Best Monitors for Video editing?

Forum|Forum|12 years ago
September 15, 2013
2 replies
47521 views

Hey guys. I'm looking at an NEC monitor for editing my stills, and am wondering if this will be suitable for video editing?

Models I'm considering are:

http://www.necdisplay.com/p/desktop-monitors/pa241w-bk

http://www.necdisplay.com/p/desktop-monitors/pa242w-bk

http://www.necdisplay.com/p/desktop-monitors/pa271w-bk

These monitors are great for stills, as they cam emulate paper types well, but do I need a more "vibrant" monitor for video? Just worried that my video will look a bit off on these monitors, as it's such a different medium?

If they aren't suitable, what brand/models are considered good? (Professional level).

Cheers,

Ben

This topic has been closed for replies.

E

excited_Genie16B8

Legend

[Moved to Hardware forum.]

A

Anonymous

Video is not stills. Video takes place in the REC.709 (google it) workingspace these days. Your NEC monitors can't show you that space. Very few computer monitors can.

What you need for video is a production monitor, or even just a simple HDTV. This will show you what your video will look like when seen on HDTV, or from DVD or BD through an HDTV. The joy of a production monitor though is the tools most of them come with. I'm talking about waveform monitors, vector scopes, and other tools such as RGB parade. If you're planing to do any color correction or color grading work, you'll need these tools.

If you insist on using a computer monitor for video, you can still get resonable results if you're willing to put in the time. You can do this through itteration. Get your black and white points, contrast, and colors where you want them on your computer monitor, then burn a DVD, take it to a player / HDTV, and play it. Note the problems, come back to the computer, make the appropriate changes, burn another DVD.... rinse and repeat until done. Takes forever, is very frustrating, but will teach you the value of a production monitor.

B

Ben_McPheeAuthor

Participating Frequently

Hey guys, thanks for the feedback. Just a few quick follow up questions.

The other brand I was considering was Eizo, which I ruled out only on price ($2500 or so, compared to $1100 or less for the NEC). Now I’m wondering if I should take a 2^nd look.

This monitor for example http://www.eizo.com.au/products/coloredge/cg276/index.html#tab02, “supports a video signal display rate of 24 frames per second so film can be edited as it was meant to be viewed, provides quick access to several broadcast-standard color modes: Rec. 709, EBU, SMPTE-C, and DC,I and also can display safe area markers and signal information when connected to the right kit.”

So…

1. Would that suit? Or is it not really “good enough?” Or is the extra $1500 I’ll spend on it more than I’d spend on a good production monitor anyway?

2. I have a great HDTV (And can hook it up to my computer for now to save that DVD burning scenario. ). How will it compare to a dedicated production monitor?

3. Who makes good production monitors (and how do they go with stills color spaces?). What specs should I look for? And what price point is the minimum to get a good screen?

4. Also, how well do production monitors emulate what might get shown on a projector? (Say in a cinema, or home theater?)

Thanks heaps.

Cheers,

Ben

E

excited_Genie16B8

Legend

You're thinking needs some slight adjustment here. You need two displays, not one. The first is for the computer and it's GUI, and it's quality is less critical. The second is for full screen playback of the video from a device like those offered by Blackmagic and AJA. This second display is the one where image quality matters.

Sounds like you already have the HDTV for that secondary display full screen playback. Now you just need the less critical computer monitor and the hardware output device.

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