Hardware connection questions

[Tim McMurray]

Hey Guys

Been reading this forum for a while but have never posted! I just had a quick questions and my appologies if this has already been brought up. I have a job coming up editing a Red short film in which i have access to a Mac Pro, all the specs and a Kona LHe card on board. My question would be, having never really used the Kona range, what would be the best way connect to an LCD TV via HD-SDI out of the back of the card. I want to use a Samsung 8 series LCD as a client monitor and also for general playback and a bit of CC. Sorry if this sounds like a really newbie question, but i am still finding my feet! Any pointers would be helpful.

In another question, how do most of you view rushes at the end of a day shooting with the Red. Obviously we don't have the money to pay a post house to do our dailies for us, so was just wondering what would be the best way to view footage each night for a bunch of filmmakers with a Red and a Mac Pro!!

Thanks again

 

[Uli Plank]

Can't comment on the Samsung, since I don't know that model, but on viewing rushes.

If you have the time for "developing" (i.e. rendering) them to 1080p in H.264 at half res, there is a great little device from Western Digital called WD TV. It takes a harddisk (even Mac formatted) and screens about everything that's H.264 (and a few other formats) via HDMI. Very handy for only around 100 bucks.

If you don't have time, connect a beefy Mac to your screen and show the QT proxies at half res.

 

[Tim McMurray]

Thanks nomad, we have western digital TV where i work and it is quite a handy little device! In regards to connecting the TV via the Kona, it mainly had a number of HDMI and component inputs into the back. Are consumer LCD TV's, mainly samsung and sony, ever really connected up using Kona Cards? Or is it mainly your more broadcast quality CRTs connected in via SDI?

 

[Uli Plank]

Well, many flats still offer component inputs too, so you could connect them to a Kona. But it's overkill to get that card only for monitoring on consumer equipment. The best connection would be SDI, which is only present on pro equipment.

The WD TV has HDMI for an output, which just works fine on any modern flat.

 

[Tim McMurray]

Yeah I realise that the kona card can be overkill for our level of stuff, but we are going to be hiring a broadcast quality monitor latest on to do the grading so it will be good to connect that up via SDI. For now we will just connect if up via component, do you know if there is a SDI to HDMI convertor on the market?

 

[Uli Plank]

Well, I was talking about rushes when recommending the WD TV. For serious work the AJA Kona is the way to go.
I think Blackmagic is offering a bunch of small converter boxes.

 

[Tim McMurray]

On the subject of blackmagic gear, what do people think of the Decklink HD Extreme Card? I'm looking at possibly getting a card for my machine at home that offers both hdmi and SDI out. Just curious to see if anyone has one and how they have held up with the Red footage on a mac

 

[Vico Martin]

On the subject of blackmagic gear, what do people think of the Decklink HD Extreme Card? I'm looking at possibly getting a card for my machine at home that offers both hdmi and SDI out. Just curious to see if anyone has one and how they have held up with the Red footage on a mac

i.e.:
Decklink -> SDItoHDMI (AJA) -> HDMI monitor, Plasma,...

 

[Vico Martin]

...But

AjaIO HD do it much more easy. :biggrin:

 

[nomadix rob]

I too am looking around at monitoring options for a feature that I have coming up. I have narrowed it down pretty much what has been spoken in this post; either going for a onboard Kona card connected via either component or through a SDI to HDMI convertor, saving a bit of cash and going for the Black Magic Decklink Extreme Card or spending a bit more and going for the AJA IO HD. Im thinking the I/O HD is probably the best option as it offers both HDMI and SDI out and its transportable. What do you think?