What Are You Using For Playback Monitor?

I'm looking to get something to go along with my 27" Apple Thunderbolt Display and "New" Mac Pro to be the full screen playback monitor. I'm tired of having to go full screen mode to playback my edits to see things I'd otherwise miss if I didn't. I just want to see it as i'm going along, on a second monitor.

Essentially everything I work on for my clients goes to the web and isn't that color critical, but i'd like to get something thats going to be good as possible for accurate color correction, within reason, if possible...

I was looking at the newish, smaller HP Dreamcolor's or possibly some kind of (plasma?) TV or something...Not sure if that would still be 10-bit if I hooked it up out of the HDMI port on my Mac Pro or would need an external box or something?

Lot of confusing info out there on the search function on different forums...

www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1044900-R...4x_professional.html



I just want to keep the FCPX/Resolve/etc GUI on the 27" Thunderbolt Display and have whatever other monitor I get just playback full screen, full time.

Any suggestions?

($4995 FSI monitor is not really what i'm going for, just FYI. )

Well, if you really want color accuracy, you really should invest in a calibrated broadcast monitor. I don't think there's a way around that. That being said, you can get reasonably close with a consumer plasma HDTV (or LCD/LED) if you don't mind doing a lot of tweaking with something like a calibration blu-ray or something similar. It will probably be very difficult if not impossible to get something truly reference, but you can get close enough given your budget.

The main reason this is possible is because the nMP has an HDMI out that can act like a broadcast monitor-out (and not simply a secondary display). In FCPX, you have to make sure it's selected in Preferences, and have the Window->A/V Output option checked. Blackmagic and Aja also make thunderbolt interfaces that have HDMI out if you have an iMac. I don't know about the HP Dreamcolor, but it might act like a broadcast monitor if you hooked it up through its HDMI input.

haysoos123 wrote: Well, if you really want color accuracy, you really should invest in a calibrated broadcast monitor. I don't think there's a way around that. That being said, you can get reasonably close with a consumer plasma HDTV (or LCD/LED) if you don't mind doing a lot of tweaking with something like a calibration blu-ray or something similar. It will probably be very difficult if not impossible to get something truly reference, but you can get close enough given your budget.

The main reason this is possible is because the nMP has an HDMI out that can act like a broadcast monitor-out (and not simply a secondary display). In FCPX, you have to make sure it's selected in Preferences, and have the Window->A/V Output option checked. Blackmagic and Aja also make thunderbolt interfaces that have HDMI out if you have an iMac. I don't know about the HP Dreamcolor, but it might act like a broadcast monitor if you hooked it up through its HDMI input.

Yeah i know only truly accurate color will come from a true broadcast monitor. I'm only looking to get reasonably close at this point, like you say. Half the reason I want something is just to watch it back full screen without having to lose my GUI view. Its amazing how much time i spend watching something back full screen to find the small mistakes or details I missed, then having to stop, fix it, start the process over...on and on, when I could just see it right away if I had it full time.

The stuff I'm doing like quick turn around real estate video, corporate talking head stuff, internal training videos, etc just all go straight to youtube or vimeo (or even worse - crazy .wmv super compressed postage stamp size format, etc) and just have to look "pretty good". No one watching these are all that obsessing over details that much.

I guess the reason I'm asking for this is mostly for a model number or something, preferably something proven to be decent by people who are a lot smarter than I am! (you guys! haha)

And yes I definitely would prefer to just run it out the HDMI on my Mac Pro. Super simple and easy.

I guess price range I'm looking for would be in the $700 and under kinda range.

Can't give a model number because the two TVs I bought are old now but I'd take a look at the LG range. Both the 42" Plasma and LED TVs I bought to use in the office have an ISF calibration setting that gives you some very granular control over the picture - they even had a blue-gun only mode for a quick calibration.

It's be worth checking to see if the newer models do the same

It seems like only the Plasma's have that calibration feature?

Also, it only seems that the 50"+ as well.

hmm...wish i could find a smaller monitor like 42" or 39" or something...50" might be kind of huge in this current room.

Our main tv in the living room is only 42"! haha

jeff_kirkland wrote: Can't give a model number because the two TVs I bought are old now but I'd take a look at the LG range. Both the 42" Plasma and LED TVs I bought to use in the office have an ISF calibration setting that gives you some very granular control over the picture - they even had a blue-gun only mode for a quick calibration.

It's be worth checking to see if the newer models do the same

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BBAFUQC/ref...&smid=A3JEKQLX9Y2C9L

this one looks pretty decent and has the calibration feature...but its 50". There is a 42" version apparently but its 720p...any thoughts?

What's about this one:
www.lg.com/us/commercial/lcd-computer-monitors/lg-27MB85R-B

- Andreas

Andreas Kiel wrote: What's about this one:
www.lg.com/us/commercial/lcd-computer-monitors/lg-27MB85R-B

- Andreas

Well, thats a computer monitor...and can't really accept the broadcast signal out of the HDMI port on the Mac Pro...I think. If I was going to get just another GUI monitor id probably get a second Thunderbolt Display, I guess.

I obviously missed something.

You were talking about the HP Dreamcolor monitors which are computer monitors.
You also said that you deliver computer based media only.

TV monitors regardless whether color calibrated or not can't have the color range (or color space) which are available on decent color calibrated computer monitors - except you spend many 1000s of dollars for an FSI or similar.

For any reliable preview you have something which reflects your delivery chain. So it will be different for TV shows or theatric release features which should go to BluRay, web as well compared to something which is web only.

