Have been hunting for field monitors this week, after i got rid of my Manhattan LCD HD089B. I havent bought it just yet, but i was looking at this new Lilliput, and older Marshall, and an Ikan; all with wildly varying specs.

I plan on migrating to new cameras in the next 12 to 18 months, so i have been shedding old gear and slowly replacing it with newer, higher quality kit that will last a few years and work better. I sold my Manhattan because i sold my XH A1, and the T2i's have great little LCD's, and with ML, i didnt really need it. Plus the LCD had a smeary look on pans, wasnt as bright, and had low ppi compared to the LCD's.

I was stuck on one of two new monitors, and i cannot find any reviews, but the prices and specs look great. I like using two monitors, one for framing, and one for fine focus/focus peaking/false color/etc.

The Lilliput has 4 or more versions with differing features, but all have 1280x768 IPS LED backlight and HDMI in.

Lilliput 663 - 7" HDMI IPS LED Backlit field monitor. Versions 663, 663 O, 663 O/P, 663 S
O means HDMI passthrough, ie HDMI in, and HDMI out. P means peaking/1:1/false color/zebra's, etc. S means all that and 3G SDI.

Basic Lilliput 663 ($275-ish)
Model:663 (http://www.lilliputusa.com/Product/i-267/)

663 with 3G SDI ($650-ish)
Model:663/S (http://www.lilliputusa.com/Product/i-266/)

Ikan VH8 ($359 at B&H)
VH8: 8-inch HDMI Monitor w/ HD Panel | ikan (http://ikancorp.com/productdetail.php?id=533)

Ikan VH8 - 8" 1600x768 with some extra features that pop up in a right hand side HUD on the monitor.

Either way, great buys for sub-$500 monitors. The Lilliput with 3G SDI is over $600. I am planning on buying the Lilliput 663 O/P as i don't need 3G SDI and it is not needed in my next purchase/generation.

Figured i'd share.

Thanks for the info.

My 2 cents:

I have the Lilliput 5D-II 7" LCD field monitor. I got it off Ebay for about $300 US + shipping. I think it's pretty much the cheapest decent monitor available.

It's reasonably heavy and makes the camera too top heavy to hand-hold, but the hot shoe mount is pretty solid and holds it nicely so it's fine on a tripod.

The native res is 1280x720 which great for getting an accurate focus, especially with the 1:1 pixel feature which zooms the image right in.

Colours seem to be pretty accurate, and viewing angels are great.

My only complain is the sun hood is flimsy, mine broke after two or three uses.

Hope that helps someone.

I purchased this monitor from a ebay dealer located in China. Purchased the 663/O/P. They sent the wrong battery adapter plate and didn't send the battery with the unit. When I recieved the unit, I discovered that it is defective. When you use the "pixel-to-pixel" mode ... turning off "pixel-to-pixel" causes the screen to become a garbled mess. You need to reboot the monitor. I'm trying to get the seller to except a return, but I'm on my 12th email back and forth for days now.

There is now an outfit selling these monitors on ebay located in California. I have ordered one through them. I'm REALLY hoping the "pixel-to-pixel" bug isn't a firmware glitch.

The monitor looks great to me. It feels solid enough. The included hotshoe adapter was a little too weak to hold the monitor so I'm making my own mount. Menu controls are sluggish. Off angle viewing is good.

12v AC cable is a mess of hanging wires and I may need to create my own cable to get rid of some of the clutter.

I purchased this monitor from a ebay dealer located in China. Purchased the 663/O/P. They sent the wrong battery adapter plate and didn't send the battery with the unit. When I recieved the unit, I discovered that it is defective. When you use the "pixel-to-pixel" mode ... turning off "pixel-to-pixel" causes the screen to become a garbled mess. You need to reboot the monitor. I'm trying to get the seller to except a return, but I'm on my 12th email back and forth for days now.

There is now an outfit selling these monitors on ebay located in California. I have ordered one through them. I'm REALLY hoping the "pixel-to-pixel" bug isn't a firmware glitch.

