LCD HD monitors…are any of them any good?

[tony]

Del,

FYI HD spacial resolution versus CRT monitor resolution are two different things.

Currently there is no CRT monitor that offers full spacial resolution of 1920×1080. The only solution for viewing high resolution is to use a LCD monitor such as Ecinema Cinema Display (sorry I forgot the model number) which is a color critical as well as high resolution monitor.

Consumer HD monitors are indeed down rezzed models which is similar to what current NTSC consumer display monitors do. For example in the field a color critical NTSC high res model may be offer 800 lines of resolution whereas a consumer monitor may be as low as 250-300 lines of resolution.

The point being the final end of the distribution chain ends up with the lowest resolution delivery image.

The term HD in the consumer or professional world can be quite misleading in terms of what exactly the vendor implies.

Tony Salgado

Tony Salgado

[Bob Zelin]

this has been an entertaining thread, and is one that certainly drives everyone crazy. The Sony PVM-20L5/1 may only have 800 lines of resolution, where the Dell 2405FPW, Apple Cinema 23″ and Sony SDM-P234 have the full 1920×1200 HD resolution, but the Sony PVM-20L5/1 LOOKS BETTER AND MORE ACCURATE than any of these FULL RESOLUTION LCD displays. I am dying to see the eCinema, but I have not requested a loaner yet, as I do not know ONE CLIENT that would even consider paying $13,000 for a 23″ display, no matter what it looked like.

With that said, I spend last NAB looking at every alternate waveform/vector scope on the market. I have been a big fan of the Videotek VTM-150 for STANDARD SDI resolution (about $4000) but there are NO good quality CHEAP HD scopes made. The Videotek VTM-420 is about $12,000. The Astro systems HD scope is terrible, and about $9000, and the Hamlet HD scope is worse than the Astro and it’s about $6000. When you think about the “standard companies” like Tektronix and Leader Instruments, their prices are out of control. But if you have no problem spending $15,000 for a HD scope, and $15,000 for the eCinema display (30 grand to monitor your image) – well, you have MUCH RICHER clients than I have.

bob Zelin

[walter biscardi]

[Bob Zelin] “With that said, I spend last NAB looking at every alternate waveform/vector scope on the market. I have been a big fan of the Videotek VTM-150 for STANDARD SDI resolution (about $4000) but there are NO good quality CHEAP HD scopes made.”

Funny you should mention scopes. I have a demo model coming from Hamlet next week. It’s around $8k and I’m really interested to see how it compares to the Leader LV-5750 I’m using at the moment (a loaner from a D.P.) I’ll let you know the model and how it looks next week.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Creative Genius, Biscardi Creative Media
https://www.biscardicreative.com

Now in Production, “The Rough Cut,” https://www.theroughcutmovie.com

Now editing “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

G5 Dual 2.0, AJA Kona 2, Medea FCR2X

[Jeremy Garchow]

Hey Walter, when you get in the Panasonic model, let us know how it pans out. Also, I believe this monitor has some sort of built in waveform (no scope). I’m curious to see if that’s worth anything either.

Thanks everyone for chiming in. Sorry to cause all of the rumble, but I think I kind of asked for it. All comments are much appreciated as I continue on my quest for ‘the future is now and also affordable for people like me’.

Jeremy

———–
G5 Dual 2Ghz <> 4GB RAM <> FCP 5.02 <> Kona 2

ATTO 42XS <> Huge Systems 1.25 TB 4105 Fibre

[Del Holford]

Hi All
I do understand what Tony was saying about resolution – spacial vs. crt. I got off point.
I also found as a result of reading this thread that my BVM 20 actually only has 900 lines but does have SMPTE-C phosphors.
This has been a great thread and I’m very fortunate to have started HD production and editing four years ago with a fairly large budget(after a 1.5 yrs research). At the time the only system that would edit HD was Discreet fire*, which my station purchased. Things are much better and less expensive today. smoke on linux now does HD and Apple got back into the game bigtime.

Good luck to Jeremy and thanks for a great thread.

Del

[MitchJi]

[Del Holford] “also found as a result of reading this thread that my BVM 20 actually only has 900 lines but does have SMPTE-C phosphors.”

Hi,

Horizontal video monitor resolution is not specied as the total resolution. It is the total resolution as if the montor were square. So for a 4:3 monitor with 900 lines of resolution the actual resolution is 1200 lines.

HD has a different color space than NTSC so SMPTE-C phosphors are probably not correct for HD.

Best Wishes,

Mitch