So in your case a HP, NEC or LG with color calibration should be fine.
I suggested the LG cause it has TB 2 IO.

- Andreas

shane82388 wrote:

Andreas Kiel wrote: What's about this one:
www.lg.com/us/commercial/lcd-computer-monitors/lg-27MB85R-B

- Andreas

Well, thats a computer monitor...and can't really accept the broadcast signal out of the HDMI port on the Mac Pro...I think. If I was going to get just another GUI monitor id probably get a second Thunderbolt Display, I guess.

I do wonder if that would act like a TV if you plug in an HDMI broadcast signal. Anyone with anything similar that can chime in about this? And even if it just acts like a monitor, you can still have the viewer be full screen on that monitor if you don't mind the transport controls. I'm guessing maybe you already do that, though.

As for TVs being used for grading... it's not so far out actually. I've done several projects at Company 3 here in LA, one of the top color houses. One time, I was in a suite that actually used a Pioneer Kuro plasma as the big monitors for us to see. Of course the colorist used his own proper monitor, but that nice plasma was for the clients. I asked about it specifically, and the colorist said that yes, it's a consumer model. It was well-calibrated and looked pretty much identical color-wise to his broadcast monitor. Of course, the Kuros are well-known to have an excellent picture and black levels, but the fact remains that it was a consumer TV that worked pretty well for me to judge the color. You can still get a Kuro on eBay for a reasonable price (although not smaller than 50"), but I think Panasonic are still selling some plasmas that go to 42". Personally, I have a Boland SEL24, but we have a client-facing screen that's a... Sony Bravia LCD! An OLD one even. If you are very anal about calibration, you can get it good enough for government work.

Another thing to note is that sRGB for computer monitors is pretty close to REC 709 color space for HDTVs. So even if you grade for REC 709 which is pretty standard, it should still look pretty good on computers that do a good job with sRGB. PCs can be all over the map depending on the monitor, but most Mac screens these days are very good and fairly accurate.

haysoos123 wrote:

shane82388 wrote:

Andreas Kiel wrote: What's about this one:
www.lg.com/us/commercial/lcd-computer-monitors/lg-27MB85R-B

- Andreas

Well, thats a computer monitor...and can't really accept the broadcast signal out of the HDMI port on the Mac Pro...I think. If I was going to get just another GUI monitor id probably get a second Thunderbolt Display, I guess.

I do wonder if that would act like a TV if you plug in an HDMI broadcast signal. Anyone with anything similar that can chime in about this? And even if it just acts like a monitor, you can still have the viewer be full screen on that monitor if you don't mind the transport controls. I'm guessing maybe you already do that, though.

As for TVs being used for grading... it's not so far out actually. I've done several projects at Company 3 here in LA, one of the top color houses. One time, I was in a suite that actually used a Pioneer Kuro plasma as the big monitors for us to see. Of course the colorist used his own proper monitor, but that nice plasma was for the clients. I asked about it specifically, and the colorist said that yes, it's a consumer model. It was well-calibrated and looked pretty much identical color-wise to his broadcast monitor. Of course, the Kuros are well-known to have an excellent picture and black levels, but the fact remains that it was a consumer TV that worked pretty well for me to judge the color. You can still get a Kuro on eBay for a reasonable price (although not smaller than 50"), but I think Panasonic are still selling some plasmas that go to 42". Personally, I have a Boland SEL24, but we have a client-facing screen that's a... Sony Bravia LCD! An OLD one even. If you are very anal about calibration, you can get it good enough for government work.

Another thing to note is that sRGB for computer monitors is pretty close to REC 709 color space for HDTVs. So even if you grade for REC 709 which is pretty standard, it should still look pretty good on computers that do a good job with sRGB. PCs can be all over the map depending on the monitor, but most Mac screens these days are very good and fairly accurate.

So if a computer monitor would actually be pretty much all I need for what I'm doing for work these days, would it make sense to just get another (used) Thunderbolt display then, and set it up as a dual monitor set up with my current one?

I just assumed the computer monitor wouldn't act like a tv if it was fed through the HDMI cable...

Its a different resolution and too...

An issue I find with working with 1080p footage and then going full screen with it on a 2560x1440 monitor is that it appears soft, just because its being uprezzed for playback...can you set the footage to playback at native resolution on a secondary monitor or something in FCPX?

shane82388 wrote: So if a computer monitor would actually be pretty much all I need for what I'm doing for work these days, would it make sense to just get another (used) Thunderbolt display then, and set it up as a dual monitor set up with my current one?

I just assumed the computer monitor wouldn't act like a tv if it was fed through the HDMI cable...

Its a different resolution and too...

An issue I find with working with 1080p footage and then going full screen with it on a 2560x1440 monitor is that it appears soft, just because its being uprezzed for playback...can you set the footage to playback at native resolution on a secondary monitor or something in FCPX?

haysoos123 explained it very good - both points of view (TV versus Computer monitors).
You also can for example hook a computer to a Decklink box via HDMI to mimic TV color behavior.

Anyway if you use a 2560x1440 monitor you simply set up the playback window settings to 100% when using a 1080p source. Difference compared to a TV is that interlaced sources won't be played like on a TV.

With the higher than HD res you can at least play real 2k sources pixel by pixel.
So finally just look for a good computer monitor with Thunderbolt loop thru. There should be the option to calibrate the monitor. If not build in there are options for example Datacolor Spider.

- Andreas