The monitor looks great to me. It feels solid enough. The included hotshoe adapter was a little too weak to hold the monitor so I'm making my own mount. Menu controls are sluggish. Off angle viewing is good.

12v AC cable is a mess of hanging wires and I may need to create my own cable to get rid of some of the clutter.

I bought mine from the California-based eBay seller, the 663 O/P. According to all the sites i found it on, it does NOT include a battery; just adapter plates. I use generic Sony NP mounts at about $10 a pop.

Here is a brief review, based on my experience with a Manhattan LCD HD089B...

Display - MUCH brighter, incredibly sharp. Definitely worth the money vs a 1024x600 display.
Power - The 4 pin XLR power/tally cable is odd, random wires hanging out bare is a no-no.
Input/output - HDMI passthrough works fine.
Build quality/accessories - Case is ok, mount is worthless, build quality of the unit is great.
Battery plates - The Sony mount plate (and the Canon one) pop off when removing batteries. I glued the mount to the unit.
Menu - i have no pixel to pixel issues or other glitches.
Color - damn near identical to colors on the T2i display

Peaking - Works fine, B&W only. False color; MUCH better than ML/T2i false color. Zebras work better than T2i/ML. The display itself appears to be about the same pixel density as the T2i display.

OVERALL... For $329 shipped, i definitely recommend it. In fact, i may buy two more. Other than the Ikan VH8 i could find nothing else 720P or greater under $500. MUCH better to focus on or prefocus than T2i screen.

What cameras are you using it with? I've had two of them now and both have the "Pixel to Pixel" problem as follows:

1) Press "Pixel to Pixel" or activate it from the menu
2) The screen zooms in 1:1
3) Press "Pixel - to - Pixel" again and exit the 1:1 mode
4) The screen becomes a garbled mess.

This happens on both of the 663/o/ps I have when using an HV20, T2i and GH2 HD and HDMI.

ALSO:

To get color peaking to work ... you need to go into the menu and change it from "mono" to "color"

I have a Lilliput 7" my only gripe is it doesn't have an headphone out. Which would have been good to monitor audio with my T2i.

What cameras are you using it with? I've had two of them now and both have the "Pixel to Pixel" problem as follows:

1) Press "Pixel to Pixel" or activate it from the menu
2) The screen zooms in 1:1
3) Press "Pixel - to - Pixel" again and exit the 1:1 mode
4) The screen becomes a garbled mess.

This happens on both of the 663/o/ps I have when using an HV20, T2i and GH2 HD and HDMI.

ALSO:

To get color peaking to work ... you need to go into the menu and change it from "mono" to "color"

i just checked again and it does indeed get garbled when switching OUT of 1:1 mode; i was leaving it in pixel to pixel mode the whole time. I use it on T2i's, probably a firmware glitch. there is a USB port behind the battery mount so i assume F/W update is possible.

thanks for the peaking tip; i havent played around with the menu's yet. also havent tested the audio out; does yours output audio thru the headphone jack if its connected to HDMI? ill check it out, it would be useful, but im recording separately to a laptop with a 24 bit PCMCIA audio card and i monitor either from the laptop or from the preamp. the only cameras i use are T2i's via HDMI.

Donald i will check and see if the monitor outputs audio while recording or if it does in replay mode. i dont know if the t2i outputs audio via HDMI (i dont see why not) but with ML you can monitor audio over USB with a special USB/female headphone jack.

My friend is going to order the Ikan VH8 and see how that compares; slightly more expensive and less features per se but may work better, also a 1600x768 display, but no IPS LED.

I have ML and use the USB. But it would be one less thing to plug in. Oh well I suppose beggars can't be choosers.

What cameras are you using it with? I've had two of them now and both have the "Pixel to Pixel" problem as follows:

1) Press "Pixel to Pixel" or activate it from the menu
2) The screen zooms in 1:1
3) Press "Pixel - to - Pixel" again and exit the 1:1 mode
4) The screen becomes a garbled mess.

