Secondary monitor

Is anyone using a Samsung 32" 1080p 5000 series as secondary monitor. I have MacBook pro and use mini port thru hdmi. Is this Samsong good?? Price point about $400
Thanks
Jim

I wouldn't use an HDTV for a computer monitor. HDTV's have MUCH LESS resolution than a computer monitor.

Are you planning on using it as a reference video monitor or as 2nd computer monitor. If as as reference monitor (low spec but still essentially a TV), you could use it with a Matrox, Black Magic or Aja box. The Matrox has a calibration utility that you can set it up and get kind of close (although not broadcast close).

If you're planning on using it as a computer monitor (computer GUI), then I agree that it's probably not the best thing to use, although it will work in a pinch.

The video work I do is mostly for use on TV, so this is for reference use and presentation playback.

Also, I can not seem to get flash drives to play a movie on TVs...some files show up but will not open. TV manuals say format the drives as fat32. My mac disk utility gives me a MS-DOS(FAT) option which I used, is this a fat32?

Any suggestions?

Thanks for the help

Jim

If you are concerned about how something looks on an HDTV, in HDTV color space (ie Rec 709), then using the built in graphics card on your computer is not sufficiently accurate. You can mimic a broadcast signal on a consumer set, but your calibration options are limited. Does your MacBook Pro have Thunderbolt? Then some of the newer Black Magic and Matrox options can be driven via TB. If your MacBook has a PCIExpress slot, then you can do the same with a card adapter. If you have neither and just have FW or USB, then you can't really do that. It is still possible to use your graphics card via a Matrox MXO (not MXO2) box which can drive a monitor using your DVI or displayport out.

As far as Flash Drives on TVs, not sure what you mean: connecting the flash drive directly to the TV? I thought we're talking about playing FCP etc from your laptop....

The only video out I have on my Macbook Pro is miniport thru hdmi into tv.

The flash drive is off topic. I want to use the flash drive a a leave behind (sales lingo) so the client/person can play the movie after I leave and take my macbook pro computer and hdmi hookup

Jim

A good alternative would be to go the other way. Assume the Samsung has DVI input as well. Get a mini display to DVI adapter, use the Samsung as your desktop workspace and use the MBP screen as your video monitor.

The way FCPX handles color information, the MBP is in fact a very good monitoring solution. In FCPX, go to window>show viewer on second display.

Apple designed FCPX to display video on Apple computer screens.

There are other (better) more expensive solutions of course.