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Cinema displays, one monitor or two?
Hi, y’all
I am setting up a new FCP system. Coming from Avid, I am used to two monitors in the system. However, I was thinking of getting one 30 in. Cinema display for the FCP system. Anybody have thoughts on this? One 30 in. vs. two 23 in. Cinema displays? Advantages or disadvantages to either set-up?
Thanks in advance,
Bruce -
10 Replies
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TWO 23″ will get you FAR MORE landscape than one 30″. I too come from Avid land, and like to separate my bins and work area. More room man….more room.
But I am a big fan of the Dell 2405 (now 2407) monitors. Cheaper, and they show truer blacks than the Apple monitor.
Shane
Littlefrog Post
http://www.lfhd.net -
Hi Bruce,
Personally, I like two monitors. A couple friends have the 30’s and I don’t see the point, just a giant place to fill with clutter. Might as well just get a 32″ or bigger plasma display if you want big. But the biggest disadvantage IMO is that if you’re working in HD and want to use a CD to monitor, with the 30 you’re toast for everything else, timeline, tools, bins etc. all gone.
I have a 23″ CD and a 22″ Samsung, so when I want to see HD full size, I just change the view to Cinema Display Full Screen and that fills up the Apple display, leaving the Samsung for everything else. Works great.
I also do a lot of AE and I am in the habit of putting my comp window on the left monitor, so my timeline can be deep. I suppose that could be arranged on a 30 but I just feel more comfortable with two screens.
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Get 2 30″. 😉
I’d get as much monitor as I could afford. 2 23″ is a lot more real estate than a single 30″.
Plus, if you’re really used to working on 2 screens, having 1 really big screen will feel cramped. Even if that screen is bigger than the 2 screens you’re used to. I’m currently working on a 30″, and it feels cramped compared to the dual 19″ setup that I’m used to, even thought the single monitor is bigger than the 2 19″ together.
Arnie
Now in post: Peristroika, a film by Slava Tsukerman
https://www.arniepix.com/blog -
Get two. You’ll have more horizontal desktop space, and you won’t have to suffer with smaller text sizes as a result of the higher resolution of the 30 inch. If you were looking into 2 30s vs. 2 23s, I’d say go with the 30s (obviously! I’d love to be so lucky…), but in your situation I’d prefer two 23s. Plus, for me anyway, there’s something about a definitive division of my desktop (being the border between the two monitors) that actually makes me use my available desktop space in a more constructive way. Regardless of how big my monitor is, I don’t like cramming a bunch of windows on one monitor. I’d rather have two monitors, each with 4 or 5 windows than one large monitor with 10 windows.
All the best,
Ben
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If you have 2 – 23″ monitors, you can later pick up the Matrox MXO and have a calibrated 2nd monitor for more precise color work.
Also, if you ever need to extend your runs (put the computer in a closet) you will find that the 30″ picks up noise even with a good cable. You’ll have to use a repeater to extend that, whereas the 23″ extends nicely in my experience at an addition 5 meters.
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Thanks, everybody. Two monitors seems to be the way to go by general concensous. Getting used to FCP vs. Avid is my next pursuit! So far, using FCP has been like editing with mittens on my hands. I have been using Avid MC for 15 years. But, change is good.
Cheers,
Bruce -
Get 2, the same size. I got a 23 and a 20, 2 years ago. I got the 20 to save a little money. I regret not spending the extra cash. It just looks and feels out of balance on the desktop.
Steve Radley
Digitec
Orlando, FL
https://www.digitecinteractive.com -
[Steve Radley] “Get 2, the same size. I got a 23 and a 20, 2 years ago. I got the 20 to save a little money. I regret not spending the extra cash. It just looks and feels out of balance on the desktop. “
I’ve used this setup for years and love it. the 23 holds my timeline and canvas area and the 20 has my bins/effects/audio mixer. If i had 2 23’s i’d have a lot of empty space on the second 23.
-mattycRaising money for Blood:Water Mission to help build wells in Africa. I’m
putting my hair on the line to raise some money.
Check it out https://rattail.callac.com -
[Mattyc] “If i had 2 23’s i’d have a lot of empty space on the second 23.”
Oh… I doubt that! I’m reminded of the “peter principal”: the number of windows you absolutely need to have open always expands to fill the available screen space. 😉
Arnie
Now in post: Peristroika, a film by Slava Tsukerman
https://www.arniepix.com/blog -
[Shane Ross] “ig fan of the Dell 2405 (now 2407) monitors.”
I agree with Shane and suggest two Dell 24″ monitors. I love mine. The extra video inputs are handy too. You can hook them up as extra tape machine or DVD burner monitors or whatever, and switch to the different feeds at the touch of the front panel selector buttons.
Enjoy your new system!
David
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