This happens on both of the 663/o/ps I have when using an HV20, T2i and GH2 HD and HDMI.

ALSO:

To get color peaking to work ... you need to go into the menu and change it from "mono" to "color"

wow just went into the menu options; had no idea PIP was available on the 663 O/P. Havent tested it yet, but it would be great to use given i am shooting with 3 cameras and only 1 monitor. THANKS!

Have you by chance any experience using two of them in pass thru mode? i am wondering if they pass thru the original HDMI signal, or just output the signal modified by the monitor feed, ie if i have one set up for peaking or zebras, would the second (daisy chained) unit also display peaking or zebras, or the clean original HDMI signal?

If its a clean pass thru im sold; i can deal with a power on/off for 1:1 mode. I tested out the aforementioned Ikan VH8 and while its a great monitor, its not nearly as bright and lacks several useful functions.

I just ordered an Ikan from B&H. What useful functions is it lacking in your opinion? My primary use is for framing HF-G10 ice skating shots in a rink. I won't be mounting it on the camera but on a separate stand.

Been on the fence about which <$500 monitor to get and I finally decided based on the company as much as the specs. I will eventually need 2 or 3 of these so if I don't like the Ikan, I'll get a Lilliput. Wondering how long the Ikan will run on a Canon battery though, or should I plug it into a "brick" battery.

I just ordered an Ikan from B&H. What useful functions is it lacking in your opinion? My primary use is for framing HF-G10 ice skating shots in a rink. I won't be mounting it on the camera but on a separate stand.

Been on the fence about which <$500 monitor to get and I finally decided based on the company as much as the specs. I will eventually need 2 or 3 of these so if I don't like the Ikan, I'll get a Lilliput. Wondering how long the Ikan will run on a Canon battery though, or should I plug it into a "brick" battery.

brightness is an issue for me, also overall screen size. picture in picture i will definitely use, as i am about to shoot a multicam doc with 3 T2i's and managing audio as well, having feeds from all three cameras (main in front of me on t2i LCD, secondary on lilliput, and tertiary in PIP mode on same monitor) will save my nerves. histogram may be worthwhile; haven't compared it to the T2i's just yet.

one of my partners just bought the VH8, and it is likely we will do some comparisons as well.

Thanks, I definitely would be looking at other monitors if I had your requirements :-)

Thanks, I definitely would be looking at other monitors if I had your requirements :-)

yep. I was very torn over them; looking forwards to checking it out actually. lots of reasons having other data on the screen as well as framing would be very useful as well.

The 663 passes through the original signal on HDMI out with no overlays from the monitor. Any idea how to contact Liliput and get them to update the firmware?

About Us - LILLIPUT. (http://lilliputweb.net/index.php?Controller=User_AboutUs&action=Index&article_id=17)

drop them a line there; or email me and we can both send a similar email to encourage a firmware correction.

thanks by the way; ordered a second one (663 o/p again).

Called them and actually spoke to someone. They claimed that they would call Lilliput and bring this to their attention and get back to me.

I'll report back here ...

excellent; thats the only issue that bugs me; rest are all T2i output related (lag between connection and start/stop recording display times).

I have this same model and did an unboxing on youtube. 2013-02 (Feb) Lilliput 663/o/p 7" Unboxing - YouTube.
I have the same criticisms, but overall I am liking this monitor. Why you guys are so interested in the pixel in pixel mode? Also, for me the black and white background on the red focus assist function is way more defined than in color mode. I do like how I can see the digital zoom (my camera passes it along) also on this monitor. I guess it should pass it along since it records that way too. I too would like a faster start-up. 6 seconds is quite a long time, especially since in the field if you are shooting all day you want to be turning it on and off to save batteries. I really would love to have a larger and RGB histogram. I wish it had RGB parade too. I also get the garble when switching in and out of pixel in pixel mode. Last small gripe would be a dedicated volume adjustment for the audio vs taking over one of the 4 knobs.

