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Monitor advice needed
I need a decent NTSC monitor in the 32″ range for my edit suite. All our work is still SD 4:3, but HD is in the offing. Can’t see spending $4K on the Pana BT-LH2600. Will I be disappointed in the quality of a Sharp LC32-42U connected to our Kona LHe via component? Any idea how well these scale SD (4:3 in pillarbox mode)? Our Dell 2405 does a really bad job with it and doesn’t have the necessary controls to calibrate. The Sharp has the controls and I’m hoping will look better-even with SD. They are available for around $900.
I felt it necessary to tap the massive knowledge here to tip the scales on this decision. I’ve read every post I can find on the issue. The Pana plasmas look great, but the 37 is actually a little too large for my suite (can’t get more than 4 foot distance). Thanks for your guidance!
Final Cut Studio, FCP 5.1.2, After Effects 6.5 Pro, Quicktime 7.1.3, G5 Quad 2.5, Kona-LHe V3.3, 4.5GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce 7800-GT, G-RAID 2x1TB FW800.
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8 Replies
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It depends… will you be using this monitor for color correction?
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It’s a good point. I realize this LCD can’t reproduce all of the video spectrum accurately and may go somewhat off color in some areas (they say the Sharp has a red push), but I won’t be using it for critical CC. In fact, I don’t have to do any really critical CC.
As long as the cow doesn’t have blue fur, the red car is not purple, and people have pleasing skin tones, my clients are well served. I have my Sony CRT for backup on that.
My purpose is to participate in the world of LCD-viewed video with a “monitor” that is reasonably accurate and makes my program look as good as it will look in the board room, the training room, or on the big screen at the sales conference.
Basically it’s a client monitor. Are you using this type of LCD as a client monitor?
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[Tom Brooks] “The Pana plasmas look great, but the 37 is actually a little too large for my suite (can’t get more than 4 foot distance).”
Tom,
37″ at 4-feet is not really too large. I think you find that no current LCD monitor will ever make you happy. I have the Pany 42″ TH-PH9UK myself, and I love it, and I’m not substancially farther than 4ft away from it. Cost benefit analysis of the Pany plasmas makes them a no brainer…
DRW
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Tom,
I bought a 32″ Sony Bravia LCD, which is a better set than the Sharp, and I can tell you that SD sucks big-time. I won’t even show my stuff on this monitor, because it looks so much better on my 36″ Sony CRT monitor. I don’t know if it’s true, but I’m told that SD looks pretty bad on all HD monitors. Even SD cable TV looks bad on the Sony. Lots of artifacts and mosquito noise.
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[Chris Babbitt] “SD looks pretty bad on all HD monitors”
SD actually looks very good on the Pany plasma monitors… HD LCDs are notorius for bad SD display.
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I guess there’s hope, then.
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I just finished setting up a 32″ sony bravia lcd for a client screening tomorrow. I’m outputting video from the Kona breakout box and the audio is from my digirack. The project is SD. 720×486 10bit. it’s fine. it looks better on my 23″ luma, but it’s fine. pillar box and all. It’s a little red and a touch contrasty but i didn’t spend much time setting it up.
The problem with consumer LCD’s is their limited handles for tweaking color. I suggest going to a decent electronics shop and getting into the settings on a few. you’ll be able to see just how much flexibility is in each set.
vince
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Thanks everyone. Your comments helped me search and ask the right questions to find out what I needed to know. I’ll be getting the Panasonic TH37PH9UK. The cost/benefit argument was very compelling. Everyone says the plasmas handle SD better. Can’t tell you exactly why, but the combination of the physical display technology and the video processing and scaling favor the plasma. The Panasonic is a professional display that does not contain features I won’t use in the edit suite.
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