OT ?: Adding a client monitor

Hi all

I am editing on a MBP mid-2009 (unibody), 2.66 mghz and 8Gb or Ram
I have a second monitor already in my set up and would like to add a second monitor so my clients can watch the spots while comfortably sitting and not having to watch over my shoulder.
I don't worry about color accuracy or broadcast safe specs.
It can just be mirroying what I have on the other display.
All I want to be able to accomplish is when I switch to full screen preview, have the spot play full screen on this added monitor.
I am on a tight tight budget so the cheapest the better.

Thanks

Well, if the second monitor out slot is already being used, the only way to add a THIRD monitor, as a client monitor, is with a Video IO card...an older one like the MXO2 Mini that connects via the Express34 slot. That would be your cheapest option. There are USB options out there, but I haven't found them to be the best...very laggy when playing back video.


www.shanerosseditor.com

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What Shane said. If you are on a budget, you can use your second computer monitor to display the video output and toggle back as a computer monitor if you need it to show bins. This is in "Audio/Video Settings", and set that to Digital Cinema Desktop Preview. There are a few options, one of which will set the 2nd monitor as a video preview output.

The only issue is that you can't get a video timecode out unless you use a timecode generator in your edit sequence. That only works if you have a video IO card and if the software that comes with the IO card has an option to embed a timecode into the signal. Premiere, however does that with the new overlay feature.



www.strypesinpost.com

Hmm...
first I don't have an Express34 slot on the mid-2009 mbp...
second the matrox is way over my budget.

I've done some research and found a split VGA so the 2nd and 3rd monitor share the same signal...
Anyone tested it or saw it in action?

I tested the Matrox one...it was OK. But what this does is span the one signal over two monitors. Makes it over 3000x1200. So you can't separate them...can't put something full screen on one half of that.

No express34, so no video IO options there. The only Firewire 800 option is WAY over your budget (AJA IOHD) and no longer made. Sorry, you are stuck with what you have.


www.shanerosseditor.com

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

would a simple VGA splitter work?

[www.jaycar.com.au]

As I said, a splitter would take one monitor and span it over two...you couldn't then use one as full screen playback of your cut. Might be able to put the CANVAS there...


www.shanerosseditor.com

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

this one sounds like it doesn't do that:

"The same image is displayed on both monitors and identical audio streams are piped to each 3.5mm audio jack."


nick

Ah...so it Mirrors. It won't really be a third monitor, but a second SECOND monitor. Hey, if that works.

VGA is still a standard? That's like SD of the computer display world.


www.shanerosseditor.com

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

yeah that's what i wrote, "mirroying". It's just a monitor to show the cut.
Actually I found external video cards that allow a 3rd monitor:
[www.amazon.com]
Haven't tested yet.

Hey xavpil,

Would the original MXO device work for you? It takes a DVI signal out from the Mac and plays back on an external DVI monitor, AND it has additional A/V outputs to go out to a 3rd monitor (HD-SDI, SDI, S-Video or composite). Again, the 2nd and 3rd monitors mirror each other. It has the added benefit of allowing you to "calibrate" the 2nd LCD monitor; there was a short list of certified monitors but even if yours isn't one of them you at least get a true interlaced signal instead of just a second, mirrored desktop.

If your second monitor has a DVI port then you would just need a mini-DVI adapter with your laptop to hook up to it plus a USB port. It's been discontinued and I think the last OS it supported was 10.7 Lion. If you're interested, I know a guy who has one

[www.matrox.com]

JVK

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thx John
Matrox is too expensive and so far I don't really see the difference between the Matrox and the external video card I listed above from Amazon ($40 or so) especially for my needs..
I ordered it. We shall see how it performs...

>yeah that's what i wrote, "mirroying". It's just a monitor to show the cut.
>Actually I found external video cards that allow a 3rd monitor:
>[www.amazon.com]
>Haven't tested yet.

It's USB to VGA. I'll avoid that if I were you.


I'll get a splitter if I want to have a mirrored second display. That's fairly inexpensive. And there are splitters for HDMI, VGA and DVI. But you need to test that out properly, especially HDMI, because there are a lot of flavors of HDMI and they affect screen resolution.



www.strypesinpost.com