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Setting up a grading room on a budget. Any suggestions?!
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Joakim,
Let me try to find some direct links to post houses that use them. I’m having film scanned at Point 360 in Burbank and learned about these projectors by word of mouth. I also got to see a demonstration by Joe Kane on the A900. Joe Kane is a reference monitor expert and from what I understand this is a true reference monitor. But more than that – it’s a truly incredible reference monitor. Joe was a past chairman at SMPTE and is a true, true expert. But let me find out more specific details.
I think that there was a issue with how it was marketed. Samsung didn’t know how to sell it for $13,000. It’s off the market now, but Joe said it should be back on the market in September.
I know it can be precisely calibrated, it’s 4:4:4 and 1080p.
But let me try to find some more specifics for you and post it later.
I know that Allen Daviau has one.
Here is Joe’s website:
https://www.videoessentials.com/
This is not the A900 but Joe Kane set up this 23 foot one (the A900 has a max of 9 feet wide) at Point 360. It’s interesting to read.
https://www.point360.com/NewsArticle16.html
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I just want to add…
The impression I got from people is this is the best thing out there but it was poorly marketed. Sort of like that car from the 50’s the “Tucker”.
It’s hard to describe without seeing it. I can only describe it as a perfect picture in every way. I have also seen the new 50,000 dollar Dolby monitor and this blew it away.
If you live in the L.A. area you might be able to get a demonstration.
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Thank you for all the diverse replies!
I’m still looking for a low budget solution and $13k is definitely not the answer, not just for me, but for the many that are entering the world of professional color correction!
Just like Plasmas weren’t accepted as reference monitors, just a few years back, I could be dead wrong, but I believe that there are projection solutions out there, that approximate the reliability of a Plasma. No they won’t be as good/reliable, but that’s no different then comparing a real reference monitor with a Plasma TV! And that doesn’t stop the hundreds if not thousands, using them, from doing beautiful professional work!
Right now I’m looking at the Panasonic PT-AE4000 and the JVC DLA-HD250
They differ over 1K in price and seem to be in the very high end of HOME cinema projectors.
From all the research that I’ve done, these seem to have the deepest blacks, the most faithful color rendition and the most calibration options, in the sub $4K world.If there’s any one out there that has had any experience with these projectors, or others in this class, I would love to hear about it!!!???
T ; )~
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Hmmm…well you started the response by using the word pro.
But you want to stay in advanced home user or semi pro configurations.
That might work as long as your clients are on the same level or below.
Yes, you can go a looong way with a cinema display and any projector, no doubt.
I also think, if your clients are not willing to pay for the Cristie , the Omnitek and DaVinci panel, why bother buying it ?
The days of the big suites are numbered, more and more people start to do color correction, and would prefer to do it in their editing systems directly.
So clients who never experienced a full blown grading suite will be happy for what they get now.
The cream will rise to the top and thus able to afford and in need for excellence will trust the big players, and if its only for insurance reasons.
But there will be tons of job doing more simple grading and probably even more stylish and wicked, and thats the interesting part 🙂To sum it up :
You will be able to do a 90% job with 10% of the cost = good business
But make sure you have the chance to see the subtle nuances expensive gear will reveal, so you know when to switch.A slice of color…
DaVinci 7.1.2 OSX 10.6.7
MacPro 5.1 2x 2,4 24GB
RAID0 8TB eSata 6TB
GTX 285 / GT 120
Extreme 3D+ WAVE
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