Re: monitoring HD via SD??

The ITU has different standards for SD & HD color space. If you use a Kona card, Decklink card or MXO to downconvert your HD to an SD monitor, you're looking at it in SD color space. IOW, if you try to grade HD on an SD monitor, you're really grading an SD picture.

IMO, color grading is a place where you don't really want to save money. You want to spend a bit of it, but you can spend less or more. (The same goes for your sound mix, BTW.)

If you want to stretch your budget, get your color grading done in a smaller but well experienced shop, like Du Art in New York, or Cine Film in Atlanta. Smaller shops will work with you to control the budget, but their long experience & self contained operation will give you very good results for the price.

Another way to stretch your dollar is to work "night side" in a larger, more modern operation. That lets you use the "big room" (which actually is bigger, sometimes, and sometimes just more modern) at a lower rate. At night. With a less experienced operator. Did I mention that it's at night?

Arnie

Post production is not an afterthought!
http://www.arniepix.com/