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Macbook Pro to External LCD Monitor + TV ( S-Video)
I have a feeling this is not possible but I have to ask. I recently purchased a 15″ MacBook Pro (unibody). I use Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, After Effects and DVD Studio Pro for my projects. For those of you who wonder why I didn’t get a Desktop Mac; Long story but in a nutshell: once I save the the money I will and this MacBook Pro will be for my wife’s use.
I already have the MBP hooked up to an external computer monitor [via Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter] which I use as my primary monitor. The MBPs display is my 2nd monitor.
The question I have is: Is there anyway possible to SIMULTANEOUSLY connect my MBP to an external computer monitor AS WELL AS an NTSC monitor via S-VIDEO? Reason being: There still are a lot of consumers out there that use old CRTs in which case I still need to preview my graphics/compositions in the interlaced realm.
I don’t mind spending some money for a solution as long as I can simultaneously connect my current external monitor as well as the CRT TV.
At my last job I used Mac Pros with Black Magic Design video cards and this setup allowed us to not only digitize from SDI sources but preview out of FCP, Photoshop and After Effects.
The next issue would be: You guessed it. Will FCP , AE or PS support preview to the external CRT TV?
Burning a DVD of any static or motion graphics is an option but too time consuming.
I know this is a long shot but I indeed am looking forward to any ideas, experiences or work-flows you do.
Thanks!
XavierXavier
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4 Replies
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Matrox released something recently with SDI and other goodies that I know can be used with the iMac. Don’t know what it’s called or if it works with laptops. If you have the latest Unibody Macbook Pro chances are that it won’t be possible, since Apple removed the Express card slot on these models (sad but true) I’m thinking this would be the connection that it uses.
Kind regards
Daniel Alban
Copenhagen, Denmark
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[Xavier Paredes] “Is there anyway possible to SIMULTANEOUSLY connect my MBP to an external computer monitor AS WELL AS an NTSC monitor via S-VIDEO?”
Yes. Get a Canopus 110 ADVC converter…this works with DV. Or use a camera or DV deck. Connect via firewire and this works with DV just fine. Need higher end SD, or HD? I hope your MacBook Pro has an Express34 slot, because if you do, you have CHOICES! Matrox MXO2 line (MXO2, MXO2 LE, MXO2 Mini), AJA IO Express, MOTU V4HD. All will connect via Express34, or PCIe when you then move to your nice shiny tower…and can display SD, or downconvert HD so you can see it on that SD monitor. But you will be looking at SD, not HD. For HD, you need HD monitors.
LAck that slot? Then your ONLY choices for SD are the AJA IO and IO HD. If you need HD, then the IO HD is the only choice…and it ain’t cheap. $3500. But it is a NICE box. Just doesn’t work with Color in HD for monitoring.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
[Daniel Alban] “Matrox released something recently with SDI and other goodies that I know can be used with the iMac.”
Well, it isn’t very RECENT, it is years old…the Matrox MXO. The original option they had for Mac. But it connects via DVI, so you lose that second monitor. If you are cool with that, then there you go.
https://magazine.creativecow.net/article/matrox-mxo-broadcast-monitoring-on-a-desktop-monitor
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Shane, thanks for your feedback. I’m going to share my findings with the forum in hopes that it helps others. Here’s how I got it to work using my existing equipment:
MBP Firewire OUT to
my MiniDV camcorder S-Video OUT to
CRT TV. And voilá!.The above setup worked with both my Panasonic PV-DV953D MiniDV camcorder as well as my old Sony TRV340 Hi8 camcorder. Now, we all know that firewire can get moody. Once in a while, it decides to give you a hard time for no reason at all (does this behavior remind you of someone) 🙂 For about 3 hrs yesterday I couldn’t get FCP (on either of my two macs) to recognize either camera even though I used the Apple Firewire Easy Setup and changed cables. Long story short, I never found out what was wrong I just had to be patient and after a while it worked.
Both FCP and AE can output a preview (via firewire) to an NTSC TV as long as you properly set preferences on each app. Photoshop also can preview to a CRT TV via: FILE > EXPORT > VIDEO PREVIEW. However, it doesn’t update realtime. You have to update manually every time. To do this: FILE > EXPORT > SEND VIDEO PREVIEW TO DEVICE. Since I’m a big fan of shortcuts, I used Keyboard Maestro to create a shortcut for this.
Hope this helps anyone out there.
Thanks again and good luck!
Xavier
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