New monitor comparison from NAB

[Brett Manyluk]

Hello all,

 

I just wanted to see if we could share info on what was new and exciting in the world of monitors after NAB. I was hoping some of you will have the opportunity to field test some of the new stuff and generously report back to us (*ahem* Charles).

 

So...

 

Marshall has the new 7.6" OLED monitor that looks very promising. 10,000:1 contrast (but only 200 nits). I'd LOVE to know how this performs in bright sunlight. The case was metal and looked solid, and it was a fairly efficient use of space. It comes with HDSDI, Composite, and Component HD. It aslo has false colour mode, which I've really come to like for exposure use after Red introduced it.

 

Nebtek has a high-brightness LCD at the polishing stages. It is very promising as well. It's around 1000 nits or so and also comes with false colour, HDSDI, Composite, and Component HD. The metal case, again, seems well manufactured. I'm not sure if it will need a heater in cold or extreme cold climates due to the heat from the bright backlight. Somebody should check this one out closely.

 

ABC (Action Products) has a high brightness LCD in the prototype stage as well. It washed out outside when the sun hit straight in the screen, so I think this needs a little work, but could be promising. I didn't spend much time with it, so I don't have much for specs. Anyone?

 

Tiffen has an OLED in the early prototype stage. They said it's a few months of development off. But again, very promising in concept. I wonder what they're aiming at for price? Hmmm... I also wonder if it's they're own screen or Marshall guts. Double Hmmm...

 

Of course, there are the popular existing HD high brightness monitors: Transvideo, Tiffen UB, and Boland. Any other new products I missed out there?

 

Feel free to add more info...

 

Brett

[Rob Vuona SOC]

Hello all,

 

I just wanted to see if we could share info on what was new and exciting in the world of monitors after NAB. I was hoping some of you will have the opportunity to field test some of the new stuff and generously report back to us (*ahem* Charles).

 

So...

 

Marshall has the new 7.6" OLED monitor that looks very promising. 10,000:1 contrast (but only 200 nits). I'd LOVE to know how this performs in bright sunlight. The case was metal and looked solid, and it was a fairly efficient use of space. It comes with HDSDI, Composite, and Component HD. It aslo has false colour mode, which I've really come to like for exposure use after Red introduced it.

 

Nebtek has a high-brightness LCD at the polishing stages. It is very promising as well. It's around 1000 nits or so and also comes with false colour, HDSDI, Composite, and Component HD. The metal case, again, seems well manufactured. I'm not sure if it will need a heater in cold or extreme cold climates due to the heat from the bright backlight. Somebody should check this one out closely.

 

ABC (Action Products) has a high brightness LCD in the prototype stage as well. It washed out outside when the sun hit straight in the screen, so I think this needs a little work, but could be promising. I didn't spend much time with it, so I don't have much for specs. Anyone?

 

Tiffen has an OLED in the early prototype stage. They said it's a few months of development off. But again, very promising in concept. I wonder what they're aiming at for price? Hmmm... I also wonder if it's they're own screen or Marshall guts. Double Hmmm...

 

Of course, there are the popular existing HD high brightness monitors: Transvideo, Tiffen UB, and Boland. Any other new products I missed out there?

 

Feel free to add more info...

 

Brett

 

Hey Brett,

All of these monitors sound promising but non have delivered yet!?

 

Transvideo monitor is solid and very expensive and the viewing area is smaller than I would like, personally I think 7" is perfect for steadi, others I know are partial to the 8"

 

Mike over at Boland has been promising the 6.5" daybright for 4 years nows and in a meeting I had with him he said it was too expensive to get the LCD's cut to that size and he couldn't afford to do a run of 10,000 to get the price down.

 

I tested the Nebtek and Rob over there claimed that his 7" HD/SDI,Component / composit monitor was daybright but side by side comparison to the TV Logic, Marshal, Sony, Panasonic, Marshal they all sucked outdoors and the TV Logic won hands down on all fronts. I am not including Transvideo because it 's not comparing apples to apples, the price difference is 5-6k so no comparing.

