Nebtek Monitor

[Richie Leible SOC]

Would anyone know if the Nebtek Solar 7" HD monitor

work well with the XCS Ultimate 2 sled.

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

If your asking if it will fit. Then yes you can mount it to the rig. If your asking if it's a good performing monitor and a good choice then I'd have to say no

[Robert Starling SOC]

Would anyone know if the Nebtek Solar 7" HD monitor

work well with the XCS Ultimate 2 sled.

 

You should read some of the previous posts on the NebTek and talk to current and previous owners before you rely on the NebTek as your day to day bread and butter monitor.

 

The XCS / PRO rigs are the Cadillac / Rolls Royces of rigs, why risk your reputation on a monitor that is anything less?

 

I'm on-set at the moment but will post photos later of the Nebby lined up next to a $79 LCD TV monitor from Best Buy working on a transmitted signal verus the NebTek straight from the camera.

 

Robert

[RonBaldwin]

Would anyone know if the Nebtek Solar 7" HD monitor

work well with the XCS Ultimate 2 sled.

 

As far as balancing, it is a bit light and will need to be extented farther out and/or a battery added to the back for more mass. Concerning viewability (viewing angle and brightness) it seemed to be at least as good or better than most other lcd's in the sunlight - where it really matters. I do not own an lcd yet so I only speak from my limited time playing with it at the monitor shootout and when i see it (and the transvideo) used as an onboard by the ac.

 

The transvideo is a very nice one as well -- probably better built and loaded with features, but about twice the cost. I look forward to another side by side comparison of outdoor viewing before buying one or the other. Me thinks the nebtek will be more to my liking for a number of reasons.

 

RB

[Richie Leible SOC]

Thanks fellas! And yes Eric at first I wanted to know if it would mount ok on the rig, thanks for your input. Reading up when you guys had the monitor shoot out I thought that Nebtek did well from what I read. But with both Rob and Ron's input as well It seems like there still might be some question for me. I need to look into what would really work well with this rig for out door shoots in HD.

[Robert Starling SOC]

Here are two photos shot outdoors on a bright but overcast day of the NebTek and a $79 Insignia TV LCD from Best Buy. Shot on my iPhone, no retouch or color correction.

 

The NebTek was wired to an HD signal out of the camera. The Insignia is a TRANSMITTED standard def signal from a Canatrans.

 

I was teaching a private Steadicam workshop and we were outside working on steps and door entry/exits; this was not an official monitor test and there's definitely nothing scientific about it. This is what we saw pure and simple.

 

Throughout the day the operator complained he could not see his monitor and when I finally went to look over his shoulder that is when I saw that there wasn't a whole heck of a lot of difference in the $79 vs the $4,000 +/- Nebby especially considering the price spread and that one was a transmitted vs wired signal.

 

The NebTek is obviously brighter but to a point of being very washed out. Color fidelity was better on the Insignia but it's not as bright. All settings for both monitors were set at neutral / zero.

 

Sadly the operator only got the run-around from NebTek afterward and was told something on the order of "we won't warranty it and it would be less expensive to buy a new one rather than do repairs or upgrades". Needless to say he won't be buying another one. As to the fine details of that conversation I don't know.

 

$79 Best Buy LCD TV -vs- $4000 NebTek "professional" monitor... you decide.

 

 

This shot from over the operator's shoulder and his POV.

[Jens Piotrowski SOC]

Here are two photos shot outdoors on a bright but overcast day of the NebTek and a $79 Insignia TV LCD from Best Buy. Shot on my iPhone, no retouch or color correction.

 

The NebTek was wired to an HD signal out of the camera. The Insignia is a TRANSMITTED standard def signal from a Canatrans.

 

I was teaching a private Steadicam workshop and we were outside working on steps and door entry/exits; this was not an official monitor test and there's definitely nothing scientific about it. This is what we saw pure and simple.

 

Throughout the day the operator complained he could not see his monitor and when I finally went to look over his shoulder that is when I saw that there wasn't a whole heck of a lot of difference in the $79 vs the $4,000 +/- Nebby especially considering the price spread and that one was a transmitted vs wired signal.

 

The NebTek is obviously brighter but to a point of being very washed out. Color fidelity was better on the Insignia but it's not as bright. All settings for both monitors were set at neutral / zero.

 

Sadly the operator only got the run-around from NebTek afterward and was told something on the order of "we won't warranty it and it would be less expensive to buy a new one rather than do repairs or upgrades". Needless to say he won't be buying another one. As to the fine details of that conversation I don't know.

 

$79 Best Buy LCD TV -vs- $4000 NebTek "professional" monitor... you decide.

 

 

This shot from over the operator's shoulder and his POV.

 

 

i think somebody should do a comparison with the transvideo HD6 and the nebtek if possible same hd signal, different angles and so on..... 100%, 80%, 50% brightness, I seem to remember that the Transvideo is very reflective......and btw no small steadicam HD monitor has a full resolution image (1920x1080)..........that's my complaint all along, why limit yourself in terms of viewing angle and visibility.......just because it's color?

