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Apple 23 Cinema Monitor for Color Correction
I am now trying to find a refurbished Apple 23 inch Cinema Monitor for a “poor man’s” solution for color correction and reference monitor. I’ll be using that with an MXO set up. How do you feel about this? Any other suggestions?
Michael
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7 Replies
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Well, here are my thoughts:
https://magazine.creativecow.net/article/matrox-mxo-broadcast-monitoring-on-a-desktop-monitor
It is a great low cost solution. Pretty accurate compared to the HD CRT I used.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Check out TV Logic monitors. They are the only LCD’s that are worthy of the task of Color Correction. Incredibly accurate, as good as a CRT.
Ernie Santella
Santella Productions Inc.
http://www.santellaproductions.com -
I use an Apple 23″ hd monitor (bought new after the prices had come way down), and use it with the MXO v. 1
I’ve seen refurbished 23″ HD displays on eBay, but just read the specs carefully because I think there were 2 generations of the 23″ HD display, and you would want the more recent.
The caveats….your video card is a factor, specifically the number of dvi connections on the card. My ATI 800XT is a good card but with one big limitation . . .only one dvi port, the other is Apple’s proprietary port (ADC) and you cannot buy the right type of converter cable to go from that port to a VGA monitor that you might want to dedicate as your desktop view…..asssuming you want to devote the Cinema Display to HD live preview monitoring.
Along the way I had several sources tell me they had exactly the right converter cable for me, and in each case it turned out not to be the case. It got very complicated and I think I had a thread somewhere on this forum about it at one time.
There are work arounds. For me, I didn’t want to invest in a different card that would be obsolete when I upgrade my PowerMac G5 computer.
So, for now, I use my cinema display for desktop viewing while watching the live preview out to an old NTSC standard def monitor…still good for evaluating color, blacks, and how it will look if my client views it on a std def tv. With a keystroke I can switch my Cinema display to HD preview, and I sometime do that to evaluate other factors.
Typically, I’m editing hdv footage as ProRes 422 and this works for me until I can afford to upgrade a lot of things simultaneously. My vga computer monitor is no longer part of that editing setup…now dedicated to another computer.
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[chris gorman] “My ATI 800XT is a good card but with one big limitation . . .only one dvi port, the other is Apple’s proprietary port (ADC) and you cannot buy the right type of converter cable to go from that port to a VGA monitor that you might want to dedicate as your desktop view…..asssuming you want to devote the Cinema Display to HD live preview monitoring.”
Chris,
I have one of the converters in my hand at this very moment, which was both specifically for the ATI x800 XT. It simply turns the ADC into a DVI port. It’s by a company called Formac, is available all over the world, and it cost a whopping $38.
Here’s a picture:
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los AngelesPOST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™
A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.
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This might be one that I tried. If I recall correctly, I think the problem was that there was not enough power, or for whatever reason, the signal could not get through in realtime.
With what you show, there are two conversions necessary in the lineup.
First, going from the ADC to DVI as you show here, and then another connection is needed to convert the DVI to VGA.
Didn’t work. My screen just flipped in and out of black. I would need ADC to VGA direct, and that is no longer manufactured. If you find one at a reasonable price, let me know.
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[chris gorman] “First, going from the ADC to DVI as you show here, and then another connection is needed to convert the DVI to VGA.
Didn’t work. My screen just flipped in and out of black. I would need ADC to VGA direct, and that is no longer manufactured. If you find one at a reasonable price, let me know. “
It does work if you get the correct converter. Don’t know if they’re available anymore but there used to be a “Dr Bott” unit and Apple also sold a unit that was around $100 which included a large power supply as well. This took ADC to DVI and then all you have to do is attach any DVI to VGA converter and you have a VGA signal.
This is how I used to have one of our old G5’s hooked up when it was just a stand alone DVD Recorder. I had an old VGA monitor sitting around and already had the ADC to DVI converter. The VGA converter worked perfectly running a 17″ VGA monitor at the time.
Would never recommend this setup for color correction though, good enough for a basic computer monitor.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
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“It does work if you get the correct converter. Don’t know if they’re available anymore but there used to be a “Dr Bott” unit and Apple also sold a unit that was around $100 which included a large power supply as well. This took ADC to DVI and then all you have to do is attach any DVI to VGA converter and you have a VGA signal.”
Dr. Bott, and Apple have not had those for some time….they said the ones they used to sell are not manufactured anymore.
But the one you describe….the adc to dvi is readily available, i have it, tried it and for the reason explained in my other post it did not work (adc to dvi, dvi to vga). My vga monitor is 21″. ( i agree, certainly not for color evaluation, vga’s never have been).
It’s not longer an issue for me because my current method is a good alternative for now. My 21″ vga has now replaced a smaller vga i had been using on my old G4 for email and other mundane computer work.
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