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System Configuration Question
Ok
This is my question. I am setting up an uncompressed HD suite with a few 8 COre Mac Pros and I am looking into some 1920×1080 capable monitor.
My choices on the computer side are monitors like the Apple Cinema Display, which is 1920×1200 and 16ms Or one of the more current flavors of 6-8ms Monitors from a number of manufacturers. All of which are cheaper than the Cinema Displays.
or
Many of the 1080p LCD TVs are 1920×1080 native and have HDMI inputs.
I have developed hardware around a DVI interface before at the circuit/software level. But I have not had any experience with HDMI. I see some of the high end cards like BlackMagic have HDMI interfaces.
The idea is to have a normal pair of monitors for editing and a dedicated monitor for playback. Either the TV, Apple Cinema, etc. SO , for the time being I have ordered one of the MacPro 8 core machines with an extra nVidia card for the third monitor. . I haven’t tried this yet in apple or pc NLEs but it should be possible to dedicate that surface as a full screen, full motion output.
The configuration I am working with is just a MacPro with FCP/Shake and a Proavio Editbox 8PM with 4TB. My source is 3D at the moment so I don;t need a capture card yet.
Should I be including a BlackMagic or Aja card in the mix for anything? Playback, down conversion, GPU render assist?
Really interested in your advice.
lee
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7 Replies
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Here is the good inexpensive choice:
https://www.matrox.com/video/products/mxo/home.cfm
Use and Apple Cinema display with the MXO.
Here is a better (IMHO) but more expensive flat screen choice:
Panasonic BT-LH2600
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On the computer side, Dell 2407s are very good, and less expensive than the Apple Cinema displays.
Be well.
Tom
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Thanks for both posts Tom. I didn’t know about the Matrox. I did find decklink solution with HDMI In and Out for around $229 which looks promising.
I did know about the Pana LCD. I wish I could afford it. I’ll bet it looks stellar. And probably a lot better device to make color decisions on.
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Lee,
Check out the Panasonic professional plamsas at https://www.visualapex.com/plasma/Plasma_details.asp?VA=Panasonic&chPartNumber=TH-42PH10UK. At $1099 you can’t go wrong.
Almost every booth at NAB had one or more of the Pany plasmas for good reason. They have terrific blacks and are very CRT-like, especailly compared to LCDs, which in most cases have bad blacks and horrible SD display.
David
“No job is worth doing more than once…”
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Post-production Supervisor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles -
Yes. I had sort of cut the plasma displays out of the equation due to the history they have. The link you provided shows a 720p display. Looks real nice though. I am looking for a native 1920×1080 display. I may take a second look at the plasma solution. Thanks!
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It’s quite a bit more, but the Panasonic Professional Plasma Monitors also come in 1080P.
-Russ
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[Serious Lee] “I had sort of cut the plasma displays out of the equation due to the history they have.”
Lee,
Burn-in is history — its all over now. Pany offers a free five year warranty deal now (ending june 30th), believe me, in the old days they would have gone broke with a deal like that and they know it. Their monitors are in use in professional post houses all over Hollywood, so don’t let old fears ruin an opportunity.
David
“No job is worth doing more than once…”
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor/Post-production Supervisor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles
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