external video monitor for editting

[vdschoor 0]

I had a question for all the video editors out there.. for a while I've been thinking of going to an external monitor / firewire monitor for my editting.

It's a lot easier to preview what you're doing that way instead of using the little preview pane in the editting suite.

Should I bother with a real video monitor (couple of G's) or should I just get a monitor that I can plug HDMI into and use my HC-1 as the "firewire device"? Any suggestions? What do you use for your setup?

[beowulf 1]

I would just buy a new video card that supports dual monitor and buy another computer monitor. I use Vegas Pro 8 which supports out putting the video to a second monitor. That way I wouldn't need to make use of my camcorder in the way you describe.

[vdschoor 0]

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I would just buy a new video card that supports dual monitor and buy another computer monitor. I use Vegas Pro 8 which supports out putting the video to a second monitor. That way I wouldn't need to make use of my camcorder in the way you describe.

I thought of that too, but what I am after is making sure that the output looks exactly like what it's going to be on my TV, so I am leaning towards a TV through my camcorder.
As far as using the camcorder that way, I am not worried, this is my old one that I don't want to spend a fortune on to get the LCD display fixed :( It's been retired from jumping because of that cause I can't do any custom settings on it anymore. (shutterspeed / white balance e.a.) Sony charges too much to fix camcorders, I just got another one off of eBay.

[PharmerPhil 0]

I have kind of a soft spot for lots of monitors. My home set-up has two dual monitor cards (ATI Radeon 2600s), Normally I just use one card feeding two Samsung 20-inch LCDs for most computer use including a lot of editing. Even this helps because I can fit my timeline full width and my preview and canvas windows each taking up half of one screen, and my browser items and any other stuff on the other screen.

But my second card is hooked up to both an LG 20-inch TV next to my monitors (via RGB input), and my 40-inch LCD in the adjacent living room. I also have a BlackMagic HDMI out PCIe card which feeds the HDMI input on my LG TV, and that is what I use when previewing on my desktop TV. But I can switch to the RGB input on the TV when I just need more desktop space for other computer projects (no, sometimes two screens isn't enough). For many smaller editing tasks, the little canvas on my computer monitor is fine and I use it very often. But when you want to really look at a sequence you just edited, or how a transition really looks, it helps to have something bigger and closer to what others will view the finished product on (it's also nice to be able to preview your stuff with a real audio system).

So I can preview stuff my desktop TV when editing, and on the big screen when I want/need to. But keep in mind that neither of these are really video monitors per se, they're televisions, although you can set them up pretty good. I do have a real Sony 13-inch monitor (PVM-something) for more critical color stuff if I want it (SD only, do you know how much a real broadcast HD monitor costs?), but during the summer it lives at the DZ as my main preview monitor for doing analog SD editing. Oh yeah, and I have two other B&W Sony 9-inch monitors next to that for a preview screen off my feeder cam and for my titler's preview out.

Of course, all this means I don't really have a life.

[vdschoor 0]

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Of course, all this means I don't really have a life.

yeah you do.. a life full of action video either shooting it or editting it

The setup you're describing is kind of what I am leaning towards. For now one big ass monitor and a LCD TV, and then maybe when I grow up and am rich some more big ass monitors and a more powerful computer (thinking about the Mac Pro...)

Thanks for your feedback!!

[PharmerPhil 0]

It is not all action video, but it is still fun.

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thinking about the Mac Pro

That's what I have, and I love it.

[DSE 5]

If you're going to go HD, you can't reasonably justify a broadcast-level monitor.
If you're SD, then not just any ole' monitor will do.
You can't reasonably monitor HD on a crummy monitor, and cant' monitor SD on an LCD panel monitor.
What's your budget?
You have a few options, but if Firewire is your output format, then you're working in SD. Personally, I think that's a mistake, but at the end of the day, it's your workflow and output and not my opinion that matters.

[vdschoor 0]

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If you're going to go HD, you can't reasonably justify a broadcast-level monitor.
If you're SD, then not just any ole' monitor will do.
You can't reasonably monitor HD on a crummy monitor, and cant' monitor SD on an LCD panel monitor.
What's your budget?
You have a few options, but if Firewire is your output format, then you're working in SD. Personally, I think that's a mistake, but at the end of the day, it's your workflow and output and not my opinion that matters.

DSE.. actually your opinion does matter.. a little bit, if I can afford your opinion

My budget really is only about 1000 bucks.

The footage I am working on is off my HC-1 right now, and later on this winter there will be a bunch of EX1 (yup.. I am placing an order soon) footage, so it's HD stuff.

I was thinking of using an LCD HDTV.. but it sounds like I shouldn't go there?

[beowulf 1]

As long as you have DVI out put from your video card you can hook up an LCD HD TV to your computer. The quality depends on how good the video card is.

[DSE 5]

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As long as you have DVI out put from your video card you can hook up an LCD HD TV to your computer. The quality depends on how good the video card is.

Which is *exactly* why this is a bad idea. If you're monitoring to know exactly what the DVD will look like, color correction, image placement, safeties, etc are a waste of time on a video card-controlled preview. You cannot have the video card have any control over gamma, color, etc of any professional preview output. Which is why for instance, you see Phil commenting about a BMD card, or when I comment about SDI or 1394 cards.
This is critical, if you're speaking from a point of an accurate image preview.

[beowulf 1]

What is the preferred method of output for video editing?

[vdschoor 0]

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What is the preferred method of output for video editing?

Maybe putting a Matrox MXO2 box in between? Or is that just a marketing thing that they say you can use your normal LCD screen as a monitor?

Matrox MXO 2

[beowulf 1]

I was checking out that Blackmagic website. The Intensity card looks like a good deal.

http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/intensity/

[DSE 5]

It is. The Intensity is a very nice card with professional, nonbiased output.
Matrox card is GREAT for presentations. I use it religiously. But not useful for color correction output. It's a presentation/splitter card and doesn't allow for calibration.

[vdschoor 0]

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I was checking out that Blackmagic website. The Intensity card looks like a good deal.

http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/intensity/

Sweet... I'm adding it to my xmas list right now! The price and DSE's blessing of this tool have convinced me.

[DSE 5]

The Intensity is now in its second (technically third) generation, and we're using them pretty consistently. Virtually every NLE supports it, price is right, and its 10bit architecture (even though HDMI resets the last 2 bits to null) and associated codecs makes it a serious, albeit VERY low budget tool.
They've got a new version coming, but not til April.

[vdschoor 0]

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The Intensity is now in its second (technically third) generation, and we're using them pretty consistently. Virtually every NLE supports it, price is right, and its 10bit architecture (even though HDMI resets the last 2 bits to null) and associated codecs makes it a serious, albeit VERY low budget tool.
They've got a new version coming, but not til April.

The low budget along with the "serious tool" combined makes it a very interesting investment for me.

I need to go as good as I can on a smaller budget.. and it looks like this will work very well for me.

[vdschoor 0]

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You have a few options, but if Firewire is your output format, then you're working in SD. Personally, I think that's a mistake, but at the end of the day, it's your workflow and output and not my opinion that matters.

I had a question about this part of your answer.. is firewire ALWAYS SD? Say all the footage I firewired into my computer from my camcorder. I assumed that is HD right? or is firewire only SD when you use it to display on a screen?

Sorry for the dumb questions, I am just trying to understand the video part of it all a lot better.. I've been shooting video, but mainly been focussed on the photography side of things.

[DSE 5]

PREVIEW over firewire is always HD, but Firewire can carry any data stream. However, the video protocol currently only carries two stream standards.
DV
HDV

That's it. HDV can't be recompressed on the fly over firewire, hence the limitation.