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Need a cheap but acceptable monitoring solution – plasma or dreamcolor?
I’m fairly new to the color grading game – been doing a LOT of studying and practicing (color theory and practice from Hullfish and VanHurkman, tutorials wherever I can find them, practice, practice, practice, etc) in Resolve for the past 6 months or so. I have just nailed down my first paid project, a 90 minute documentary with a lot of beautifully shot outdoor footage from the Canon 5D Mark III (Techinicolor Cinestyle). This project will go directly to broadcast. Problem is I do not have a proper broadcast monitoring solution as yet and am wondering what direction I should go. I also do not much of a budget, so am looking at the lower end, but acceptable, options until I can afford to upgrade.
The way I see it there are basically 3 options:
1) Do the right thing and get an FSI broadcast grade monitor
2) Get a Panny Pro Plasma (albeit I know these are better for client viewing than primary monitoring)
3) Get an HP Dreamcolor and calibrate the heck out of it.Option one, unfortunately, is financially impossible for me right now.
I am leaning toward getting a 42″ Panasonic Pro Plasma (Model: TH-42PF50U) but I have a few questions:
– Does anyone out there know anything about this monitor?
– Will it suffice for my first few paid projects? After which I could afford a better solution and turn this into a client monitor?
– Even though this is listed as a “Professional” model, I do not see anywhere that it is ISFccc certified. Does this model even have the necessary controls that a professional calibration tech would need to achieve rec 709 calibration?
– Interesting side note – When I go to the Panasonic website and click on their explaination of “Consumer” vs “Professional”, they do not even mention calibration. Instead they harp on things like durability, moutning capabilities, warranty, etc. So I’m left wonering if this particular “professional” display even contains the added controls necessary for proper broadcast calibration.I am also considering getting an HP Dreamcolor. I have heard much about this monitor’s problems with blacks, and have also had the crap scared out of me by the issues surrounding calibrating this monitor.
– Does anyone out there use this monitor for serious, broadcast work?
– If so, how did you go about calibrating it?
– Is this option even really worth considering?Any advice would very greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
-Pat
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2 Replies
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what did you end up using Patrick?
Im hesitating between FSI broadcast monitor OR Eizo coloredge + AJA Hi5-Plus box..
Obviously, second solution is more appealing due to cost expenses but if it doest work properly, its worthless to spend any money on it..
Best,
Nurali -
Does anyone has some experience with the new Dreamcolor that was shown at Last NAB2014?
Its interesting that nearly none of the tutorialmakers recomends a Model. There is always the same theoretical Topics about technologies and the pros and cons of plasma, LCD and that stuff – but Nobody says: this is my equipmwnt, I grade it with this probe and this solution works great for X and not so for Y. Maybe I didn’t search enough, but that is so essential for this job that I’d rather hear a prooven solution for this issue than to learn how to mimik the lastest blockbasterlook.
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