 

That being said, I haven't seen the new Marshal that was shown at this years NAB

 

I am very interested in the OLED's being introduced and can't wait to field test them, but for now the trusted Transvideo Ultrabright is still my Monitor of choice outdoors and TV Logic indoors

 

Just my Two cents on my personal pet peeve deeling with monitors

[Nikolay Kerezov]

Hello Guys,

I'm waiting for new electronics (with framelines and HDMI) and I'll announce what we all need : 6.5" daylightreadable steadicam monitor for less than 5k.

This will hopefully takes no more than 40 days.

Regards!

[Jens Piotrowski SOC]

"6.5" daylight readable steadicam monitor for less than 5k"

 

I don't want to be the wet blanket, but it's already available, it's called IMP/Lumavec Blackbird. :ph34r:

 

 

http://lumavec.com/

[RonBaldwin]

"6.5" daylight readable steadicam monitor for less than 5k"

 

I don't want to be the wet blanket, but it's already available, it's called IMP/Lumavec Blackbird. :ph34r:

 

 

http://lumavec.com/

 

 

if you can get your hands on one.

 

It's a great monitor with great features...I loved the monitor when I saw yours last Nov, then I tried to buy one later that month -- you got the last one they had and they told me they wouldn't have more until Feb/March. Maybe they are plentiful now but it scares me buying a product in short supply. If I have a monitor go down, I want to replace it asap...not weeks (or worse) later. Probably why you bought the second one?

 

rb

[Jens Piotrowski SOC]

"6.5" daylight readable steadicam monitor for less than 5k"

 

I don't want to be the wet blanket, but it's already available, it's called IMP/Lumavec Blackbird. :ph34r:

 

 

http://lumavec.com/

 

 

if you can get your hands on one.

 

It's a great monitor with great features...I loved the monitor when I saw yours last Nov, then I tried to buy one later that month -- you got the last one they had and they told me they wouldn't have more until Feb/March. Maybe they are plentiful now but it scares me buying a product in short supply. If I have a monitor go down, I want to replace it asap...not weeks (or worse) later. Probably why you bought the second one?

 

rb

 

 

Hi Ron,

 

supply is definitely a concern, since they are hand-made in GB and the company is very small. Just like Pro GPI does one run of Pro-arms every year, they do a run of monitors per year to keep the cost down. Last time I checked I was told they will have them available in May (now).

 

The reason I have two, is to be independent, in case of accident, theft or repair. Turnaround time will be most likely 1 or 2 weeks.

 

At a price point of around $4K I was willing to take that chance. I'm very happy so far, no technical problems at all.

 

This monitor always amazes me in bright daylight situations, I've never seen a monitor perform like this anywhere else and I've seen a lot. It reminds me of my Garmin GPS unit that get's brighter, more readable the more sun you get on it.

 

FYI: Lumavec is currently developing their new line of (HD) monitors, I submitted my point of view with specs important to the Steadicam community....

 

Jens

 

Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated in any way with Lumavec or Nebtek, just a happy customer. :rolleyes:

[Rob Vuona SOC]

Hey Jens,

That Blackbird monitor on the Lumavec website, I can't find it? They have the humingbird but not the blackbird

 

any other sites to see it or post a pict and specs of yours?!?

 

Thanks

 

As always interested in monitors

Rob Vuona

[Jens Piotrowski SOC]

Hey Jens,

That Blackbird monitor on the Lumavec website, I can't find it? They have the humingbird but not the blackbird

 

any other sites to see it or post a pict and specs of yours?!?