I have this same model and did an unboxing on youtube. 2013-02 (Feb) Lilliput 663/o/p 7" Unboxing - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQrxF_ciA28).
I have the same criticisms, but overall I am liking this monitor. Why you guys are so interested in the pixel in pixel mode? Also, for me the black and white background on the red focus assist function is way more defined than in color mode. I do like how I can see the digital zoom (my camera passes it along) also on this monitor. I guess it should pass it along since it records that way too. I too would like a faster start-up. 6 seconds is quite a long time, especially since in the field if you are shooting all day you want to be turning it on and off to save batteries. I really would love to have a larger and RGB histogram. I wish it had RGB parade too. I also get the garble when switching in and out of pixel in pixel mode. Last small gripe would be a dedicated volume adjustment for the audio vs taking over one of the 4 knobs.

focusing mostly, regarding pixel to pixel mode; i like to check i have focus right, whatever my DOF may be, and waiting to shut down/restart takes time and is irritating. startup time is also irksome, but so is the T2i output flashing on the screen for 6-8 seconds when its first recognized. Ditto on histogram size, but no biggie. Its also very oversaturated IMO, but these are minimal complaints.

I used the Ikan VH8 my friend now has; its awesome in its own ways, love the side monitoring gadgetry, but its just almost as dim in sunlight as my old Manhattan LCD HD089B's that i sold (which were also 1024x600 at almost 9" diagonal with VERY slow response time). If it werent for the T2i low res output and constant resolution changes and concurrent lag/output switching down time, i would love it; but thats the cameras' fault.

Its pretty darn crisp and bright versus other, older field monitors ive used. MUCH MUCH MUCH better than the Manhattan LCD, which served its purpose and was great at the time. I also have an iPad 3 i use to show work to clients, and most cant tell the difference when i am using it, although i can, which is a good thing IMO. Frankly for $300, i think its one bit of kit that will scale up nicely with newer, better gear than the T2i's i am using now.

Steve, do you use Canon DSLR's with yours? i have no audio output from lilliput monitor if connected via HDMI with magic lantern (i may be missing something or have a setting incorrect). I also taped off the tally light leads, and plan to replace the power/tally dongle with my own 'power only' option, direct to a multi-output DC box.

No I don't have a Cannon camera. I did notice the volume (default) is at zero. You have to dig into the menu and assign it to something to adjust it. I wished the volume was a separate dial, especially since this has an internal speaker (which can be quite a shock on set if volume is up and there are no headphones connected).

Just to add a little to this conversation, I was also considering an Ikan VH8. I looked at their website and saw that the VH8 does not have component input. While it will work for my EX1r and my 60D, I was especially interested in something that would work with my old XH-A1 which does not have HDMI, but has a horrible viewfinder and LCD.

I saw they had an older model, the VK5, available as a refurb. The resolution is not as good, but I knew it had to be better than the A1's LCD!

So for $239 I order one and received a day later.

I am definitely pleased with it for what I need it for. The 1024 x 600 resolution is plenty good enough for the XH-A1. It has BNC connectors so I had to buy some cheap adapters to fit the A1's component cable with RCA plugs.

Haven't tried it on my 60D, but it also worked fine on the EX1r. The pixel-to-pixel is my preferred setting for checking focus while using the camera's LCD for framing. I'm sure it's better to use the monitor, but I hate going back and forth between full frame and pixel-to-pixel. The VK5 does have a single button that can be set to go back and forth. (I probably just need to get used to it.)

I'm not so excited about the peaking, but it's because I like the EX1r's peaking so much. I didn't test it on the XH-A1, but since the A1's peaking is worthless, I'm sure it'll be useful.

As a side note, if you need this one with component connections, you'd better learn what color goes with YPbPr. I didn't and thought something was wrong with with the camera or monitor until I checked the connections again to discover I'd plugged things in wrong. Worked fine once I'd made the connection, though!

For the price, I am VERY satisfied. They ship out fast, too, if you order in the morning before 10 am.

