Video Setup Question

[Gary Kleiner]

For DV playback, you want a broadcast monitor (or a TV if you can’t afford one). You go firewire out from the computer, then transcode it to composite or Y/C through a dedcated box or camcorder.

Gary Kleiner

Learn Vegas and DVD Architect

http://www.VegasTrainingAndTools.com

[Carlo Simone]

Do they make a good affordable broadcast flat panel that you can recommend?
Also, what type of box converter do I need to transcode to signal from firewire?

Thanks Gary..

[Stephen Mann]

“… affordable broadcast flat panel …”

Assuming you mean LCD, not the Sony Vega flat panel CRT’s?

LOL. “Affordable” and “broadcast” in the same sentence. In the broadcast industry, money is no object.

Sony makes an professional LCD monitor, for about $6,000. Even then I would be dubious of it’s value as a critical monitor. LCD’s make notoriously bad monitors for color and exposure decisions. White depends on the color of the backlight, black is an illusion because some of the backlight makes it through the LCD cells. Contrast depends on the viewing angle and brightness varies according to the ambient light. And then how would you calibrate it since there’s no “blue only” button, no hue, chroma, phase or aperture controls.

Shop around on E-bay and look for used pro monitors like the Sony PVM-14. You can probably find one for a few hundred dollars.

You’ll also need a firewire converter. You can either use your camera or look for an ADVC-100. But, if you’re going to buy new, I would go for the ADVC-300 with a built-in TBC. You don’t need the (TBC) Time Base Corrector for viewing what’s on the Firewire port, but if you ever copy analog (like VHS tapes) to AVI files, you’ll be glad to have it.

Stephen Mann,
MannMade Digital Video,
San Jose, CA

[Ted Snow]

Any cheap digital camcorder with firewire pass thru will work, I have a Canopus ACEDVio that I use but you can get by fine with a camcorder. You can check Ebay for digital camcorders that are damaged such as tape mechanizm broke. The video portion will work fine but you just can’t record to tape. This is a cheap way to get a monitor system set up. Most camcorders also have an s-video connector which will give you a better picture than straight composite. You definately do not want to use a video card output to a computer monitor. It will not be even remotely accurate. I use a 27″ Panasonic flat screen (not flat panal) TV/monitor and have good results. If you need flat panal for space then get you a small flat panal TV and use it with a camcorder or converter. I’ve never used a flat panal TV for monitoring, but I would imagine it would be much better than a computer monitor with a video card.

[Ted Snow]

Steve just answered the question about LCD monitors…thanks Steve, good to know. I haven’t used one yet so I wasn’t sure.