 

Thanks

 

As always interested in monitors

Rob Vuona

 

 

Hi Rob,

 

pictures of the monitor are in this post:

 

http://www.steadicamforum.com/index.php?sh...amp;hl=sachtler

 

 

 

the specs for the Blackbird are on page 2 of the pdf file: Just to clarify, the monitor does not accept an HD signal, it has the standard Tiffen and PRO connectors for composite analog video and power

 

Lumavec download pdf here

[Nikolay Kerezov]

"6.5" daylight readable steadicam monitor for less than 5k"

 

I don't want to be the wet blanket, but it's already available, it's called IMP/Lumavec Blackbird. :ph34r:

 

 

http://lumavec.com/

 

I can only give two important reasons,why do I prefer My monitor:

1: HD-SDI

2:LED backlit (more than 30% less power)

 

If you want I can give you more ,such as the monitor will be costume made for each costumer,the menu is HUGE with thons of options...and so on

[Rob Vuona SOC]

"6.5" daylight readable steadicam monitor for less than 5k"

 

I don't want to be the wet blanket, but it's already available, it's called IMP/Lumavec Blackbird. :ph34r:

 

 

http://lumavec.com/

 

I can only give two important reasons,why do I prefer My monitor:

1: HD-SDI

2:LED backlit (more than 30% less power)

 

If you want I can give you more ,such as the monitor will be costume made for each costumer,the menu is HUGE with thons of options...and so on

 

Nikolay, I think I speak for a large portion of us ops when I say,

If you have a:

• 6.5"- 7" , 16x9 LCD Daybright monitor, 900nit or higher

• HD/SDI/Analog/Component inputs

• Frame Line Generator

• and digital Level

 

then you have the ultimate monitor and all of us would love to see it, test it and buy it, especially if it's under 4-5k

 

So, PLEASE, send photo's specs and hook some of us up for field testing and we'll all give you are honest opinion.

 

Thanks for giving us an option for something different

[Jens Piotrowski SOC]

Test: Blackbird in full sunlight

 

Here are some sample pictures taken today in full sunlight. In the second picture you can see the sun directly reflected as a worst case scenario example, but you can still the the picture clearly.

 

Monitor was set to 70% Brightness and 50% Contrast, Gamma at 1.6, composite video input (terminated)

 

Blackbird in full sun

[Nikolay Kerezov]

"6.5" daylight readable steadicam monitor for less than 5k"

 

I don't want to be the wet blanket, but it's already available, it's called IMP/Lumavec Blackbird. :ph34r:

 

 

http://lumavec.com/

 

I can only give two important reasons,why do I prefer My monitor:

1: HD-SDI

2:LED backlit (more than 30% less power)

 

If you want I can give you more ,such as the monitor will be costume made for each costumer,the menu is HUGE with thons of options...and so on

 

Nikolay, I think I speak for a large portion of us ops when I say,

If you have a:

• 6.5"- 7" , 16x9 LCD Daybright monitor, 900nit or higher

• HD/SDI/Analog/Component inputs

• Frame Line Generator

• and digital Level

 

then you have the ultimate monitor and all of us would love to see it, test it and buy it, especially if it's under 4-5k

 

So, PLEASE, send photo's specs and hook some of us up for field testing and we'll all give you are honest opinion.

 

Thanks for giving us an option for something different

You can see the first prototype here: http://www.steadicamforum.com/index.php?showtopic=9448

Difference will be that the new electronics will have framelines,but no level and will be anodized not painted.

I'll hook up some of you guys when the first one is ready.I'm planning to send it over there to some of you "active" members of the forum ,so you can spared the news ;-)

If anyone of you guys want to be this person ,please let me know

Regards!

[Nikolay Kerezov]

Mister Eric Fletcher will have ser# 1 for tests when is ready.

Best to all!

[Alec Jarnagin SOC]

Jens,

 

Don't mean to sound harsh, but which of those pictures makes you want this monitor? All three remind me of why I still use a green screen. In a word, yuk!

[JamieSilverstein]

Jens,

 

Don't mean to sound harsh, but which of those pictures makes you want this monitor? All three remind me of why I still use a green screen. In a word, yuk!

 

As we all know, sometimes pictures DON'T tell the whole story.

I am and have been an ardent fan of the Blackbird monitor. It's great in the sun,

it's great inside, and I can actually see things that I couldn't see with a green screen.

That being said, I would never think of prying Alec's TB6 from him. As ardent a fan as I am of the Blackbird, Alec is equally as devoted to his TB6.

Chacun a son gout............ To each his own....... My french is terrible.

Jamie