Production Monitor BT-LH1700W or Plasma?

[Shane Ross]

The LCD is designed for production…meant to be used as a color reference monitor. The Plasma is not. It is simply a client/reference monitor…or home TV. It won’t give you an accurate representation of the colors.

Some argue that the LCD won’t either, that you ONLY can trust a CRT. But the LCD gets you far closer than the plasma.

Get the LCD for color correcting. Then get a pro in there to set it up properly.

Shane

Littlefrog Post
http://www.lfhd.net

[Walter Biscardi]

[N.Adam.Smith] ”
This would provide a lot more wow factor (and save me $1500) but it wouldn’t exactly travel well. I’d be monitoring via my Kona LHe, so if I go with the Plasma I’d also need a Matrox card to output corrected video, right?”

No, you monitor via the Kona for all video output.

As for the LCD vs. Plasma, neither is perfect for color correcting, but I would take the 1700W over the plasmas. That’s more of what it’s designed to do. The plasma are especially colorful and bright and the one thing we can’t correct no matter how hard we try is the fact that both of our plasmas are more red than our broadcast monitors. We can get it really really close, but not exactly.

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

[Sam Zimman]

We have had six BT-LH1700W for about a year now. They’re pretty good, however they do lean green. Now everyone says that if you properly calibrate it with an eye you can fix that. Of course I’m in NYC and we can’t find anyone to come do that for us. The waveform and split screen we never use, and the on screen audio monitoring doesn’t come with it. I think it’s a pretty good HD monitor for the price, but I still keep a CRT around to double check when something looks suspect on the LCD.

Didn’t E-Cinema announce something at NAB this year? JVC and Sony also have new models out now.

[Adam Smith]

Thanks much to both of you, I’ll stick with the 17″ LCD.

The descriptions made it sound like it was tuned for the most accurate image and use as a production monitor, but then I wasn’t quite sure to what extent that could be sales pitch… and I’d seen enough mention of the big Panasonic plasmas used with output converters to make them as true as possible that I was doubting the decision.

I’ll have a little less wow factor but more capable gear, and really… I need good tools more than I need a big picture.

Thanks again,

-Adam

—
Video Photographer / Avid Editor
Maximus Media Inc.

[Shane Ross]

ECinema did announce a Sub $5000 24″ LCD for Color Correction. And the $35k CRT REPLACEMENT which to me looked like a HUGE CRT.

But the $4k 24″ LCD looked good.

Shane

Littlefrog Post
http://www.lfhd.net

[Adam Smith]

Cool, thanks for the info. I sort of suspect I’ll wind up using the waveform and splitscreen less often than I can imagine, but otherwise it sounds like a good deal for the price.

Unfortunately, I’ve got time to do more shopping around, 20 days to kill before financing is complete! =(

—
Video Photographer / Avid Editor
Maximus Media Inc.

[Walter Biscardi]

[N.Adam.Smith] “I’ll have a little less wow factor but more capable gear, and really… I need good tools more than I need a big picture.”

AFter a couple of jobs you can add the Plasma for the “Wow.” 42″ Panny is around $1,100 now or less, incredible price for these things now.

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

[Adam Smith]

[walter biscardi] ”
AFter a couple of jobs you can add the Plasma for the “Wow.” 42″ Panny is around $1,100 now or less, incredible price for these things now.”

Hehe.. truthfully, after a few jobs we’ll be sinking any cash into fixing up the house (like we were going to do before I got the bright idea to spend $50k on buying my own gear)! =P

[Bill Stephan]

Adam,

We have a 1700 in our tape room and a 2600 in our HD edit room, and I don’t like them. They do have a pronounced green cast in the mid-tones (supposedly to make the flesh tones a bit nicer). The green cast is easily seen on a monochrome image. It’s almost impossible to use these monitors for color correcting.

Bill Stephan
Senior Editor/DVD Author
USA Studios
New York City

[Shane Ross]

Good to know Bill. Thanks.

So no way to dial out the green? Why do they do that?

Shane

Littlefrog Post
http://www.lfhd.net