Broadcast monitor: good or bad buy?

Guys.

Our old Broadcast monitor recently comitted harikiri so now Im on the lookout for a new one.
It seems as though the big boys (Sont, JVC) arent making much CRT monitors anymore and I dont really want to use a flatscreen due to their limitations (Or am I wrong here).

I found a used JVC TM H1700G cheap ($US 800) that comes with a AJA conversion card that converts the SDI signal to Component so you can go via the SDI out from the black magic card.

Is this any different from going SDI straight into the monitor? (Some other JVC models have this option).

What do you guys use andd what would you recommend?
(usage is color grading mainly)

Johan Polhem
Motion Graphics
www.johanpolhem.com

This is the same question that we argue about many times a month. Is a CRT necessary for color correction? As long as we are viewing the content on a CRT television, then YES!

But wait - There's more!!

What about those viewing content on an LCD TV or Plasma TV or a DLP projector TV?

How accurate is CRT based content. then?

Basicaly, we are asking how Black is black? All types of displays other than CRT scan based are not able to accurately reproduce a solid black. LCD monitiors work in RGB color while televison is in YUV.

Many issues to overcome, today.

There was a shootout on Creative Cow that might be useful to you.

Please see: [forums.creativecow.net]

Thanks guys.

My sentiments exactly - to much confusion reg LCD or CRT.
I was under the impression (perhaps incorrectly) that if you color correct on a CRT
it is likely to be just fine on a Plasma/LCD whereas the opposite is not true.

There is no real point to color grade for CRT´s much longer since noone makes them and fewer people use them.
I have missed these debates here since I have not really cared before so Ill dig into the archives.

El G.

Johan Polhem
Motion Graphics
www.johanpolhem.com

I'm in the same boat, Johan. I hate the LCDs that I can even remotely afford, and over this side of the world we are pretty much restricted to JVCs now. If you do get a JVC, please let me know what it's like. I've seen one here in Perth but the shop couldn't be bothered to organise a signall through it so I could see if it was actually any good.

I've been using a 24" JVC LCD for the last 3 months or so. No, its not a perfect as a CRT. But, as far as LCD's go, its a very good unit with a lot of useful features and just about any connection you could ask for. Right now its hooked up to a Blackmagic HD Extreme via HD/SDI. Uncompressed SD and HD Media are coming off a Sonnet 3,5TB Raid.

HD media looks very good indeed, you can even monitor full RGB all the way up to 2K.

SD, when displaying original pixels, shows up quite small in the center of the screen. There's a button to hit to utilize full screen display, and another one to correct for anamorphic, but there it's disappointing. The image degrades a lot, especially when sitting at the edit desk where the screen is only a few feet away.

The other thing I don't especially like about it is that the viewing angle is very narrow. That becomes especially obvious during color grade. If you're looking at it at too steep an angle, the image is much darker than when both you and it are properly positioned.

Bottom line, for the money, a very fair deal. I can live with the limitations, although I'm working more and more in HD, which is why we bought it, and that's where it excels. If it's SD monitoring you need, then imho you're still far better off with a CRT.

hth,
Clay

Thanks again guys.

ClayC that advice sounds good.
At the moment its just SD but that will change.

Jude.
I am no longer in Australia but I know the best guy to speak to in Sydney reg broacast monitors and similar equipment. His name is Bill Papas from Powermedia in Surry Hills.
I bought a JVC from them 2 years ago with SDI in and it worked very well and it was fairly cheap.

The one I bought this time around did not have SDI in but I got a separate card that allows me to use SDI. (AJA converter)
I am not sure if this makes a difference but it looks fine to me.

Johan Polhem
Motion Graphics
www.johanpolhem.com