Hello,

As I've been going headlong with FCP for the past few months, and plan on only doing more (in addition to using motion graphics apps like After Effects), I've found that I've outgrown the claustrophobic confines of my 17" CRT monitor.

I've been eyeing a lot of sales on dealmac for Dell monitors. I'm considering either getting the 20.1" or two of the 17" LCD's.

Anyone have any thoughts on what would be best for an FCP workflow? Thanks!

There have been a few good reviews about the quality of the Dell displays, in particular the black is denser than the Apple Cinema displays. Considering the lower cost, it would be worth investigating.

Having a larger monitor for editing really makes the task easier as it allows you to see more of the timeline and have the tools and bins easily accessible.

My own setup uses a 23-inch Cinema display for the editing environment but I do all my critical viewing with a Sony NTSC monitor that's being driven by a Blackmagic Decklink SP card. It shows me exactly what will be fed into my Betacam deck for a final master.

I'm definitely interested in more real estate for the editing environment, as you mentioned. It's just a matter of what kind of set up I go with.

I have gone back and forth between the two 17" monitors or the 20.1" widescreen as I mentioned. I'm thinking I may go with the 20.1" Dell and perhaps get another one in the future to have dual displays.

The 20.1" is about $349 right now compared to the Apple equivalent which is about $800 and has the same hardware, just in different casings.

You'll probably like the 20" widescreen better. Dell had a nice deal recently with their 2405 monitor going for $779.

Unfortunately the sale ended on the 20th.

I recently purchased one of the Dell 2405's for my G5 and I love it. But, as Dean said, they've gone back up to about $950 right now. Another option is the Dell 20". They have their 20" flat panels for $423 at the Dell Outlet (www.dell.com/outlet), which I ran across when I was searching for the 2405. Just some options.