I recently bought me a 24 inch JVC DT-R24L4D monitor, next to my Apple Cinema Display 23 inch.
The JVC is used as color correction (canvas) monitor (my NLE is Final Cut Studio 3) and the Apple as timeline/browse/viewer monitor.

Currently my new JVC is connected to my Mac Pro 12-core by a DVI-cable. I don't think this is the best way though in terms of image quality. The screen appears pretty 'redish' compared to my Apple display and some functions son't work (i.e. set up of white balance). Is using a Matrox MXO2 LE a good possibility (using BNC connectors)? And why should I use it? How does it improve my image quality?

Thanks for responding!

Rob

An external processor like the Matrox will take all the graphics processing load off of your graphics card. It will also allow you to preview your video at full frame rate and resolution over HD SDI, HDMI, component or composite. It will probably also allow you to calibrate your JVC monitor.

Thanks for your reply Edward!

Don't you think the standard graphic card in a 12-core (ATI Radeon HD 5770 with 1GB of GDDR5 memory, PCI Express 2.0, two Mini DisplayPort outputs, and one dual-link DVI port) is powerful enough for processing the image?
Even at JVC The Netherlands they could not tell me if a VIDEO-image (through SDI) is better than a PC-image (through DVI). A Matrox does have these cool connectors of course and some other nice features (uncompressed capturing).

Setting up the white balance is possible in PC-mode (DVI), I overlooked a two-button-holding to reveal the Set-Up Menu (page 12 in the manual of the JVC DT-R24L4D).

Rob, I'm going through the same process as you right now. From what I understand, FCP's canvas doesn't accurately display video in the same was as say a Matrox MXO, AJA, or Blackmagic device would. I think that also includes setting FCP's Digital Cinema Desktop as the playback monitor too.

It's funny that you posted this, I just asked about that monitor on a thread I started a couple of months ago.

How do you like the JVC and did you get a chance to compare it against other monitors in that range?

Thanks
Jeff

You need to buy a video capture card to connect your JVC, ideally using SDI. AJA, Black Magic Designs and Matrox all make good quality products for this at prices from around $200-300US up to $3000US. If you tell us what kind of material you're working with & what you're hoping to do, we might be able to recommend a specific card.

Aja Kona LHi or Kona 3G is the best way to go followed by the BlackMagic Decklink Extreme 3D. I would not consider any Matrox unless you like a manufacturer who lies about its products by listing features that A) never worked and B) were never included.

And Jeff is correct about FCP and color accuracy. Apple states that you cannot use FCP's canvas or desktop playback for accurate color.

@Jeff: I did not look for another monitor then the JVC. Probably Sony has got good alternatives too.
@Arnie: I'm working with HD material, XDCAM EX (JVC GY-HM700 camera) and footage from a Canon EOS 550D (T2i Rebel in the US), which I convert to Apple ProRes 422 (sometimes HQ) MOV before editing. Occassionally I would like to capture uncompressed material with green screen use.
@Steve: Could you tell me about the lies about Matrox' MXO2 LE?

Rob,
Read the following link. It goes into detail about why you cannot use a secondary port on your graphics card when using FCP and digital cinema desktop for accurate preview. It has to do with the accuracy of the yuv to rgb conversion. FCP does not do this properly upon exiting the graphics card. This is why you need a pro I/O card. At least with FCP. Adobe Premiere on the other hand does do the proper colorspace conversion and can be routed through a graphics card. This is the software and method I use on my PC system. The article is Premiere focused but does mention FCP.

ProVideo Coalition.com: TecnoTur by Allan Tépper (http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/atepper/story/does_premiere_cs5_achieve_the_impossible_dream_for_critical_evaluation_moni/)

@Brian: Thanks for the link!
Is it possible that Final Cut Pro 8 (released soon?) will have a proper YUV to RGB conversion? Then I'd better wait with purchasing a Matrox MXO2 or equivalent. My Mac Pro has 2 mini-DisplayPorts (10-bit RGB). But the question remains how to connect my Mac Pro to my JVC-monitor when FCP 8 has a proper color conversion. The JVC doesn't have 3G-SDI or HDMI. It does have a BNC video connector (which is 1.5G-SDI, single link, I've been told by JVC The Netherlands). 1.5G or3.0G? (http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/98/878144)

The MXO2 LE can only output 422 YCbCr.

The issues I have had with Matrox are with the MXO2 Mini and Mini with Max (I think CompressHD also falls under this). Matrox markets the Mini as being able to 'professionally calibrate' a cheap HDTV but their calibration tool has never worked. Read this thread Matrox MXO2 Mini Calibration Issues : Matrox Video Systems (http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/132/859736#859736)

Even after Matrox admitted this tool does not work, they have not changed any of their marketing material on their website.

Matrox likes to release a product and then release functional drivers a year later (Mini with Max on PC).

Slow motion and multi-cam do not work.

And it doesn't work with After Effects CS5 when using anything but 8bit comps and monitoring must be changed from 10bit to 8bit.

Also, there are audio sync issues with FCP when using external speakers for monitoring.

Capturing on Mac is limited to 12mins with no TC support and Premiere Pro CS5 has no capture support on Mac.

On PC, the upscale during capture does not work even though it is stated in all marketing and sales material.

I suggest going to Matrox forums and read about their issues and decide if any Matrox product is for you.

@Brian: Thanks for the link!
Is it possible that Final Cut Pro 8 (released soon?) will have a proper YUV to RGB conversion? Then I'd better wait with purchasing a Matrox MXO2 or equivalent. My Mac Pro has 2 mini-DisplayPorts (10-bit RGB). But the question remains how to connect my Mac Pro to my JVC-monitor when FCP 8 has a proper color conversion. The JVC doesn't have 3G-SDI or HDMI. It does have a BNC video connector (which is 1.5G-SDI, single link, I've been told by JVC The Netherlands). 1.5G or3.0G? (http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/98/878144)

You'll have to do the research into whether or not the new version of FCP will do the proper conversion. If it does, then your current method of using DVI should work fine, since DVI is RGB already.

Rob,
This is a good one also. Well worth the read.

ProVideo Coalition.com: TecnoTur by Allan Tépper (http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/atepper/story/how_to_connect_your_hd_evaluation_monitor_to_your_editing_system_properly_l/)