DP7-PRO Monitor Issues

[Mike McGowan SOC]

Interesting...

 

I've only had one experience with TransVideo. It was a bad customer service experience. Bad enough that I wouldn't buy one of their monitors if they were twice as good and half the price. But maybe I just had a bad experience.

And I stil find the Cinetronic debate interesting. I've used most of the monitors that have existed for steadicam since the late 90's. To my eye there is nothing brighter, shaper of with a better off axis view angle then the Cinetronic. Yes I wold love it if it image flipped and the fact that I have to switch to my small HD when I use that little sony camera is anoying but since I mostly fly Alexa and Epic and I mostly just turn the whole rig upside down (including the camera) when I go low mode, neither are much of an issue. I think I had to switch to the small HD and or physically flip the Cinetronic over 2 or 3 times last year? And then for whatever reason (again, I may just be a fluke) the few times I've emailed Cinetronic, they got back to me within minutes.

Finally, I really think I'm in a monitor black hole, I've beat the ever loving shit out of my small HD DP7 Daybright for (almost 2 years?) and it's never not worked perfectly. Yes there was a period between two firmware updates that I had to turn it on and off a few times to get an image but that is solved now. In terms of bright, sharp and off angle it's nearly as good as the Cinetronic and both of them are more than good enough. If you can't make it work with one of those monitors, you need a new set of eyes. The form factor on the small hd is perfect and the menues and hot keys are spot on. And at a price point of about 2500 bucks.... What more can I say!?!

 

Oh, and while were on the subject, Boland has a new monitor. I tested it and while I'm not in need of a new monitor at the moment {because my cinetronic and small hd are so frickin bitchin} it is also totally kicks ass. Bright, sharp, off axis viewing is crazy good. Good buttons, price point is also super sweet.

 

my 2 cents (or possibly 3).

[Alec Jarnagin SOC]

Mike,

 

While an external solution is not ideal, I have come to the conclusion, I'll take my Cinetronic 2 with a Decimator MD-HX cross converter (under $300) over any other monitor I have seen. This little box cures your signal woes and adds some nice inertia to the back. My monitor has performed flawlessly and Chris has always answered my emails immediately as well. And, I agree, its hands down the most viewable LCD I have seen to date. Here are couple of pictures of the MD-HX mounted via a Tom Wills custom AB plate:

[Mike McGowan SOC]

Super sweet! I like that it's red...... Dam the reflections!

[Alec Jarnagin SOC]

Yeah, I like the red too….

 

By the way, I want to give credit to where credit is due. Both the Small HD and the Transvideo now incorporate LUTs into the monitor and I think this is a great feature. While, much of the time, you can simply use a different monitor output from the camera than the one you send to village, it is a fabulous option.

 

I'll also add that the build quality of monitors by Transvideo is great. So, I concede there are many great things about the company. At the end of the day, like I say with all gear choices, try them all and use what works for you.

 

We shall see if the XCS TB-7 ever becomes a reality as well.

[brett.mayfield]

I have a Marshall, a transvideo for my sled, and a dp7 pro oled. I love my transvideo, and sure the viewing angle could be better and the screen larger, but I've learned to deal and my new yoke helps a lot with the angle. never had needed servicing and its a tank, I can't believe how much it has out up with. same with my Marshall. fewer features but I still have it and that thing has put up with a lot and the Marshall servicing near Redondo has been stellar. smallhd, I wanna love it. the image is great, but ive had three bad issues. first an inconsistent ability to find an input signal and hold on to it (which has mostly been solved), shorting my AB batteries which I've never understood, and a fried main board. I sent that in for servicing and after $800 of repairs they said, eh it just happens. after ten days of flawless performance. I must have asked too much of it shooting interviews... also the service took way too long. smallhd is out of North Carolina, I am out of Atlanta. at least 18 days to replace the board which is about an hour long process and it came back with old firmware, missing many LUTs. oh well. it performs alright. still shorts my ABs occasionally.

id love to buy one of the 500 series but I just can't with the performance of the dp7. too bad because the image, firm factor, and features are great.

[Charles Cowper]

Hello can someone recommend which is the best firmware version to use for the smallhd dp7 hb to avoid or minimise the signal dropout issue? Thanks. :)

[Victor Lazaro]

Hi Charles,

Use the last version (available here https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Nxczt3gMGlvTh96rfW9mo7hg0YVdjP1EXQVTlFSJAb8/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000&slide=id.gf207d16f_24 )