Hi, have been looking at a 663/P. For those who have bought one was just wondering how it's been measuring up. Have been a bit reluctant to buy lilliput in the past but the 663 looks like a good piece of kit and they may have got it bang on?

Hi, have been looking at a 663/P. For those who have bought one was just wondering how it's been measuring up. Have been a bit reluctant to buy lilliput in the past but the 663 looks like a good piece of kit and they may have got it bang on? So far so good for me. Funny thing was hooking it up to my computer the other day (my wife HAD to borrow my 24" monitor). it worked very well for that too.

I do find (like I have said before its makes my camera very front heavy). I was filming stuff in my backyard hand held and I finally gave up and put it on its own stand. The weight really gets to me and even on a rig I don't think most folk would want to be using it very long (unless they put the monitor right in their face and not so far forward). Remember you are trying to keep your rig stable and that front weight is like a big lever pushing down. I suppose if you have the counter weights on the rig then its would not be as bad, but even on a monopod 2+ lbs a few inches in front of center feels like 5lbs trying to pull the lens downwards. For what I do I am much happier moving it around on its own stand than trying to compensate for the imbalanced load.

Also, I made a cardboard box to fit over the sunshade because that by far was the easiest way to view the screen. Inside the box is spray painted black.

Hi, have been looking at a 663/P. For those who have bought one was just wondering how it's been measuring up. Have been a bit reluctant to buy lilliput in the past but the 663 looks like a good piece of kit and they may have got it bang on?

works great; only issue is pix to pix which should get fixed, if not no reall biggie. ive been using it as a second monitor on one pc for music player (main pc has two, soon three monitors). i actually bought new IPS LED monitors because this field monitor kicked the pants off my old 1440x900 19 inchers.

Thanks for that. will be purchasing a couple.

I just got off a shoot where the DP had a Cannon 5d Mark II. In his experience this was a very nice monitor and extremely sharp. We were shooting using it only indoors, so I still cannot say how it compares to others. I will say many of the more expensive brands have a lot more adjustments this does not have.

What is the battery life with the Lilliput? Really considering getting the 663 to use with a GH2 with older vintage lenses which can be a bit difficult to focus with. The higher res plus focus peaking should help a lot.

depends on the battery you use; i get 4 hrs average from my generic Sony NPxxx battery.

That actually sounds very good and much better than I expected for battery life. I use the same batteries with my LED on camera lights.

Another question. Is there really a massive difference for focusing with a 1024x600 monitor compared to the 1280x720 monitor. Lets say they both have focus peaking and are the same physical size. In terms of raw detail that isn't a lot of extra pixels and I would think wouldn't make as much of a difference. I know a lot of people who use 1024x600 monitors with great results. Just trying to decide if the extra $100 is worth it.

my personal experience is with a ManhattanLCD HD089B; 8.9" 1024x600 LCD, and the Lilliput 7" 1280x800 IPS LED.

the Lilliput is MUCH sharper, response time is MUCH quicker, colors are spot on, controls are sooo much easier, pixel density is much higher, battery solution is easier, was cheaper, etc. overall, infinitely better than the ManhattanLCD.

i used the M LCD with an XH A1 and 35mm adapters; horrible pain in the rear but 10x better than built in LCD. I use the Lilliput with T2i's, i can instantly tell if im in focus or not with ML. I wish i had this monitor with the Letus/XHA1 setup; i would have kept it.

Hi Guys,

Do I really need to have the O/P version of the Lilliput 663 IPS Panel or can I get away with just using the standard 633 version without the O/P that still has the IPS Panel?

I would be using it with a Canon XF305.

Thanks
Wayne

Hey guys. Are these really actually decent HD monitors? Accurate (ish) color, etc.? That's incredible. Not too long ago when I bought my 5.6" Lilliput (800x480, no less) they were known as "well, it's a monitor" kinda monitors. Good for focus, framing, not much else. Has the world gone topsy turvy?

