JamesB Posted March 24, 2013 Report Share Posted March 24, 2013 I know monitors have been discussed, and I have read the topics on this forum. I've been debating the costs between putting a new SD monitor on my cart, and always needing a converter on my cart if I want to be able to use my monitor on lower budget productions, or just getting an HD monitor. Any "real" job I do the VTR can send me a down converted SD signal, but all of the lower budget jobs I do I am needing to tie into the client monitor, HD-SDI, I have had to rent a down-converter. I've got a cheap SD monitor on my cart and its dying. Works most days but not others. I mix blind on jobs that can not supply an SD feed. I find I can mix fine without the screen, but I can't advise my boom operator without seeing a frame line. So its time to upgrade. I love the 7" marshal HD-SDI, it seems rugged, and compatible, but at 7" HD seems over kill for what I am doing with it. I need to see who is on screen, and check frame line. The 5" iKan seems capable, but I have been warned about its compatibility - not always being happy with the signal coming from VTR. The cost of a nice solid SD monitor 200-300 plus the cost of a converter can easily add up to near the cost of Marshall. Before I bite the bullet and just go for the "best", I'd like to know I am not wasting my money on an image. Any suggestions would be great. I don't want a rackmount monitor as it steals to much space in the cart, I like the monitor on an arm, I have an 'ultralight' arm I am quite happy with. Thanks for any feedback. James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich Posted March 24, 2013 Report Share Posted March 24, 2013 i got one of these, basically because it was cheap, and it would accept HD and SD. though it seems that since i bought mine towards the end of last year, and checking now, the price has gone up by about £150 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pindrop Posted March 24, 2013 Report Share Posted March 24, 2013 I gave up with cheap monitors and bought a TVLogic VFM-056W - pricey but really does show the whole frame with various scan modes. SD and HD-SDI. Fairly low power consumption and an acrylic screen protector option. http://www.tvlogicusa.com/product/product.php?model=VFM-056W/WP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aristotle_kumpis Posted March 24, 2013 Report Share Posted March 24, 2013 I purchased a 7" Lilliput monitor and I love it. I think I paid around $600. It's HD-SDI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich Posted March 24, 2013 Report Share Posted March 24, 2013 Hmm. Sure I meant to put in a link to the Swit 1071-h monitor. Turns out think of doing something is not the same as actually doing it. Who'd have thunk it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Anderson Posted March 24, 2013 Report Share Posted March 24, 2013 I still vote for the cheaper SD monitors. I pick up Haier 7 inch online for about $100 each or less. It can get HD over the air (network HD, but the wired inputs are SD or analog). They have an internal battery (that can be replaced if you can find them online) if you need to unplug them from your power source (I do this if my video feed is being compromised by some component of the chain (sound cart, video carts, crane, etc) not being on the exact same power leg. Eventually, the wear and tear on the RCA inputs are a little too much and I end up opening the monitor up and installing another (hopefully more secure) connector. But for the price... Best part: one strand of cheap CAT 5 that can be run over by anything carries 3 camera feeds to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneconnelly Posted March 25, 2013 Report Share Posted March 25, 2013 Just bought a Decimator downconvertor and a used standard def transmitter for under a grand. It pains me to have to cough up for stuff that has historically been supplied by the camera dept., but recently getting any video at all much less consistently has become an issue. Partly due to a new generation of camera centric DIT's, lower budgets where that equipment is the first thing to be cut from the camera budget, I guess. A grand fixed my problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted March 25, 2013 Report Share Posted March 25, 2013 " but all of the lower budget jobs I do I am needing to tie into the client monitor, HD-SDI, I have had to rent a down-converter. " you have that wrong but all of the lower budget jobs I do I am needing to tie into the client monitor, HD-SDI, they have to rent a down-converter. " Just bought a Decimator downconvertor and a used standard def transmitter for under a grand. It pains me to have to cough up for stuff that has historically been supplied by the camera dept., " a fine option, but ... (the race to the bottom!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneconnelly Posted March 26, 2013 Report Share Posted March 26, 2013 Im up for anything that helps me do a better job, which I think is what the Original post is looking for. Im a long way from the bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rainier Davenport Posted March 26, 2013 Report Share Posted March 26, 2013 Hello James, I have two Swit Monitors a 5 & 4.8 inch. I remember looking at a 7 inch monitor in the shop & I came to the conclusion it was too big for my trolley. In practice I have never wished for larger monitors. I didn't buy them at the same time as the 5 inch has HDSDI and Composite inputs and the 4.8 inch has HDSDI and HDMI (no composite). As to how they have lasted, the 5 inch had a few lines that are dead, but it's still OK and working well. I live near the Beach, so it is seeing the effects of a salty environment in the Aluminum exterior case, but nothing to be concerned about. They were both quite cheap, the 4.8 inch was about $600. They are both not 'Professional' monitors in the sense that they don't have any of the features that Camera guys need, but they are both perfect for hanging off the Sound Trolley. Regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesB Posted March 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2013 " but all of the lower budget jobs I do I am needing to tie into the client monitor, HD-SDI, I have had to rent a down-converter. " you have that wrong but all of the lower budget jobs I