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Configuring for two flat screen monitors
Posted by shelleyrae
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Re: Configuring for two flat screen monitors March 01, 2009 06:47PM |
The option you want is "Digital Cinema Desktop."
But be aware that this is not a good monitoring solution. If you're working in DV, odds are your old solution was better.
But be aware that this is not a good monitoring solution. If you're working in DV, odds are your old solution was better.
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Re: Configuring for two flat screen monitors March 01, 2009 07:53PM |
> Do you mean it's not good solution because of inaccurate color?
That, and also it's very hard to spot frame-rate problems on a computer monitor, and impossible to spot interlacing problems.
And take Jeff's advice:
> The option you want is "Digital Cinema Desktop."
This option is not the same as "blowing your Canvas full-screen". You don't get Range Check, Title Safe Overlays, Timecode Overlays, or Wireframes, for example. To get a "full-screen Canvas", you have to actually drag the Canvas window over and enlarge it by dragging its corner.
www.derekmok.com
That, and also it's very hard to spot frame-rate problems on a computer monitor, and impossible to spot interlacing problems.
And take Jeff's advice:
> The option you want is "Digital Cinema Desktop."
This option is not the same as "blowing your Canvas full-screen". You don't get Range Check, Title Safe Overlays, Timecode Overlays, or Wireframes, for example. To get a "full-screen Canvas", you have to actually drag the Canvas window over and enlarge it by dragging its corner.
www.derekmok.com
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Re: Configuring for two flat screen monitors March 01, 2009 08:24PM |
A second monitor has a lot of uses. For example, I'm working on a feature and our budget doesn't extend to an HD external monitor. Plus the classic advantage of having more screen real estate.
All we're saying is, recognize its limitations and don't use it for broadcast, or final colour correction. Using it for editing is perfectly sound.
> I still have the problem of color correction looking one way on the broadcast monitor but too
> washed out when played back in a computer.
To me, correcting on a computer monitor doesn't really fix this. Because you'll be looking at "false" colours. Every user's monitor is of a different brand and calibration, so you can't really anticipate this problem. Let's also remember that a lot of users -- and even some editors -- don't even realize that you can't blow up an SD-sized movie file, even a full-quality one, to a full computer screen without everything going soft.
www.derekmok.com
All we're saying is, recognize its limitations and don't use it for broadcast, or final colour correction. Using it for editing is perfectly sound.
> I still have the problem of color correction looking one way on the broadcast monitor but too
> washed out when played back in a computer.
To me, correcting on a computer monitor doesn't really fix this. Because you'll be looking at "false" colours. Every user's monitor is of a different brand and calibration, so you can't really anticipate this problem. Let's also remember that a lot of users -- and even some editors -- don't even realize that you can't blow up an SD-sized movie file, even a full-quality one, to a full computer screen without everything going soft.
www.derekmok.com
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Re: Configuring for two flat screen monitors March 02, 2009 08:16AM |
Under $500? Heck no. The most economical broadcast monitor I know of is the Panasonic BT-LH1760, which streets for around $4,000. There are a lot of compromises. It's an LCD, so it can only simulate interlacing. But it simulates it fairly well, actually jittering on your jitter frames. It's only 720p native, but it scales down 1080 stuff reasonably well, and you can always hit a button on the front panel to zoom in to 1-to-1. It's also got a built-in waveform and vector scope, which are incredibly handy. In the room next door there's a BT-LH1700W, which goes for less at around $3,000, but I'm not sure what the trade-offs are. I know it lacks the built-in scopes.
If you need SD only, you might look around for a used Sony PVM, or even a BVM if you can get a really good bargain. PVMs are not that hard to find on the aftermarket if you're willing to live with analog monitoring. If you need SDI, the costs go up fast.
There are tons of reasons not to use a computer monitor as your broadcast monitor, though. It's not just color. In fact, I'd consider color to be the last thing on the list, since even high-end broadcast monitors don't show you accurate color unless you calibrate them carefully and regularly.
My personal list of reasons to go with a real broadcast monitor starts with interlacing. If you work with interlaced footage at all, you need a proper broadcast monitor so you can see, for example, field dominance problems. A computer monitor can't show you that at all, period. Then there's the fact that computer monitors are (at best) 8-bit devices, while television is usually 10-bit. So you'll see banding and color-resolution artifacts on your computer monitor that aren't really there in your footage.
If you work only in DV, then looping a television out of your camera or deck can be an okay way to preview your footage, if you accept that this only shows you a DV conversion. But if you want to work in any other formats, you'll run into the limitations of DV monitoring fast.
If you need SD only, you might look around for a used Sony PVM, or even a BVM if you can get a really good bargain. PVMs are not that hard to find on the aftermarket if you're willing to live with analog monitoring. If you need SDI, the costs go up fast.
There are tons of reasons not to use a computer monitor as your broadcast monitor, though. It's not just color. In fact, I'd consider color to be the last thing on the list, since even high-end broadcast monitors don't show you accurate color unless you calibrate them carefully and regularly.
My personal list of reasons to go with a real broadcast monitor starts with interlacing. If you work with interlaced footage at all, you need a proper broadcast monitor so you can see, for example, field dominance problems. A computer monitor can't show you that at all, period. Then there's the fact that computer monitors are (at best) 8-bit devices, while television is usually 10-bit. So you'll see banding and color-resolution artifacts on your computer monitor that aren't really there in your footage.
If you work only in DV, then looping a television out of your camera or deck can be an okay way to preview your footage, if you accept that this only shows you a DV conversion. But if you want to work in any other formats, you'll run into the limitations of DV monitoring fast.
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Re: Configuring for two flat screen monitors March 02, 2009 09:46AM |
> Does the interlacing problem carry over to DVDs that will be played back on TVs rather than
> computers?
Emphatically, yes.
That's why you need an external monitor of some sort. If you get into the habit of checking your output DVDs only on a computer, sooner or later you'll get a nasty surprise from the QC of wherever the disc is going.
www.derekmok.com
> computers?
Emphatically, yes.
That's why you need an external monitor of some sort. If you get into the habit of checking your output DVDs only on a computer, sooner or later you'll get a nasty surprise from the QC of wherever the disc is going.
www.derekmok.com
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Re: Configuring for two flat screen monitors March 02, 2009 10:02AM |
> I always check my DVDs on three TV different sets as well as another computer before sending
> out. If I don't notice anything weird then it should be fine, right?
Unfortunately, DVDs are never 100 per cent verifiable, and DVDs originating from our editing computers have a higher failure rate. Just when you think you've checked it, some client comes along with a 10-year-old player that nods off every time you say boo. But that's about as much as you can do.
www.derekmok.com
> out. If I don't notice anything weird then it should be fine, right?
Unfortunately, DVDs are never 100 per cent verifiable, and DVDs originating from our editing computers have a higher failure rate. Just when you think you've checked it, some client comes along with a 10-year-old player that nods off every time you say boo. But that's about as much as you can do.
www.derekmok.com
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Re: Configuring for two flat screen monitors March 03, 2009 09:32AM |
yeah. apparently motion (as in the application "motion"
is one place where video card horsepower is really supposed to shine. but what were the specs of your original card and what are those of the new one?
is one place where video card horsepower is really supposed to shine. but what were the specs of your original card and what are those of the new one?
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