Noah Timan Posted January 31, 2009 Report Share Posted January 31, 2009 Hi all, I know some of you who have posted cart pictures use a dual-monitor rackmount setup for your video monitors and wondering if any of you can comment, suggest, discourage, etc on particular models. Ideally I'm looking for a setup where the monitors could receive broadcast but I don't think there are any out there that do so. I'm also going to get a shipping case for a rig I'm building and am curious about pros and cons of the various ones. I know many people use the SKB cases and any information and experience with those or others would also be very helpful. Thanks very much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Lightstone, CAS Posted January 31, 2009 Report Share Posted January 31, 2009 Noah, I'm no expert, so I'm just going to give you my personal thoughts on your topic. In regards to "rackmount monitors", you first have to decide how much rack space you want to use and whether or not you want monitors that accept SD and HD. There are dozens of ways to go. You can go high end and purchase Marshall: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/372569-REG/Marshall_V_R72P_2HDSDI_V_R72P_2HDSDI_Dual_7_Inch_LCD.html If you want monitors with tuners you can try Delvcam, distributed by Markertek: http://www.markertek.com/Product.asp?baseItem=DELV%2D2LCD%2D7XLS&cat=VIDEOEQUIP&subcat=VIDMON&prodClass=LCDMON&mfg=delvcam&search=0&off= What I currently have is 2 Lilliput monitors placed in a rackplate. (see the photo below) This was an idea from Brett Grant Grierson. I can recieve the transmitted signal from the cameras, or with the use of a baluns, I can get a video feed from video assist through a cat-5 cable. Simple and very inexpensive. (there are numerous threads on video through Cat-5 cable on this forum.) In regards to rack cases - there are many brands to choose from. If you ever visit NAB in Vegas, your head will spin when you see how many case manufacturers there are! My choice was SKB, because it could deliver quickly and I liked their "lifetime" guarantee. They have come through for me every time - and all at no charge. I decided to go to a rack mount case because I was on a shoot that was going to Morocco and we had less than twelve hours to send it back to the states and be ready to shoot in two days. The dusty conditions in Morocco was proof enough to me that I made the right choice. The fact that only the front and back was exposed to the environment and I could close the doors when moving it along the dirt alleyways of Ouarzazate again proved it's worth. There are also many threads on rack cases, with lots of photos for you to get ideas. Good luck, RL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jimg Posted January 31, 2009 Report Share Posted January 31, 2009 Hi, Noah I'll only give this bit of advice: Stay away from the traditional ATA plywood and laminate racks unless you think the rig is really going to take a beating. I'm building a new system, and the 16 space shock rack with all the fixed shelves and a sliding shelf weighs less than a standard 12 space ply and laminate rack. Based on what I'm seeing so far I should have spent the extra $120 or so for the SKB rotomoulded rack over the Gator rack I ended up with. I have a 12 space ply and laminate rack here, part of the gear I've been selling off, that I'll contact you about off the group tomorrow. Best regards, Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 Hi, Noah I'll only give this bit of advice: Stay away from the traditional ATA plywood and laminate racks unless you think the rig is really going to take a beating. I have a 12 space ply and laminate rack here, part of the gear I've been selling off, that I'll contact you about off the group tomorrow. Best regards, Jim I would agree with Jim about the plywood laminate cases (what we used to call A & J cases because they were the biggest manufacturer here in L.A. --- they used to all the Panavision gear). Also, I will be selling my old cart if that is of any interest to you --- not a case type cart but and upright frame. I have SKB cases for sale as well, NOT shockmount style (whether you need or want shockmount-type rack case or not is a whole other discussion). - Jeff Wexler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPSharman Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 I have a Grundorf 3/4" ply 16-space case. It weighs a ton, but I don't really have problem with that. I love being able to Velcro stuff to the top of the case, and I also love being able to screw into it. I have 2x insignia monitors. They have built in batteries, so work for a while when power is lost without draining my main cart power. They have antenna inputs and video inputs, so are useful for transmitted shows or hard line. I use a basic "L" bracket and a small bolt to mount into the "tripod" mount underneath. I've got pictures on here somewhere. Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 I chose the Cooltouch dual LCD's. They look great and their non-glare screens allow you to see the picture in any lighting conditions. But their main advantage is that their 7" LCD's only take up 3 rack spaces, whereas most other brands take up 4. Darren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noah Timan Posted February 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Thanks, all you guys, for your valuable input. I suppose I should probably have outlined my purpose for more accuracy. What I'm attempting to do is build a secondary rig for light assignments, commercials, and locations with difficult access or footprint restrictions. I love my current cart, but it weighs a ton, can't be shipped easily, can't be loaded into a van for commercials by myself, and due to its height and weight, does not off-road particularly well. This secondary rig will be much more stripped down than my main rig (what we like to call "the mothership") and will probably not get used all that much, but I imagine will be a nice happy medium between the big heavy tall soundcart with every bell and whistle and the stripped-down bag rig which, while being very light, is burdened with frustrating limitations. I'll save the bag for true run and gun applications (such as those where I physically have to be moving during the shot) and use this for instances where the mothership is too much trouble. The idea is to have a single rack case that can be carried without too much trouble by two people. I also came to the conclusion that a plastic case makes more sense than a plywood case for weight reasons. It'd be nice to be able to ship it as is, but it doesn't make sense to deal with the weight all of the time just for the odd few times it would have to be shipped or checked on airplanes. I think I can pack the case in a padded box or something when shipping is required. I'm guessing that 10-12 spaces will probably fit what's needed pretty tightly (824, mixer, Venue, and 2 monitors, plus maybe a shelf for two small IFB transmitters, a balun, a small simple timecode generator, a small worklight, and a simple power distro, with the battery and power supply located externally). Because it's not a primary rig and probably won't get used much, I'm looking to not spend a mint on it -- ie some of the beautiful and well-equipped monitors suggested here are probably overkill for this purpose. Regular SD monitors are fine, hopefully not taking up more than 3 rack spaces. I did see that Ikan has a 3U SD monitor rack for about $900, but I was hopeful that I might be able to find something for even less (though I may not get my way there). It might be more cost efficient to find a rack frame for the monitors and simply mount some cheap standalones inside that would get me through for these kinds of limited situations. I clearly have more research to do. Jeff, I'll email you about the SKB cases. Anyway, thanks for all your past and future help! nvt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Noah, To save money, what might work nicely in the situation you describe is a pair of DVD monitors designed for a vehicle. Think a van with kids in the back seat, each watching a monitor behind the headrest in front of them. These will run on 12v.-14v. D.C. and are about the right size for the application you describe. I bought a set like this a while back that came with both monitors (one attached to a DVD player and the other to take a video output from the first). They can be used as two separate monitors via a composite in RCA jack. The DVD player is small and light so it doesn't add much to the total bulk or weight of the first monitor. The other monitor has the same H & W but, without the DVD player, is not as thick. I found mine on sale at (please pardon me) Walmart some time back for something like $150. JB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noah Timan Posted February 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Thanks John, Something like this might work fine. I bought a 7" Haier LCD TV last year when a monitor went down as an emergency backup for under $100, to use for a couple of weeks while the other monitor was being fixed. It was fine, except that it did not have a 4:3 option, so the image was stretched and distorted to fit the 16:9 screen. If anyone knows of a cheapie that will do both 4:3 and 16:9 and doesn't look absolutely horrible, I'd be interested to know. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 I believe the set I bought does both. I don't have the name and model number at hand at the moment, though. If I remember it, I'll check when I go back into the studio today. JB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 These are: DURABRAND model: Dual-7C http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4910494 They don't show any in stores within 100 miles of your location. I don't even know if this particular model is still current, but it could be worth researching to see if there is something similar that might work out. If the controls were on the front and they still had a small enough footprint, that might be better. Two of the biggest advantages with going this route is 1) the price and 2) car voltages are in the same range most of us use (12v-14.4v). The real key is whether or not you could find a good way to mount them. They would just fit side by side in a 19" x 7" panel, but you'd have to work out how to get to all the connectors and controls. Yes, they have a wide/normal switch on each unit. The main unit is clamshell-like but the screen will fold all the way around and close facing outward. I'm not saying this would be your best choice -- just a really cost-effective one (if mounting is not too much of a hassle). With consumer monitors I'm always a bit concerned about what I'm missing in the overscan area. ADDENDUM: Here they are refurbed (for $80, but out of stock): http://wennow.com/durabrand-dual7c-partable-dvd-playe7.html ...and here's a review of it: http://www.expotv.com/videos/reviews/8/94/Durabrand-Dual-7C-7/157049 JB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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