correction?
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LaDonna
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Mar 8, 2008, 8:48 PM

Post #16 of 24 (1515 views)
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I really enjoy it. Be sure to calibrate the monitor first.... made a BIG difference!

~LaDonna

MLiebergot
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Mar 8, 2008, 8:58 PM

Post #17 of 24 (1512 views)
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How did you calibrate yours?
Did you use a spyder?

Or just the old school way, by using color bars and blue gel?

In Reply To

I really enjoy it. Be sure to calibrate the monitor first.... made a BIG difference!

~LaDonna

Michael

Cameras: I do use them.
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LaDonna
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Mar 10, 2008, 12:29 AM

Post #18 of 24 (1463 views)
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What I did was went to 'preferences' on my mac and clicked on displays. From there you should be able to see how to calibrate the monitor. It seemed very thorough and changed it quite a bit.

Ron Priest
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Mar 28, 2008, 9:13 AM

Post #19 of 24 (1164 views)
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In Reply To

What I did was went to 'preferences' on my mac and clicked on displays. From there you should be able to see how to calibrate the monitor. It seemed very thorough and changed it quite a bit.

Yeah, Mac makes it so easy to adjust your monitors don't they? I'm using my Dell widescreen on my PC for now, and I have yet to find any type of adjustment procedure on the PC like the Mac.

I'll probably move it over to my Mac when I start to edit HD, but for now it's making PC happy (lol he thinks he's a Mac)

Are you still using yours to monitor your HD output LaDonna? It makes you want to buy that 30" dell for use as your desktop doesn't it? Wink

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GmElliott
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Apr 4, 2008, 7:00 AM

Post #20 of 24 (1067 views)
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LaDonna- beware! Not only are you stretching your image to 16:10 but you are not getting accurate color. Anytime you use a computer monitor through your video card (sans software to do the NTSC/SMPTE conversion) you aren't getting accurate colors. The problem is regardless of how you "manually" calibrate it, it's working in an incorrect gamut of color. Additionally this secondary monitor is directly affected by your video card's LUT (look up table) in other words when you tweak your OS's color profile affects what your viewing externally.

The only way to get accurate color on a computer screen for monitoring is to use the Matrox MXO which processes the image and converts it to the correct color gamut and gives you specialized tools (blue only, etc) to gain an accurate calibration.

Another option is to use a Black Magic Intensity card and output via HDMI to an actual LCD TV. I'm using this set up with a 32" Samsung screen which is aprox the same price as a Dell 24". It only has 720p res but the most important thing is the colorimetry.

Glen Elliott
http://www.GmElliottVideo.com

Ron Priest
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Apr 4, 2008, 10:22 AM

Post #21 of 24 (1036 views)
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Re: [GmElliott] buying a new widescreen for output [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

... Anytime you use a computer monitor through your video card (sans software to do the NTSC/SMPTE conversion) you aren't getting accurate colors. ... Another option is to use a Black Magic Intensity card and output via HDMI to an actual LCD TV. I'm using this set up with a 32" Samsung screen which is aprox the same price as a Dell 24". It only has 720p res but the most important thing is the colorimetry.

Hi Glen

If your using the Samsung 32" as your output monitor, what are you using as your desktop monitor? I'm using a 32" Samsung as my desktop monitor connected via the VGA connection. I haven't started editing HD or 16:9 video yet so I'm still using my old trusty Sony 20 TV via firewire for my monitor. It does rather well when color grading, and the 32" Samsung (as the desktop) matches pretty close to the Sony.

However, I will be moving over to the Intensity Pro card once I start editing HD. When that happens I was thinking about using my 32" Samsung as my color grading monitor via the Intensity card, and getting another monitor for my Mac Desktop. I was thinking about a 30" Dell for my desktop

http://accessories.us.dell.com/...=04&sku=223-4890

Do you think this would be a wise decision? Its native resolution is 2560 x 1600, I probably wouldn't want to work in FC with that high of a resolution would I?

I have the Dell Ultrasharp 2408WFP (which btw is a $100 off right now from the price I paid for it less than a month ago... that ticks me off)

http://accessories.us.dell.com/...=04&sku=320-6272

which does have the HDMI input (and any other kind of input you could possibly want) would that be a good option to use as a color grading monitor via the Black Magic Card?
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brucecleveland
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Apr 4, 2008, 8:12 PM

Post #22 of 24 (961 views)
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In Reply To

Another option is to use a Black Magic Intensity card and output via HDMI to an actual LCD TV. I'm using this set up with a 32" Samsung screen which is aprox the same price as a Dell 24". It only has 720p res but the most important thing is the colorimetry.

Glen are you saying that going out of the Intensity Pro via hdmi to a high def tv is going to be accurate color? I do have the Intensity on my Mac and just wondering.

Bruce
"Always over my head, but not quite deep enough to drown."

chucksav
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Apr 5, 2008, 9:57 AM

Post #23 of 24 (926 views)
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JVC has dropped the price of its DTV24L1U 24-Inch MultiFormat LCD Monitor to a mere ;) $2k. Here is the current buzz on the COW

http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/8/981588#981628

and a review in DV by Terrence Curren of Alpha Dogs post house (this is the HD-SDI version, but identical in most other ways)

http://www.dv.com/...?articleId=196602806

GmElliott
Veteran

Apr 15, 2008, 2:37 PM

Post #24 of 24 (655 views)
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In Reply To

Well the 2k pricing is a bit closer to the stratosphere- I still think it needs to be priced around 1k to be worth it. IMHO it's like a Dell 24" with more image controls, and inputs.

Glen Elliott
http://www.GmElliottVideo.com