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HD monitoring question
Even though this topic has been covered before, I would like some reassurance/advice whether my monitoring setup would work well. I am not going to spark another AJA Kona vs Black Magic debate, so here is what I need:
– I work with HDV, HDCAM HD, XDCAM HD, DVCPRO HD and RED, 1080i, 720p, 25i, 24p, very occasionally SD
– I do not need to capture or connect to any device as I get most footage as files, so no inputs necessary
– For the monitor I will be using a Panasonic Plasma TH range (as recommended on these forums as a cheap monitoring solution)
– I don’t need 2k out, as the HDTV is 1080p, anyway, so I just need down-conversionAfter having read all the threads I want to go with the Kona He or Hi, but don’t want to dismiss the BM HD extreme as an option, even though stability and hardware-acceleration draws me more to the Kona. So, my questions are:
1. which Kona card shall I buy?
2. I assume the Panasonic HDTV has HMDI and component inputs. which would be the better connection from the card for monitoring?Thanks.
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5 Replies
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The main differences between the cards are the Hi has HDMI in/out, SD to HD up conversion, HD to HD cross conversion. If you think you’ll never need those capabilities (now or in the future), then the He would work.
John
MacPro 8-core 2.8GHz 8 GB RAM OS 10.5.8 QT7.6.4 Kona 3 Dual Cinema 23 ATI Radeon HD 3870, 24″ TV-Logic Monitor, ATTO ExpressSAS R380 RAID Adapter, PDE enclosure with 8-drive 6TB RAID 5
FCS 3 (FCP 7.0.2, Motion 4.0.2, Comp 3.5.2, DVDSP 4.2.2, Color 1.5.2)Pro Tools HD w SYNC IO & 192 Digital I/O, Yamaha DM1000, Millennia Media HV-3C, Neumann U87, Schoeps Mk41 mics, Genelec Monitors, PrimaLT ISDN
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Thanks for the response John. I also read the comparison specs on the AJA side, and was not quite sure what up and cross-conversion actually means. Does it relate to inputting (capturing) or outputting (monitoring)? Could you maybe mention some real-life examples of up and cross-conversion? I am just confused because playing out SD/HD from the timeline to the HDTV is also kind of cross-conversion, isn’t it? I just want to be able to monitor, not to input anything. In the near future I hope I can afford an FSI or TV logic monitor, which either of the two Konas could feed via HD-SDI, so it’s future-proof for my monitoring-only purposes.
Re HDMI, Walter mentioned in another thread that HD component from the Kona to the Panasonic HDTV it fairly accurate re colour grading (the cheap solution, that is). So, I guess HDMI is not priority.
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I’d like to add the Matrox MXO2 to your list. HDMI out too, and a bunch of the same I/O that the LHi has, but it’s output via HDMI allows for proper monitor calibration…something the Kona’s and Decklink lack. You have to try to do it with the TVs that lack the same controls. The MXO2 has this function built in. But, I like AJA and Matrox options…
[Catalin Brylla] “s not quite sure what up and cross-conversion actually means. Does it relate to inputting (capturing) or outputting (monitoring)?”
Both. Cross Conversion is going from 720p to 1080i, or 1080i to 720p. UP conversion is SD to HD, and down conversion is HD to SD. AJA and Matrox options have HARDWARE up and cross conversion…and down conversion. Black Magic only offers hardware down conversion…the other options are done via software. Hardware conversions are better.
[Catalin Brylla] “Could you maybe mention some real-life examples of up and cross-conversion?”
Capturing a betaSP tape, or DV tape…upconverting it to 1080i to match the rest of your footage. That’s up conversion. Or taking your HD show and outputting it to DV tape or betaSP…that’s down conversion.
Cross Conversion…shooting and working in 720p, but needed to deliver a 1080i master. The cross conversion of this is handled when you output.
[Catalin Brylla] “I am just confused because playing out SD/HD from the timeline to the HDTV is also kind of cross-conversion, isn’t it?”
To get an SD signal to play on an HDTV, yes, upconversion is happening. You will need a capture card to be able to do that.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
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Shane, I second the Matrox MXO2! Amazing piece of equipment!
Tony Brittan
Apple Certified Pro – FCP
YouTube.com/tonybvideo
islandshoreproductions.com -
Shane
would you advice how i can get a raw of RED camera preview sd SDI monitor from an AJA KONA crad it seams like imposible to me to get down conversion from the COLOR software on MAC Rpo but the same card can do down conversion when i am using the FCP
please adviceBest
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