Re: FCP Finishing Monitors

So in the end, after research and side-by-side tests, we went with the JVC.

Some things we learned along the way:

JVC DT-V24L1DU: Of the three, this is the only one with a glossy screen, which probably accounts for its seemingly richer blacks. It has HD-SDI standard, full 1920x1080 image and a 1:1 button that allows you to see whatever image you're throwing at it in its native pixel-to-pixel size. Unfortunately for 16:9 letterboxed SD images (as we're presently delivering a show), it makes the image so small as to be almost useless. Also of extreme annoyance is the angle of view. Though listed at 176 degrees in all directions, that only holds true if you are legally blind. There is a sweet spot, and it's about 5-10 degrees (max), which simply means that while color correcting, you will need to be head-on while working. Not such a big deal, but annoying.

PANASONIC BT-LH2600W: Though the JVC had richer blacks, I get the sneaking suspicion that the Pani has slightly truer colors. But the smaller resolution (1366x768) combined with the bulky size of the monitor were a drawback. Also, their cockamammy (sp?) pixel-to-pixel option is just weird. It offers you the ability -- like the JVC -- to see your image in it's native pixel size. So because of the lower resolution, for full HD, it's blowing up the image -- you can only see the image cropped from one of the four corners (or centered). The most annoying quirk of this option is that you can not use pixel-to-pixel with an SD signal -- even with SD-SDI, it's nonfunctional. Only HD-SDI. Now this is just plain dumb. If the monitor had given me pixel-to-pixel in SD, I probably would've bought it, because it would have given me a larger SD viewing image than the JVC. Again... dumb. (Note: Some have mocked my SD concerns, but let me say that most of clients still require SD deliverables, and if they do need HD, they also want me to give them SD as well, and I think it's gonna be like that for at least another couple years -- if only because many of my clients simply don;t want to pay to have every show deliver in HD. One unnamed cable client prefers to uprez everything for their sister HD channel. Go figure.)

SONY LMD-2450WHD 20" (w/HD-SDI kit): Okay, Bob is right. It's crap. Switching between this and the JVC, it was shocking how contrasty the image was. I assumed that someone must've cranked up the contrast in the showroom, but when I centered out all of the controls (set Contrast, Brightness, etc to 50), the image was extremely dark AND there was still no information in the whites (that the JVC held).

So is the JVC perfect? No. But weighing all of the issues, I felt it was the best of the bunch for my needs. There is no doubt in my mind that these LCD's do not come close to CRTs. Not by a longshot. But then again, I have no interest (or funds) to get into the CRT-killers like the eCinemas for 10x the price or the Sony BVM.

For my SD work, I just bought a 13" Sony PVM off Craigslist for $75, so at least if I need to check critical focus, I can.

There you go. My six cents.

Thanks all for your help.