do I am needing to tie into the client monitor, HD-SDI, they have to rent a down-converter. You sound like you are lucky enough to not work on low budget jobs. On a feature without a VTR, I might be able to get production to jump for some downconverter so script and I can get an SD feed. But at $40/day - I am already fighting to get batteries paid for, getting a real boom op and explaining why they aren't gonna get a package with 8 wires in it. On a 1 or 2 day job where they haven't afforded a VTR op, which I find out the evening before, from the absence of that crew member on the callsheet, its not like I can show up in the morning and demand production goes to rent a downconverter. Best part: one strand of cheap CAT 5 that can be run over by anything carries 3 camera feeds to me. What are you using for video over CAT 5? Hello James, I have two Swit Monitors a 5 & 4.8 inch. I remember looking at a 7 inch monitor in the shop & I came to the conclusion it was too big for my trolley. In practice I have never wished for larger monitors. I didn't buy them at the same time as the 5 inch has HDSDI and Composite inputs and the 4.8 inch has HDSDI and HDMI (no composite). As to how they have lasted, the 5 inch had a few lines that are dead, but it's still OK and working well. I live near the Beach, so it is seeing the effects of a salty environment in the Aluminum exterior case, but nothing to be concerned about. They were both quite cheap, the 4.8 inch was about $600. They are both not 'Professional' monitors in the sense that they don't have any of the features that Camera guys need, but they are both perfect for hanging off the Sound Trolley. Regards. I will have to see if I can find a place local that stocks these. At the price I see these, I may as well by a Marshall. --- On my cart of $60k, I have been sporting a $40 Ebay monitor for years... not a place I like to put my money. I've used a decimator a couple times, works fine.. is that the best way to go for HD to SD? Anyone try an ikan D5 5.6"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Anderson Posted March 26, 2013 Report Share Posted March 26, 2013 James: muxlab boxes and cheap cat5 cable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shug Posted March 26, 2013 Report Share Posted March 26, 2013 Hey James, I think it is hard to beat these for quality and reliability; http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/766059-REG/Blackmagic_Design_HDL_SMTVDUO_SmartView_Duo_Rackmountable_Dual.html Cheers.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted March 26, 2013 Report Share Posted March 26, 2013 Hey James, I think it is hard to beat these for quality and reliability; http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/766059-REG/Blackmagic_Design_HDL_SMTVDUO_SmartView_Duo_Rackmountable_Dual.html Cheers.. The problem I've been told with the Blackmagic unit is that it is not easy to make any adjustments to the monitor without hooking it up to an external device (laptop?) --- it has no local on the box standard controls for even things like brightness and contrast. It is beautifully designed to be run along with several monitors all calibrated from a central point which is fine for a fixed installation or a studio but doesn't work so well for the sound cart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shug Posted March 26, 2013 Report Share Posted March 26, 2013 The lack of adjustment has never been a problem for me Jeff. It is preset out if the box to be pretty much what you want to be seeing, a little brighter perhaps (which is good when looking for shadows!). Constantly getting DoP's looking at them saying how good the picture is :-). I hooked it up to my laptop once (a slow day on set) and really didn't need to adjust anything. I've been using them happily over a year now. Also they have pro level build quality and can be rack mounted. Cheers, Hugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audio911 Posted March 27, 2013 Report Share Posted March 27, 2013 I use the dual Blackmagic monitors. Easy to tweek from a laptop. I rack mounted mine with this from B&H: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/702894-REG/Delvcam_ULCD_1_ULCD_1_Adjustable_Depth_LCD.html I have VESA to SPUD attached to the rack mount so it can go on any piece of lighting/grip gear... Steve Wytas www.audio911.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wandering Ear Posted March 27, 2013 Report Share Posted March 27, 2013 I use the black magic monitors also, they are fantastic. I've never thought to make adjustments to them on set, it never seemed necessary, but I usually have my laptop near on set if I wanted to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted March 27, 2013 Report Share Posted March 27, 2013 My experience with the Black Magic monitors is that adjusting them is a non-issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent R. Posted March 27, 2013 Report Share Posted March 27, 2013 I purchased a 7" Lilliput monitor and I love it. I think I paid around $600. It's HD-SDI. $ 209 here: http://www.dealextreme.com/photogallery.dx/sku.101935 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBoisseau Posted March 27, 2013 Report Share Posted March 27, 2013 $ 209 here:http://www.dealextreme.com/photogallery.dx/sku.101935 Upon looking at the specs and searching elsewhere, the Lilliput 667GL does not appear to have a SDI input. The only digial input seems to be a HDMI. Am I missing something? If it actually does have an HDSDI input, Ill buy a couple today! Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pindrop Posted March 27, 2013 Report Share Posted March 27, 2013 Upon looking at the specs and searching elsewhere, the Lilliput 667GL does not appear to have a SDI input. The only digial input seems to be a HDMI. Am I missing something? If it actually does have an HDSDI input, Ill buy a couple today! Tom Could be the LILLIPUT 667GL-70NP/H/Y/S that does HD-SDI rather than Lilliput 667GL-70NP/H/Y looks like a good price..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rseckar Posted April 12, 2013 Report Share Posted April 12, 2013 If you have thunderbolt MAC, you can use Blackmagic mini recorder with included software - works good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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