Hey guys. Are these really actually decent HD monitors? Accurate (ish) color, etc.? That's incredible. Not too long ago when I bought my 5.6" Lilliput (800x480, no less) they were known as "well, it's a monitor" kinda monitors. Good for focus, framing, not much else. Has the world gone topsy turvy?
On color I just have my eyes to compare to. I don't have an high priced studio monitor or the expensive video charts to compare so I can't think of any way to test this. I could take a photo, but then that would change the color it sees too. Do you have an inexpensive way? I may love doing a test for that. For me the color is very close to what I see on the LCD screen of my camera. It is different, but because at any given time my lighting condition varies I couldn't say how they differ. There are adjustments, but I've not found the need to do them. Of course I am not shooting in a studio with very controlled conditions and the same setup everyday either.

I do find an external monitor quite handy and valuable.especially for focus, but also for highlights and low lights. I use zebras all the time, but I really want to see what is happening in the zebra areas to decide if I want to adjust my iris a little. The same goes for focus. I want if I can to get the focus as perfectly as possible. My camera does not have a shallow depth of field. Getting focus should be easy, but its not. Too often the focus assist for my Panasonic AG-AC90 camera has a huge area shown in focus, but in reality its not all "focused". It may be 98% but not 100%. With the combination of my eye, digital zoom, and focus peaking from my camera and the Lilliput I can get much closer to that 100% I may want. To me that is why the 1280 resolution is so nice, just another thing you can actually see. On the sharpness lets you know what is going on with the other "non-critical" areas of what you are filming (like how do they look even though they are out of focus).

If it's accurate to the LCD, that's a start. . .providing your LCD is accurate. How does footage look on the LCD compared to what you see when you view the footage on other displays? For instance, the EX1 seems to have a fairly accurate LCD.

If you can calibrate the Lilliput to colors bars, that's also a good sign. Mine. . .can't do it. Those adjustments don't do squat.

Can anyone tell me if the standard non HDSDI pass-through version will do HD through the standard BNC AV input if you run an HDSDI into it? Or will it only do standard definition through the BNC?

Just got off the phone with "Joanna" from Lilliput regarding the video being scrambled when exiting 1:1 mode.
She said that the first 100 or so of the 663 o/p models had this issue so they stopped selling them for a month because of this problem.

She said that the new ones they just received do not have this issue. They sell it direct for $359

Lilliput: 1-888-608-3088

John

EDIT: Just ordered one direct instead of messing around with eBay vendors that may still have old stock with the "scrambled video on 1:1 exit" issue.

did they happen to mention a return/replacement? or should i look to return with original seller?

I asked her if I could return it if the one I get has the same problem. She said yes and that there was a 30-day return policy even if I don't like the monitor for any other reason.

If you bought it from a third party vendor I am not sure if that applies, but I would call her and ask.

John

Hey guys. Are these really actually decent HD monitors? Accurate (ish) color, etc.? That's incredible. Not too long ago when I bought my 5.6" Lilliput (800x480, no less) they were known as "well, it's a monitor" kinda monitors. Good for focus, framing, not much else. Has the world gone topsy turvy?

Not sure how important the color is on a monitor. For years I shot with a b/w viewfinder on professional video cameras. Color is nice but honestly how much tweaking of color in the field do most of us do anyway. That is what white balancing is for. The color will be accurate enough to know if you white balanced or not. Color should be saved for the edit with a proper calibrated monitor and a consistent lighting environment.

I'm sure they are not perfect but no LCD monitor is. Even iPads have color variations and look different depending on the environment. Any LCD TV you could buy would be just as inaccurate or in other words close enough to know the shot is white balanced in the right ballpark.

There are different approaches to field work. One is to have a monitor that you know is accurate and can rely on when making very slight lighting tweaks or color balance tweaks ("warming it up" in camera via menus, etc.). I want to know if something is too dark/disappearing into black, overexposed, to orange, too blue, etc. in camera, or if it just looks that way because the monitor's off. In a quickie run & gun situation a monitor that's in the ballpark may be fine, but some types of shoots require a more precise touch. Hence the existence of $3000+ field monitors that are still not considered accurate enough for color correction in post.

