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NTSC monitor hookup
Question for the ether,
I’m getting ready to move my office to work from home and I’m looking to setup an NTSC monitor (an old SD TV) along set my two monitor setup I’ve got now. My home system is an iMac Intel Core duo with an apple studio display connected through the mini DVI connector in the back of the iMac. I believe there are Firewire converter boxes that will do this but I of course am maxed out port with external drives. I also found a USB converter box which may work. I’m wondering if there are any other decent solutions to this problem.
Thanks
jon -
5 Replies
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For roughly the same price as a firewire converter box (such as the Canopus ADVC110) you can pick up a Blackmagic Decklink card, which will provide higher quality connectivity options.
That said, there really aren’t many good reasons to use an old TV for monitoring. Because of the poor resolution and no real way of connecting via component cables or better, it can’t be trusted for doing color correction or ANY important image evaluation. At that point, you’re only using it to check broadcast/title safe, which is completely unnecessary. Professional-grade broadcast monitors offer higher lines of resolution and professional connectivity like you will find in the Blackmagic Decklink cards.
Your only other reliable option is to use a Blackmagic Intensity card, which provides HDMI connection to any LCD/Plasma TV. This is a much more reliable option than a standard TV, but (in my opinion) still inferior to a true broadcast monitor via BNC/SDI connection.
Brendan Coots
Splitvision Digital
http://www.splitvisiondigital.com -
Brendan-
The OP has an iMac, so unfortunately neither of the Black Magic cards will work.
I would suggest a firewire box that has component connections, but I believe the image is still down-sampled to 4:1:1 color space (???).
However, I agree about using an old TV. It just doesn’t give you accurate enough resolution or color. You can find okay SD monitors on B&H for under $1,000 easily. While they’re just “okay,” they’ll be extremely better than your old analog SD TV.
-Paul
CS3, FCS2
[Note: Using Particular, 3-D Stroke, and now Form do not instantly make your designs “teh awesome.”] -
Thanks for the correction Paul, I was pretty tired when I posted and totally forgot he was on an iMac.
Brendan Coots
Splitvision Digital
http://www.splitvisiondigital.com -
Thanks for the input. Actually it’s the old TV look that I’m trying to check. It’s like the sound mixer who keeps a crappy speaker on hand to listen to what a mix sounds like lo-fi.
While clearly the prettier the better, Our ediotrs work at offline resolution during the cutting process and I need to see what my boss and our clients see when they are taking an axe to our graphics. It’s usually the 1989-era client monitor hooked up in someone’s office in LA when they scream through the phone that the graphics LOOK GREEN!
I’ll look into the firewire box. Cheers.
Jon Simmons
Graphic & FX Producer
Giaronomo Productions -
Hello I need help from editors,
1-I want to buy a LCD computer monitor for my NLE editing Can I know Which is the cheap and best one with good color/contrastratio/HDMI/Dvi conections with about 22 to 24 inches size…approx..how much will it cost….
2-How about TV displays..has it got any advantage over computer monitors…? I am confused.I appreciate if you could answer me.
Thanks
S.N.
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