2 x 23' Monitors or 1 x 30' Monitorq

I have been using FCP for a year or so now on a 15? Powerbook and have completed several corporate videos.

I am now in a position to finally upgrade to a desktop system, complete with tape deck and external NTSC video monitor etc.

I am having some issues deciding what monitor setup to use. 2 x 23? HD monitors or 1 x 30? HD monitor.

Using the 15? powerbook I have grown accustomed to using one monitor, so the 30? seems like a perfect solution. Also my studio is at home, making the 30? the biggest tv in the house for movie watching!

Would I be making a grave mistake not using twin monitors? What is the preference of others?

I use two Dell 24" 2405 monitors. Far more real estate than 1 30" monitor...and cheaper too. Even two 23" Apple monitors are as much as one 30"....more real estate.

Get than and the Matrox MXO and you can use the second monitor as a broadcast color correction monitor.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

"Using the 15? powerbook I have grown accustomed to using one monitor"

you'll get over that pretty quick

i would definitely go for 2 x 23"
i work with a 15"laptop and a 23" cinema display

i alternate window layouts a fair bit.
browser on one, viewer, canvas, and timeline on the other is a great workspace.
& sometimes i'm happy with all on the 23"
if you work like that, then you can quickly throw the canvas image up onto the other 23"
(may not be a big deal if your external NTSC is a large one)
but having all one the 23" you can have other app's in view on the other one.


cheers,
nick

Interesting, I have two edit systems, one with 2 x 23 and one with a 30

I thought I'd hate the 30, but I like it more and more. It means you can have the viewer/canvas windows running at 100% too.

I would go for the 2 x23 if you have a lot of clients attend because they normally end up pointing at clips in bins on the second monitor

You could always go for 2 x30! LOL!

Peter

I chose 2x 23? Cinema Displays for my setup but lately I?ve had some second thoughts; using both displays effectively is difficult. In fact, I am working on ?main? screen 95% of the time and the second screen is there just to hold my emails. Add a decent size broadcast monitor to the equation and one starts to have a bit too much real estate to cover.

30? display will hold FCP nicely and since switching programs is a breeze you really don?t need to view multiple screens simultaneously. You get a clear view on 30? and the broadcast monitor without turning your head too much. Also, you?re less likely to injure yourself with mouse since there is a lot less movement involved on a single screen setup.

Gotta disagree with most of you here - and in my opinion a single 30" is much better.

As Peter mentioned you can get not only 2x 100% Viewer & Canvas windows in SD but you can also get a full 100% 1920x1080HD image with timeline or colour correction tools around it.

If you do go for the 2x smaller screens then go for the 24" Dells like Shane as they are marginally better than the Apple 23" for extra connectivity and that all important extra inch.

I used to have 2x 22" CRT mitsubishi monitors and thought 1x 30" wouldn't be as good but its such an amazing screen - I run mine in 2560x1600 which is insane.

I will be getting another 30" when I upgrade to Intel for my desktop system but I wouldn't go back to anything less.

In fact if only someone would release a 40" with 4K resolution I'd be saving up for it already.

Size in my case does matter.

If you can - get down to a place that has both and test them out - see which you prefer.

I can tell you that I long to get home to my 30" after working at post houses with 2x 23" or 24" its just that much more fun and has that wow factor that the others just don't.

Now I'm gonna stop before it gets too risqué

Ben



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

thank you so much for contributing to my dilema......nice dile\ma to have!

I am leaning towards the 30' ..........I have been to an Apple Store and had a good look at both.

I am going to sleep on it for a few days, hopefully some more people will contribute......

thanks again

get two dell 24" - many of us here have them and love them. they are simply better than the apple 23" and if you get two of them, you'll have more functional space than a single 30" and you'll have a few hundred extra bucks left in you pocket

I have to agree with Shane on this one. I have one Dell 24" 2405 monitor and it is awesome. It is so much more than just a computer monitor. All of the different inputs (component, composite, DVI, VGA, S-video), can do picture in picture and display it pretty much anywhere you want on the screen; it's a very dynamic monitor. And if you can afford to get 1 30" apple monitor, you can definately afford to get 2 Dells (plus for a little bit more you can add on the Matrox MXO). There are so many advantages to the 2 monitor set-up. More real estate than either of the other two options mentioned and just in case something happens to one or one blows out, you have a suitable replacement until your other is fixed. Big fan of the Dells

Steven Gladney

Sometimes the obvious is hidden in plain view.