If you are somebody that needs critical color then you are really looking in the wrong place and need to look at very expensive color calibrated field monitors. Even the LCD on your camera itself is not calibrated and just a reference so you are not loosing out on anything by using one of the Lilliput monitors in terms of color reproduction. Yeah it may be slightly different then on your camera but neither is accurate enough to judge critical color in the field.

Once you burn in your monitor however you may be able to get used to how it looks and mentally compensate for it. It will never be as good as a proper calibrated field monitor but then again very few on camera monitors actually are.

That's all I meant. The lilliput I have is all but useless for anything but framing/focus, wondering if they'd improved since then.

While it's true some on-cam monitors are not color accurate, I have been on many a set where folks are making their lighting/color decisions based off the higher end 4-5.6" monitors that have been coming out over the past several years.

I haven't played with mine yet (It arrived yesterday), but I plan on using it for exposure as well as focus and framing. You can even calibrate the tiny LCD screen on my EX1 for that so why not this?

John

My non-scientific answer is. . .some monitors, you just can't. Run bars to certain monitors (e.g. MY little Lilliput) and you'll see the pluge never changes for some strange reason as you adjust brightness/contrast, or they don't have a proper blue only mode so can't adjust chroma (no phase with HD, correct?) with confidence (and PS, using a blue gel over the monitor in place of a blue gun? Tried it. Tried like five layers of it. No good. If this actually works for people, as I've read, maybe someone can explain).

At any rate, let me know how it turns out. Not hopeful, but still hoping.

Regarding the EX's LCD. . .funny thing, I work with those a lot on corporate videos, and we also have these $3K little 8" or so Sony LCD monitors (couldn't tell you model offhand). We've found the cam's LCD is more accurate than those (yes, even calibrated), at least where color is concerned! So maybe that cam just has a really trustworth LCD.

The LCD monitor is calibrated differently than the CRT monitor so those typical NTSC charts don't work on LCD monitors especially on black levels and white levels.

Download the free ones from here and follow the directions:

LCD monitor test images (http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/)

John

That is interesting, but all that info seems to apply to LCDs for computers (every step talks about OS and color management and video cards). Are we sure the same methodology applies to LCDs for video monitoring in the field? I've always seen DPs much more experienced than myself run typical bars, even with LCDs when on set. Now it's true that there are those ARIB bars (I believe the EX1 uses them?) vs the old school NTSC bars, but the principle is still basically the same.

Received a 663 a couple days ago.

Haven't used it on a job yet, but can tell you that it has blue-only, and that I was able to adjust saturation and hue on camera bars using blue-only... the pluge seems workable as well.

So far I'm impressed with the little Lilliput. More testing to come. Unfortunately I don't have any studio work with a reference-level monitor scheduled right now for comparison.

Exciting stuff! If this turns out to be a reasonably accurate HD monitor that isn't $800+, that's pretty special.

So can someone confirm whether feeding an HD signal to the BNC in will give an HD signal on the monitor? I don't have one yet and I'm trying to make sure the HD-SDI version isn't cosmetic + passthrough or something silly.

Also, the USB behind the power supply - does this provide 5v power when a device is plugged into it? I would like to use it to provide 5v for transmitting devices.

So can someone confirm whether feeding an HD signal to the BNC in will give an HD signal on the monitor? I don't have one yet and I'm trying to make sure the HD-SDI version isn't cosmetic + passthrough or something silly.

Also, the USB behind the power supply - does this provide 5v power when a device is plugged into it? I would like to use it to provide 5v for transmitting devices.
No, I checked the various input connections of the 663/o/p (HDMI in/out with advanced functions version), and couldn't see an SDI source on any of them. As expected, really; all those BNCs are for analog source.

I don't have a way to check the micro-USB socket for 5v, but it really shouldn't. It's not a connector that one would find on a USB-Host device that would supply power, it's the connector you'd find on a mobile device or such. I'm guessing it's for firmware updates via USB.

Sorry... looks like if you want SDI you would have to spring for the 663/s version.