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Can’t decide on monitor set up. Advice Please!
I am looking for experienced advice on the best monitoring setup fore color grading in my budget. I am on a mac pro 2.66 with FCS 2 + Kona LHe.
Options Considered
1) JVC 24″ LCD with HDSDI
– Concerns = Most say it’s good but not good enough and it is pricey. Not sure if this monitor would also be good for use with photoshop through its DVI input (would be nice but not necessary). Maybe it won’t perform as well as the ACD & MXO combination (a much less expensive solution)?
– Considerations = Maybe it will perform better than the the ACD & MXO combination? Good specs. Input from Kona through it’s HDSDI and lots of other inputs for other occasions. Built in blue only for calibration.
2) NEC 26″ LCD (LCD2690WUXI) that has a very wide color gamut, or the 30″ NEC model at twice the price with a slightly wider color gamut, paired with either the MXO or the HDLink.
– Concerns = Can’t find any one who has tested this combination and don’t know if they will play nice.
– considerations = Based on reviews and specs the NEC looks to be a superior monitor (when compared to the apple 23″)and would be ideal for use with photoshop. The 30″ and a MXO would be less expensive than the JVC.
3) Apple 23″ cinema display paired with either the MXO or the HDLink.
– Concerns = Based on reviews and specs the ACD may not be the best value when compared to the dell 24″ or the NEC 26″.
– Considerations = Based on experienced reviews, the ACD & MXO are a winning combination. The MXO and HDLink were both engineered for use with the ACD.
4) The new Dell 24″ with wide color gamut paired with either the MXO or the HDLink.
– Concerns = Some say the dell and the MXO are not the ideal
combination.– Considerations = Least expensive and possibly the best value? Specs are better than ACD.
-Considerations of the MXO vs. HDLink = MXO gives clear calibration options, I can only find vague info on the net about calibrating the HDLink for broadcast or color correction. I do have a spyder2 pro for calibration but am not sure if this method of creating an ICC profile and importing it into the HDLink will be sufficient for color correction work when compared with blue only colorbar calibration. HDLink is 1/2 the price. The HDLink would utilize the HDSDI out of
my kona, a cleaner signal?, but would it maintain the proper colorspace when converted back to DVI? I don’t have any experience with CRT broadcast monitors and wouldn’t know what to look for if I had to “eyeball” it for calibration.I would consider AJA’s SDI to DVI converter but there doesn’t appear to be any method for calibrating the setup.
Right now I’m leaning most towards the #2 combination above, but would like a more experienced opinion than my assumptions.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Your thoughts on the above combinations and products would be greatly appreciated and would really help me to make a better informed decision (It’s quite difficult to make returns with online retailers and this will be a significant investment for me).
Thanks again,
Shiloh
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3 Replies
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Although there is a lot of legitimate debate about using LCDs for color correction, I have been very happy with the my Panasonic BT-LH1700. Whether to use an LCD vs CRT may depend on your final distribution channel, which you did not mention. In any event, I think your JVC option is the best of those you have outlined. The Panasonic monitor has Blue gun and a built in wave form monitor which are also great tools.
Jim
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Everything you are saying sounds very familiar to me. I know that I am the source of a bit of this information.
If it were me, the best combination would be the Kona LHe and the JVC HD LCD. Not too expensive of an HD monitor…that is the going rate for HD LCDs. And that is a good one. And you don’t use Photoshop on this monitor, you use your computer monitor and proper calibration hardware/software. Or the NEC…that is PERFECT for photos.
Next on the list would be the MXO/ACD combination. I have tested the DELL with the MXO and the ACD is better. I would LOVE to see what the NEC is like with the MXO, but I can’t get one for review, and I ain’t shelling out $1200 just to see.
Shane
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It should sound very familiar, I based allot of my preliminary opinions and assumptions on information you have so generously made available. I haven’t had the opportunity too see any of these expensive tools in action. So I must put my faith in the opinions of those of you who have experience with them. I am very grateful for the resources you provide.
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