HD Monitor or Downconverter ?

[Rob Vuona SOC]

Hey guys,

I'm using a Ultrabright Transvideo 6.5" SD monitor, which is awesome inside and outside, but with the advent of doing more and more HD I would like to get an equivelent HD/SDI/SD monitor. I know Boland is claiming to have one in the works and Mike over there swears he's still working on it so, until then, what to use? OR . . . .Should I just save the cash and purchase an AJA downconverter and stick to my Transvideo.

 

Does the elusive 7" Daybright HD/SDI/Composite Monitor exist ?

 

Thanks

 

Rob Vuona

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

Does the elusive 7" Daybright HD/SDI/Composite Monitor exist ?

 

 

Tiffen has one

[Rob Vuona SOC]

Does the elusive 7" Daybright HD/SDI/Composite Monitor exist ?

 

 

Tiffen has one

--------------------

Thanks Eric,

but Tiffens is 8.4 inches, comes on the ultra

 

;-(

 

peace out

Rob

[Jerry Holway]

Tiffen sells the UltraBrite monitor separately; there are heaps of ways to power it (11 to 30+ volts), send it signals, do PIP, use it as an outdoor computer monitor (VGA or DVI) ....

 

Jerry

[Rob Vuona SOC]

Tiffen sells the UltraBrite monitor separately; there are heaps of ways to power it (11 to 30+ volts), send it signals, do PIP, use it as an outdoor computer monitor (VGA or DVI) ....

 

Jerry

----------------

Thanks Jerry,

Sounds like a great monitor, especially the PIP function but it's 8.4 Inches, so does the 7" Monitor exist and should I get the monitor or a downconverter?

 

Do I really need a $9000 Monitor?

 

Peace Out

Rob

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

Tiffen sells the UltraBrite monitor separately; there are heaps of ways to power it (11 to 30+ volts), send it signals, do PIP, use it as an outdoor computer monitor (VGA or DVI)

 

 

And it's a DAMN impressive monitor. It was fun wed night seeing what it would resolve and how it would handle any signal that was thrown at it.

[Kris Torch Wilson]

Rob,

 

Stop by JKL and you can look at mine. It is impressive but it is big. Maybe too big for the kind of tight spots you and I find ourselves in. However I am adjusting. Only hit one varilight this week! A new record.

 

Kris

[Robert Starling SOC]

should I get the monitor or a downconverter?

 

Do I really need a $9000 Monitor?

 

Hi Rob, I've been asking myself the same thing lately; it seems like every job is HD and the whole downconverter thing is a pain. Here in Vegas we don't have many resources for downconverters, particularly if one goes bad and I've had two AJA converters go belly up in three months.

 

We used the Tiffen Ultra Brite HD every day last week and it is impressive. When Charles connected an HD signal to it, it really was DAMN impressive as Eric said.

 

The quandry other than improved viewing is I doubt my kit rental would/could change. Maybe I'm wrong but I'd do better financially if I bought a Miranda downconverter and rented it to production. My guess is they'd pay for that quicker than an extra $150 per day on my kit rental.

 

On the other hand, I still have monitor envy.

[Charles Papert]

When Charles connected an HD signal to it, it really was DAMN impressive

 

Yes, my BNC-plugging technique is known the world over. Often imitated--never duplicated.

 

But really now. We were using an XLH1 and connecting the HD-SDI output as well as the composite SD output into the Ultrabright since the camera can simultaneously output both (why can a "prosumer" camera do this with ease while a "pro" camera requires a downconverter...??!). We did the same thing on the Flyer HD monitor (HD Brite I think it's called?) and this was also an impressive comparison, perhaps a bit less so due to the size of the display. But speaking of which, Rob, perhaps you should look into this monitor as well. Might be a tad smaller than 7"...not sure on this...but it looks decent. I think it is a Marshall display but has the additional AR coatings on it.

[Jason Torbitt]

The Tiffen 7" HD monitor is out there, I've had my eye on it for some time. The issue, I imagine, would come with brightness / outdoor viewing - it's only around 500 NITS if I remember correctly. But it does take HD-SDI, SDI, PAL/NTSC, component SD/HD, VGA etc etc so it really is a multipurpose monitor. As Charles says, it is a Marshall display, but enhanced for Steadicam with extra anti glare coating, more image manipulation functions and outputs / loopthroughs.