I am against the "one monitor" theory. I have a Dell 24" flat panel ($718 on ebay - luv it) / a Sony 17" flat panel ($178 on ebay) and with my Kona LHe, I get a 3rd desktop - my Sony 29" PVM-2950Q NTSC Studio Monitor. I may upgrade the Sony to another 24" Dell someday, but I don't need it yet so why bother. MUCH MORE screen real estate than any single.

Luv it

- Joey

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

Shane wrote-
[Get than and the Matrox MXO and you can use the second monitor as a broadcast color correction monitor.]

Wow. Are you "signing off" on that, Shane? It's great news if so, and you're the first user I've heard from. I polled the crowd at our user group meet Thursday when I presented the product during a MacWorld wrap, but no one had sprung for it yet. You are on the cutting edge my man.

Naturally, my obsession over design integration precludes using anything other than Apple monitors when assembling a desktop. Myself, I'm gong for two 20-icners floating over the desk on VESA mounts.

One giant 30-incher is perfectly valid and doubles as a great viewer (*especially* if that MXO does recalibrate display for serious grading). But I need modularity and flexibility-- often swing the bin monitor to my client to look over clip frames and point stuff out while I edit. And I have a broadcast quality bottle floating above and I'm simultaneously hooked up to a retail TV for CQ (consumer- quality) viewing.

The way I have my desk configured (there's a QTVR of the studio on my website) 23-inchers might be too hoggy.

My .02.

- Loren
Today's FCP 4 / 5 keytip:
Set a multi-parameter Motion FX Keyframe with Control K !

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Now available at KeyGuide Central.
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Jerry Hofmann was the first to OK it, AFAIK. And I was skeptical until I saw it at MacWorld next to that Panasonic HD LCD.

NOW...I haven't had the chance to compare it with an ACD against my CRT, as I don't have access to a 23" ACD (anyone in town lend me one for a day?). Until I do, I haven't officially cleared it.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

I have the 30" Mac monitor... and it's awesome.

Previously had (2) 21" Samsung SyncMasters... and I found that I was usually parked in front of one of them... didn't like having my head turned all the time. So one was in front and the other was off to the side angled... which mad eit harder to see true color. Now I have one of them as a second monitor for spillover... or as a reference monitor using the MXO. But I'm dead-center in front of the 30"

I say go for the 30"... it's a treat that you won't regret.

Final Cut Studio 5.1
MacPro QuadCore 3.0GHz Xeon, 4GB, ATI Radeon X1900 512MB, Matrox MXO
MacBook Pro 17" 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB, 100GB 7200RPM, G-Mini 160GB, 7200RPM

[www.indigo6.com]

I have two dell monitors, a 24" and a 30" [I'm not hurting for screen space] and love it.

The reason I went this route is because I got the Dell 30" from their outlet for $1049 and the 24" for $599. They both have a factory warranty and work great. I also think Dell recently started shipping a 27" but I'm not familiar with it.

I don't want to start a debate between ACD and the Dell monitor, for me for the price difference I didn't have to think about it very long. If I had to chose one over the other I would get the 30", you get really spoiled [and tan] with this monitor.

Shane wrote-
[NOW...I haven't had the chance to compare it with an ACD against my CRT, as I don't have access to a 23" ACD (anyone in town lend me one for a day?). Until I do, I haven't officially cleared it.]

Standing by...

- Loren
Today's FCP 4 / 5 keytip:
Set a multi-parameter Motion FX Keyframe with Control K !

The FCP KeyGuide?: your power placemat.
Now available at KeyGuide Central.
www.neotrondesign.com

Peter Wiggins Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You could always go for 2 x30! LOL!

No LOL. :-)) I did. This is how it looks like with two 30":

Image of 2 x 30"

I don't wanna miss 'em anymore.

--
Christoph Vonrhein

if that MXO does recalibrate display for serious grading

could we seriously grad in HD on a computer display with the MXO ?

I mean, Shane, do you consider been emulating a real montor as for the feel (interlaced/progressive) and look (grading as it will be on Tv ? ? ?

---------------------------------
A Day late & a Dollar-short Productions

FINALLY have my review of the MXO:

[lfhd.blogspot.com]


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Going to save a lot of people a lot of money. Thanks Shane

Michael Horton
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