[Richie Leible SOC]

Rob thanks for the Pics, not much of a difference in the picture but price wow! If you don't mind me asking what monitor are you using on your xcs.

[Lawrence Karman]

Robert, in all fairness I must point out that model of Nebtek in your photos is the 70HDS, not the Solar HD7SC. According to the Nebtek website the one you show has a spec of 600NIT while the Solar model is much brighter at 1000NIT. I used a demo unit of the Solar monitor from Nebtek on a shoot and was impressed with the view-ability both on the rig and as an on-board monitor for HD. I also got a demo unit of the Transvideo monitor and while I agree with you about it having a more solid build then the Nebtek and what seemed to be very solid customer support, I was not completely convinced it was worth spending twice as much for a visually similar monitor. Plus the technology is evolving so rapidly it will only be a short time before something better comes along. What did interest me about the Transvideo was the built in level, but after trying it I found it did not compare favorably to my XCS PDL and I am anxiously looking forward to trying the digital level Nebtek is developing.

[Robert Starling SOC]

Rob thanks for the Pics, not much of a difference in the picture but price wow! If you don't mind me asking what monitor are you using on your xcs.

 

Richie: Transvideo SBL 6" Evolution

 

 

Hey Doc, I saw the level on a NebTek but it was hurky-jerky sort of stepping along in increments rather than the smooth float of our XCS PDLs. Like you I prefer my built-in PDL but I think I posted somewhere that on live HD shows I find that Transvideo's built-in level in HD works fine.

 

Basically what I'm looking for in gear is that it works and does not impede my work or workflow in anyway and there is an A+ level of customer service and communications behind it. I'm tired of giving my hard earned money and time away and not getting at least 100% in return for it; no more, no less. My experiences with NebTek and trying to help them design / producer a competitive working monitor is well documented in other threads.

 

Now, if we could just get Greg to make us an HD compatible PDL :D

 

Robert

[Richie Leible SOC]

Thanks Rob I appreciate all of your input on this subject, and for the rest of the guys as well.

 

Richie Leible.

[RonBaldwin]

Rob, my conclusion from your picture is to buy the $80 monitor because I have seen the nebtek solar and the transvideo side by side in the sunlight and they performed similarly, so I can only assume that the ttansvideo performs equally as poor, but for twice the money.

 

In all seriousness, I was impressed on my last show by the transvideo the assistant used as an onboard so I'd love to see a nebtek in the sunlight while it's fresh in my mind. The bubble level on the nebtek is also evolving and I hear the newer version is nice (and the sensor mounts on the sled which is a big plus).

[Charles Papert]

The Nebtek level is a work in progress. Current version is indeed jerky but Gaylen and his engineers have identified the issue and are working on it.

 

"Bright overcast" is not the ideal condition to evaluate daylight viewable monitors. It's one condition and worth looking at (especially in terms of reflectivity of a white overcast sky) but the real test comes in full-on sun. At the shootout we saw a notable shift in performance when the sun poked out--many monitors that seemed to be in the running became unviewable in full sun.

 

As Doc says (and I have been saying for a while), all of this technology is on the move and within a year or two all of these displays will be eclipsed by something else, so one really has to look hard at the justification for spending top dollar today for something that will start to lose value within a couple of years, especially when the actual picture is not the point of contention. Reliability is extremely important, interface and flexibility of features somewhat less so but still very relevant.

 

I too wish that Greg would do an HD PDL but it doesn't look likely. Even though that was a great unit, it did have its quirks--always a point of frustration to me that the sweep reverse was the last item on the menu, but the only one that (for me) required access during a shoot day and always in a mad scramble in and out of low-mode. As a result I recommended to Gaylen that he put the sweep control as well as zero into the custom functions so that they are immediately accessible by dedicated function button without having to dig.

 

There's always room for improvement--I wish I could dial in a user setting on the Nebtek that was reasonably accurate for evaluation lighting, haven't found it yet--but overall it suits my needs at the moment.

[ericoh]

Hi Guys,

 

After 9 years of flying Tiffen, I've finally bought a Pro Arm, XCS Ultimate 2 (boy I'm stoked!). Anyway, I purchased the Nebtek SolarHD 7SC and am looking for a mounting solution. I've got Greg's telescoping monitor arm, but I need the mount that will mate with the spud on the XCS monitor arm. What are you guys using? Any suggestions please?

 

thanks,

Eric

[Charles Papert]

Hi Guys,

 

After 9 years of flying Tiffen, I've finally bought a Pro Arm, XCS Ultimate 2 (boy I'm stoked!). Anyway, I purchased the Nebtek SolarHD 7SC and am looking for a mounting solution. I've got Greg's telescoping monitor arm, but I need the mount that will mate with the spud on the XCS monitor arm. What are you guys using? Any suggestions please?

 

thanks,

Eric

 

Nebtek makes the mounting spud to 1/4"-20 adaptor you need, give them a call.