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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

N.E.C or Lacie Monitors

Kirk.Attard

Kirk.Attard

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HI guys - I know its the millionth color grading monitor question here but I'm trying to sort things as plainly as possible prior to investing quite a chunk of coin. Hope it will help others to set up a new system as well..

I am planning of setting up a mac system once the new mac pro comes out..

Planning to go the mac ---> blackmagic card for 10bit output ---> sdi to hdmi converter (hope its stays in 10 bit - think it should) --

As for monitor there seems to be quite a number of options..

Dream color is one.

I have seen the Lacie, NEC and Eizo displays.
All three have some 10bit options with over 1 billion colors and 98% adobe color space.. Similar to the dreamcolor..

These three brands have 10 bit options floating around $1200 - $ 3000 (considerably cheaper than the dreamcolor)

Just wished to ask if anyone is using any of these other options and what is your feedback.. And if they are being used with a mac.

I particularly liked the N.E.C
http://www.nec-display-solutions.co...ference241.xhtml?cat=LCD&e=e3s1&mg=ColourMgmt


Thanks in advance for your guidance as always
Kirk
 
From what I understand, Dell sells some great high end monitors, too. Are they on the same playing filed as the Lacie and NEC?
 
I'd look more at specialised grading LCD's (that have replaced old style CRT's - ie Grade One style monitors). These ones are designed with video playback in mind & run at true variable frame-rates - computer based LCD's often round up & down to play at differing rates. Look at Flanders, Sony, Panasonic & JVC (probably others too!).

If you're building a system with a BM card, it would be better to keep the signal path to a dual link (X2 HDSDI) or single link connection. You may get clocking issues doing HDSDI-HDMI (unless you get another expensive adapter). You can go DVI-HDMI (that's cheaper) but it will introduce some issues.

Also, think colourspace & scaling/interlace/de-interlace etc - panels that are sRGB are fine for monitors - but you'll need something that is compatible with YUV/PAL/NTSC etc (and all other flavours). Grading in sRGB and seeing in YUV is a little like changing from RGB to CMYK in printing terms - colours change :001_smile:

Of course, all depends on the budgets you have available. I'm looking forward to the BM Thunderbolt I/O and a Mac Pro with Thunderbolt (using Dual Xeons/PC/BM ATM). My PC monitor is a Spectraview and my grading monitor is a JVC DTV (with a Sony PVM & SDI CRT just to keep an eye on the old ways!) - looking forward to moving them to a Mac.

The Dells seem OK - some models use the S-IPS panels as with the Lacies/NEC's - but I haven't used one.

It depends on intended use of the system, but, if it's going to get used in a facility (small or large) I'd seriously look at a HD LCD grading panel.
 
So I think its better to wait what this whole thunderbolt bill bring round..

From this forum I've read that some had some problems getting true 4:4:4 with the flanders although everyone claims that it has exceptional color fidelity.. I think its better to wait at this point.

Thanks
 
Kirk.Attard said:
I have seen the Lacie, NEC and Eizo displays. All three have some 10bit options with over 1 billion colors and 98% adobe color space.. Similar to the dreamcolor..
Click to expand...
I know of zero post houses in LA using the LaCie, the NEC, or Eizo displays. I know of a handful that use the Dreamcolor, and I know it's a prime display for VFX houses and animation studios all over the world. I personally don't think the Dreamcolor is appropriate for color correction because the viewing angle is so narrow, but it works fine for one person, directly in front of the display.

Ideally, you need a monitor that won't change when you have (say) three or four people sitting at various distances from the monitor. In other words, if you're sitting down and a director is standing up and leaning over your shoulder, both of you are going to see radically-different pictures.

There are compromises with plasma, but the Panasonic 50" TH-50PF20 is pretty much the de facto 1080p color-correction monitor that I see in most Resolve, Baselight, and Lustre bays around town. I think it's pretty decent for home video and broadcast transfers, and when set up correctly, it'll tell you about 90% of the truth about the picture.

A great 4K DLP projector in a perfect room will produce a far better picture, for about 50 times the price ($100K vs. $2K). All strictly my opinion.
 
Thanks Marc

Infact that was what I had in mind - Use the dreamcolor at the desk where I work and finish things 'alone' ( I have to deliver 3d stuff renders and dont have many people waiting for me to finish the last render and little tweak ) so the Dream color would be fine here and the Panny for the small studio I'm setting up..

Thanks - better to stick to standards customers are used to I think.
 
Just one little thing Marc -

Do you calibrate the plasme yourseld ( Hard ware or software? ) or do you get someone to do it for you - thanks

Would be glad if you can do it yourself as I dont think there is a Panasonic guy to do that stuff for you here in Malta

Thanks.
 
Yep, there's no concrete and clear cut way to go hear.
Here's my 2c:
I have two dream colors which work just fine, but not always the most user friendly for Mac for upgrades. I also have a Panasonic Plasma series 12 @ 50"--great monitor, BUT I would HIGHLY recommend an IO box that allows YOU to calibrate it from your mac. I use the Matrox MXO2. But my plasma is limited to only review of images or review and final color grading/cutting from FCP.

I USED to use my Dreamcolor monitor as my original one light grading monitor when reviewing footage---mostly R3D's out of my Redrocket card via dual HDSDI into an AJA converter that then sends the signal back over to HDMI----this works just fine. BUT, i personally think there are better monitors....so recently i bought the FSI (Flanders Scientific) LM-2461W monitor. For the price the quality and features are FAR and BEYOND my dreamcolors and are near quality of other $10k + monitors. This said, i think it was a $5k monitor -- and the features are amazing for the price. What you DON'T get on the Dreamcolor are the RGB parade, Histogram, etc....and you NEED that when grading. I found myself ALWAYS turning off the RED MONITOR output on every clip to see the histogram and monitors of the clip footage then turning back on the RED monitor to go back to the clip on my DC......This said, in order to take full advantage of the FSI monitor, you also need a dual link to single link converter since FSI is 3G enabled and carries all the dual link load on one single link cable. So an extra cost is involved of around a grand i think. BUT that does not stop you from viewing footage out of SDI from the rocket...you can view via single link YUV 8bit as i do now until my dual to single link AJA adapter arrives.

....so my vote is to not go with the DC monitor. If you do, i have one to sell, but don't recommend it. Check out others out there and then also check out the FSI monitors. Another user here turned me onto them---Andrae and i've been very pleased the past two months.
 
Hi John

Thaks for the reply.
Glad there is a good converter to make thing easier.. I think it is important as without it there is no point in spending the extra cash just to get an 8bit signal.. The smaller verson of the flanders would be just as good i presume.. The Flanders is on top of my wishlist I think.. packed with features at a decent price..

Would you please be so kind to post a link of the In/Out box you use to clibrate the plasma. Interested in that as well..

Thanks Kirk
 
This is one of a few to choose from. I like it for it's ability to go into a software mode to calibrate your display and into the blue channel and also for fast H264 encodes. And now with thunderbolt, basically a pci expansion slot as i see it, one can add this and a black magic card for multiple outputs.....at least the road i'm headed down.

http://www.matrox.com/video/en/products/mac/mxo2_family/
 
Looks very interesting and I think well worth the cost.
Thanks
 
Good to know - I might go for the NEC as the working monitor.

To be honest I think there is very little difference from one monitor to another once a setup is done correctly but we always thrive for the best and truest colors and its good to be so.
 
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