 

I hope to have a look at one in the next 2 weeks so I'll post up how it looks & performs...

[Jerry Holway]

The Tiffen 7" HD monitor is out there, I've had my eye on it for some time. The issue, I imagine, would come with brightness / outdoor viewing - it's only around 500 NITS if I remember correctly. But it does take HD-SDI, SDI, PAL/NTSC, component SD/HD, VGA etc etc so it really is a multipurpose monitor. As Charles says, it is a Marshall display, but enhanced for Steadicam with extra anti glare coating, more image manipulation functions and outputs / loopthroughs.

 

I hope to have a look at one in the next 2 weeks so I'll post up how it looks & performs...

 

Although an impressive monitor, the 7" monitor is HDSDI and composite only - not HD component. Only the latest UltraBrite has all the flavors and 1400 nits.

 

Jerry

[Rob Vuona SOC]

Jason and Jerry,

Thanks for the insight, The 8.4 " Monitor from tiffen does sound great it's just too big for the stuff that I shoot, And Jason do let us know how that 7" monitor performes outside. My current monitor is 1000-1200 Nits and it rocks outside, but it's just not HD.

 

No one has given me an opinion yet weather I should pony up the cash for a new monitor that doesn't really exist yet, or buy the downconverter.

 

Jerry what would you do? Or Afton or any of you mentors out there . . .LOL . . . .

 

Thanks for the input guys, Oh and Chris Wilson, I have heard the stories of your glorious run ins with the vari lights . . .LOL . . . That monitor is too big for our stuff huh? I'll try to drop by Kimmel

 

Peace Out

Rob

[Jason Torbitt]

Hi again,

I dug up a thread on this monitor for your viewing pleasure - there is a link on it to the .pdf manual, and it does actually display component, but via an HD-15 connector, so you would need a suitable cable to input component signals, but it should be possible Jerry?

 

http://www.steadicamforum.com/forums/index...?showtopic=2484

 

Very tasty monitor! Of course not comparable to the superior Ultrabrite 2, but a nice cost effective option to display digital & HD video.

 

On the other side of the arguement, i.e. staying with your current monitor and downconverting onboard your rig - The advantage to having a downconverter in the kit is that you can use any monitor you like inc. green screen, and when I'm working outdoors, I'm still a fan of the green screen, as are many others. But of course there is the power & reliability issues etc. Is there any significant frame rate delay in the conversion process? This may be another factor to think about, depending on the type of work you do. If you do a lot of live work, then working with any form of delay or lag is unnacceptable.

[Rob Vuona SOC]

Hi again,

I dug up a thread on this monitor for your viewing pleasure - there is a link on it to the .pdf manual, and it does actually display component, but via an HD-15 connector, so you would need a suitable cable to input component signals, but it should be possible Jerry?

 

http://www.steadicamforum.com/forums/index...?showtopic=2484

 

Very tasty monitor! Of course not comparable to the superior Ultrabrite 2, but a nice cost effective option to display digital & HD video.

 

On the other side of the arguement, i.e. staying with your current monitor and downconverting onboard your rig - The advantage to having a downconverter in the kit is that you can use any monitor you like inc. green screen, and when I'm working outdoors, I'm still a fan of the green screen, as are many others. But of course there is the power & reliability issues etc. Is there any significant frame rate delay in the conversion process? This may be another factor to think about, depending on the type of work you do. If you do a lot of live work, then working with any form of delay or lag is unnacceptable.

 

Thanks Jason,

That monitor is basically the Marshall, with a tiffen Logo and some added extras. Still not good enough outside. But thanks for the input . . . .you guys rock!

 

For now I think I'm going with the down converter, until the ultimate, ultrabright, 7" 1200 Nit, HD/SDI/Composite monitor is unveiled. who knows maybe someone at NAB will debut it.

 

Hopefully anyone from Boland will read this . . .LOL . . . .

 

see ya in Vegas . . . .

 

Peace Out

Rob Vuona

310-993-0667