[Robert Broussard]

[walter biscardi] ” only way to figure out what you want/need is to sit in front of a system and try it out. You did that and liked the feel and real estate of the dual 20″ setup, so go with that.”

Yes, I saw them just sitting there… not running anything… Anyway, I know if I were to use FCP and the other apps listed on various display configurations I would have a preference. Also, I was hoping that there was some consensus as to what setups have proven to be optimal… With that information I was hoping to avoid bringing in more than one solution for evaluation and attempt to start with what most consider to be optimal.

So, instead of asking “what’s the best…” or “what’s optimal”…I should ask, what do you use now or what have you used that you consider optimal?

Some people have suggested the following:

-Apple 30″ Display (1). Suggesting that many of the new interfaces work better on a dinglelarge monitor…
-Dual Lacie 3-2-1s (4:3)*. Because he likes the calibration that allows soft-proofing for print work.
-Dual Apple 23″. Because of the pixel dimensions allow it to be used as an HD pic monitor.
-Dual Dell 24″. Because it is cheaper than the Apple 23″ and offers some additional features…
-Single Apple 23”. Anyone happy with a single monitor (smaller than 30″)?

* The Eizo ColorEdge displays were strongly preferred… yet, the Lacie 3-2-1 was more cost-effective…

All over the board. 😀

Thanks,

Robert

[Robert Broussard]

[Graeme Nattress] “The new widescreen wacom is superb. Love it. Best wacom I’ve used.”

Walter and Graeme, precisely what Wacom tablets are you using?

Thanks,

Robert

[Robert Broussard]

[walter biscardi] “Actually, as soon as AJA has their unit ready, I believe that’s going to be a very good low cost a/d converter.”

What? Tell us more about this upcoming AJA unit… and how it will interface.

Thanks,

Robert

[Robert Broussard]

[JeremyG] “Yes you can edit on the K2 and go SDI out to the io and then S-Video of the io to whatever you want. All outputs of the io are active at all time. You can run component, composite, SDI, and S-Video all out at the same time.”

And, I assume that the delay associated with the IO is not present in this situation since we are not using FW–right?

Also, it seems that if you have chosen to use AJA… that the IO is an easy decision since it can be integrated with and without the K3. So, you could start with IO SD only and suffer through the delays (just kidding) and when you actually need HD get the LHe or K3 card–makes sense?

Thanks,

R

[Robert Broussard]

[JeremyG] “I use the io to bring in/layoff analog SD material. It also makes a great d/a. The io in this suite office is not tied to my machine, it’s actually tied to another machine. I have a Kona 2 on my machine, so I constantly use the io to feed my kona 2. They are tethered by an SDI cable and a cheap serial cable. It works splendidly. If they are on the same machine and you need to bring in analog SD material, then you select the io preset and away you go. Once the footage is in, I would suggest using the Kona2 for editing as the delay is lessened, although the delay does not bother me. the Kona 2 is CA compliant so soundtrack pro will work just fine.”

Is the IO always tethered to you? How is this managed?

Can you edit on the K2 and go out Y/C via the IO (K2->SDI->IO->Y/C)?

If you were just doing standard def with DVCAM or DV50 source material (most of the time) would you simply go with the IO or would you still want the Kona (Kona 3 in my case)?

Thanks,

R

[Robert Broussard]

[JeremyG] “The io is not core audio compliant.”

Jeremy, what limitations are there with a device such as the IO not being CA Compliant? What can we NOT do that we might want to do?

Also, what’s the typical Kona 2/3 workflow? How do they work in tandem and how are they connected?

One more thing, do editors prefer to use card like the Kona to eliminate the 4-7 frame delay that the IO has?

Thanks,

Robert

[Robert Broussard]

[Jerry Hofmann] “Tiger is a rocking thing on a quad.”

Jerry, what video card do you recommend with the QUAD for running FC Studio and Adobe Photoshop and AE.

Some people are going with the 7800 GT cards while some are hoping that a better card will become available in a few months that will be much better than the 7800… Thoughts?

I know this makes little difference for FCP; yet, is more affected by Motion and future Apple products…

Thanks,

RObert

[Robert Broussard]

[Craig Shields] “Did anybody notice that they are accepting Academic versions also?”

Yes, and did you notice that “Upgrades” independent of the original version are also accepted?

FWIW,

Robert

[Robert Broussard]

[gary adcock] “I was told that 99%+ of LCDs are LG or Samsung.”

Gary, what display(s) do you prefer to use when editing with FCP? Two Apple 23″ Cinema Displays? Two Dell 2405’s? One large monitor like the Apple 30″?

What computer display setup do you find the most useful?

Thanks,

Robert

[Robert Broussard]

Re: “I’m working with several non-fiction television production teams and the laptops with FW 800 and AJA Io’s will play a huge role in the post for those shows.”

Walter, please tell us more about your use of laptops in the field… I’d like to better understand what you are accomplishing and how.

Thanks,

Robert