Preview monitor

Hi,

Can anyone recommend a reasonable priced but decent HDMI preview monitor that is suitable for accurate colour correction / grading in FCPX?

Coax cable sends a raw signal, HDMI is a two-way communication and can alter how the signal is sent. On a professional level, you'd not use an HDMI solution, technically. If you do use HDMI, you'd simply use an HD television. The problem with that is, all TV's have built-in circuitry and filters to adjust the incoming signal, so that it looks its best on that specific piece of hardware. Thus, you're not seeing the raw signal/image. True broadcast monitors, which do display the raw signal, use coax connections.

But, more and more folks are using HD TV's for monitoring. Just be sure to play that final product on several other brand/models of TVs to see how it travels, adjust as necessary.

Hi Damian

On a professional level, you'd not use an HDMI solution, technically.

This is quite right. For the best colour correction monitoring you need to use some form of ‘Broadcast’ monitor with an SDI (coax cable) input. To use a monitor like this you would need some kind of AJA or Blackmagic I/O box to provide the SDI output from your Mac.

In my humble..etc, using a domestic TV via HDMI for colour correction is actually the worst route you could go. Domestic TV’s are just not accurate enough, for all the reasons Ben mentioned and others.

If I didn’t have an SDI monitor available I would prefer to grade on an Apple Thunderbolt Display and calibrate it carefully. While you’re not technically viewing a ‘broadcast’ signal the viewing quality is going to be way better than a domestic TV.

A lot depends on what type of work you do. If your output is mostly for the internet then the Thunderbolt Display option (I think) is absolutely fine. If you do anything for broadcast I would always feel happier with an SDI monitor.

John

Would it be better to use a second monitor for preview rather than a HDMI TV then? SDI at the moment is not an option due to lack of expansion ports.

You have no more USB or T'bolt ports available? That's a lot of peripherals.

Unless it's an Apple T'bolt Display, you may just want to settle for an HD TV. But, depends on where you're delivering the final product to. Where would that be?

Damian,

Going back to your original question -

'Can anyone recommend a reasonable priced but decent HDMI preview monitor'

If you really want to go the HDMI route you could look at the 'Colour Edge' range from a company called Eizo who make high-end monitors for industry etc.

www.eizoglobal.com/products/coloredge/index.html

Check out the CG248-4K. I've seen one of these being used 'in real life' and I was really surprised by the image quality (and build quality) - very good. (I don't work for Eizo! :lol: )

But remember these are still essentially computer monitors not broadcast monitors so the issues mentioned previously still apply. But properly calibrated with broadcast colour bars I think a monitor like this would be a pretty good HDMI option. Certainly way better than a domestic LCD TV (yuk).

Here are a couple of interesting articles on this stuff...

aaronwilliams.tv/2011/06/colorist-tip-45/

nofilmschool.com/2012/09/complete-guide-...-color-grading-suite