use a consumer HD LCD as Mac desktop screen with FCP??

[Walter Biscardi]

Contrast, sharpness and color is what separates high end LCD monitors like the Apple and Dell monitors from all the rest. Especially sharpness which is very important if you plan to sit in front of this monitor for 8 – 14 hours a day. Cheap monitors are great as a secondary Bin monitor, like my Viewsonic 22″ LCD monitor I picked up for $300 at Costco. But for the main viewing monitor, I run the Dell 2407 in one suite and the Apple 23″ Cinema Display in the other suite. Color, Contrast and Sharpness are outstanding on both of these.

If you can see the monitor you’re talking about at a store and it looks like it’s sharp enough and has enough contrast for what you need, then by all means get it. But I’ve not seen any monitors out there that have the contrast, color and sharpness of Apple and Dell.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

[Ben Holmes]

Walter’s right, computer monitor are set up for computer display, whereas HD LCD’s are set up for video.

That said, I run my Mac Mini via a Loewe HDTV – on a DVI to VGA adapter. Although it has an HDMI port, the computer looked soft and wrongly positioned via this port. the ‘lesser’ VGA connection looks pin sharp and I can adjust the screen position on the Loewe, although not the H/V Scale. Fortunately, on this set, that’s not a problem, the base of the dock is just visible.

However, this adjustment is not standard on all TV’s, so it may catch you out. Finally, despite a native resolution of 1336×768, the set only lets me input a max resolution of 1280×720 – pretty low for a 32″ screen. Even your 1920×1080 res (if it lets you do this via VGA) is pretty low compared to a big computer monitor.

If the screen only has a component or HDMI connection (ie no VGA) don’t touch it with a bargepole for this. HDMI is way too fussy for computer use.

Mostly I use this screen for front row and iPhoto – if you want a big screen for editing, and your budget is tight, go get yourself a Dell….

Ben

Editec Broadcast Editing Ltd

EVS & FCP specialists for live OB operations. FCP systems just used on Sky Sports coverage of the Ryder Cup – live from the K Club.

“The Supercar Run” now available for international distribution from http://www.electricsky.com

[Tom Matthies]

I’ve been running a Dell 2407 LCD monitor as an HD client monitor for a few months now with generally good results. I drive it with an Aja HDP HDSDI to DVI converter which is driven by one of the HDSDI outputs from a Kona3 card. Although the motion looks a little soft (a little lag-gy), the resolution is pretty good and gives the clients a chance to see their footage in HD while in the edit room. My HD edit setup is currently in a smallish room awaiting renovation of our last tape to tape online room that was gutted a while ago. I literally don’t have the space for a larger CRT type monitor in the edit room at this time. I do use a smaller Sony broadcast monitor driven by the analog component outputs of the Kona card for color grading however.
It all works and everyone is happy until the buildout if finished on the new room. I’m also the engineering guy here and I’ve been so swamped with editing that I haven’t had the time to finish the design/layout of the new edit suite yet. What can I say? I am my own worst enemy.
Tom.

[Walter Biscardi]

[Tom Matthies] “I’ve been running a Dell 2407 LCD monitor as an HD client monitor for a few months now with generally good results. I drive it with an Aja HDP HDSDI to DVI converter which is driven by one of the HDSDI outputs from a Kona3 card. Although the motion looks a little soft (a little lag-gy), the resolution is pretty good and gives the clients a chance to see their footage in HD while in the edit room.”

Definitely when you’re ready, move to a Panasonic HD Plasma screen. Start at $1,300 or something like that for the 34 or 37″ screen. our 50″ can basically replicate the same color space as our Sony PVM20L5/1 monitor and the blacks are incredibly rich.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

[David Roth weiss]

Walter,

Can you please post the model number of your Panasonic monitor?

THNX,
DRW

[Chris Borjis]

[walter biscardi] “our 50″ can basically replicate the same color space as our Sony PVM20L5/1 monitor and the blacks are incredibly rich.”

whats the resolution on that 50″ plasma walter?

I’m currently monitoring on a Dell 24″ LCD via blackmagic-designs multibridge extreme with the built in hd-link. It maps 1920×1080 and 720p pixel for pixel, but we are moving in a few months to a much nicer facility and there’s a mount on the wall in the edit room where a plasma once was.

[Walter Biscardi]

[David Roth Weiss] “Walter,

Can you please post the model number of your Panasonic monitor?”

Model=TH-50PHD8UK

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

[Walter Biscardi]

[Borjis] “whats the resolution on that 50″ plasma walter?”

1366 x 768 resolution. We work primarily in 720p so that’s why I went with the 50″ because it’s the first size to display true 720p frame size with no scaling.

If you step up to the 65″ they have one model that supports true 1080p resolution with no scaling and one model that supports it with scaling. Our 50″ model is displaying 1080i just beautifully.

Of course if you REALLY want to impress your client, pony up for the 103″ model, step back and put on the shades. 🙂

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

[David Roth weiss]

Thanks Walter.

For those considering this monitor there is a great review on CNET at https://reviews.cnet.com/Panasonic_TH_50PHD8UK/4505-6482_7-31511908.html .

DRW

[Walter Biscardi]

[David Roth Weiss] “Thanks Walter.

For those considering this monitor there is a great review on CNET at https://reviews.cnet.com/Panasonic_TH_50PHD8UK/4505-6482_7-31511908.html .”

I believe it has up to 7 inputs. What’s great is that it’s fully modular so we currently have it set up with dual Component inputs. But we can add HD-SDI or HDMI at any time by simply installing the appropriate modules.

I find it amusing that the inputs are one of the areas CNet didn’t like. Maybe they don’t know it’s fully expandable.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters