G5 DVI->HDMI for monitoring on big screen

Apple Final Cut Pro Legacy

G5 DVI->HDMI for monitoring on big screen

Posted by Bruce Feagle on June 30, 2007 at 5:11 am

Hello,

I’ve been playing with the extra monitor output on my PowerMac and MacBook Pro to drive my new 1080p big screen with a DVI to HDMI adaptor. It’s cool. Both computers see it as a 1920X1080 display. The desktop image and pictures looks great.

The problem is when watching HDV footage in FCP using the big screen as the digital cinema preview. The image is washed out compared to what I see on both computers monitors. The 1080i60 bars looked close enough. A small tweak in the blacks fixed it right up. But video was still washed out.

Is it a pipe dream to think I could watch my hdv edit on my big screen with a cheap DVI->HDMI adaptor? $40 at Circuit City.

Thanks.

Lance Bachelder replied 18 years, 10 months ago 4 Members · 4 Replies
4 Replies

David Roth weiss
June 30, 2007 at 8:07 am

Bruce,

The video cards in both of your Macs are for computer video display and are not really designed to display video on broadcast monitors or TVs, so yes, your $40 Curcuit City dream is a bit of a pipe dream. Get yourself a Kona LHe.

David

“No job is worth doing more than once…”

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Post-production Supervisor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles
Walter Biscardi
June 30, 2007 at 9:20 am

[Bruce Feagle] “Is it a pipe dream to think I could watch my hdv edit on my big screen with a cheap DVI->HDMI adaptor? $40 at Circuit City.”

Yep. Better to get a true video card like the AJA Kona series. The Matrox MXO would even be better than what you’re trying, but nothing beats a true video card.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Broadcast and independent productions.

All Things Apple Podcast! https://cowcast.creativecow.net/all_things_apple/index.html

Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi
Bruce Feagle
June 30, 2007 at 2:27 pm

[David Roth Weiss] “yes, your $40 Curcuit City dream is a bit of a pipe dream”

[walter biscardi] “Better to get a true video card”

Thanks guys!! I think I’ll wait a little bit for the Intensity Pro to be ready.

Bruce
Lance Bachelder
June 30, 2007 at 4:10 pm

I agree that a Kona or some true video card is the better choice (we have the KHe at work and I have the Kona 3 at home) – but I just set up a new 32″ 1080p LCD yesterday in my bay at work using DVI to HDMI as a temp solution and got it pretty dialed in using the monitor callibration set-up in OSX and live bars via FCP.

I’m viewing 1080p ProRERS HQ stuff and it looks insane. I’m not timing Michael Bay’s next movie with this set up but it is possible get a decent image.

We also have 3 Sony Vegas bays using a 50″ consumer plasma, 42″ pro plasma and a 32″LCD all via DVI to DVI or HDMI and they are all calibrated. Vegas has better color management out than FCP, but my FCP rig looks pretty good.

We are using these on a extremely high profile upcoming TV series and have had no issues with QC during our laybacks in Hollywood.

Lance

Lance Bachelder
Southern California

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