Simple & Cheap HD Monitoring Solution at DVinfo.net

Bill Piedra · January 13th, 2005, 11:48 AM

I just discovered a simple, cheap and very effective HD Monitoring solution for the SONY FX1 camera. You can now to real-time HD Monitoring as you record if you have a spare RGB Computer Monitor (or can afford $149 for a use 19" one) and have $59 for this device.

The device is called the Standard VD-Z3 from VIDIGI. The website for them is:

http://www.vdigi.com/index.php?optio...d=36&Itemid=68

I ordred mine from Hong Kong and it arrive in a week. Plug in the component cables to the FX1, then plug those into the VD-Z3. Then in turn, plug the VD-Z3 into your monitor and VOILA, full 1080i at 60hz from most mutisync RGB monitors. I Still have to do a little fiddling with the color to improve accuracy, but the image is stunning, especially when compared to the SD video image side by side on 14" SONY PVM Broadcast Engineering Monitor.

If you want to spring for an LCD display, I think this might work well also.

Check it out guys. This seems like a really nice (and cheap) way to monitor your HD images as you shoot, if you're shooting in a studio.

Chris Hurd · January 13th, 2005, 12:13 PM

Excellent tip, Bill. Would you please email some images of this setup to me so I can post them on a tips page at our HDV Info Net site. Thanks in advance,

Mike Tiffee · January 13th, 2005, 01:57 PM

Wow, if the quality is a good as you say, I'm buying one.
$59 is a great price. I wonder how well it would work with a VGA Projector..

Matteo Ricchetti · January 15th, 2005, 03:52 PM

I made a component to RGB adapter for this but in italy (25 fps) the horizontal freq (about 27khz) is too low for almost every PC CRT monitor I have tryed and them doesn't latch up the signal (out of synch).
The only crt wich works between the 10 I have tryed is a Philips with trinitron tube.

Valeriu Campan · January 15th, 2005, 07:34 PM

I looked on their support forum and found this:
"...The VDZ3 will convert the component to VGA signal withe same refresh rate as the Input. For your case, the output signal will have refresh rate at 50Hz, but most of the monitor don't support it refresh rate ( Min. support fresh rate is 60Hz )..."

Matteo,
What Philips model did you find?

Filip Kovcin · January 17th, 2005, 04:27 AM

matteo,

do you have any pics of your converter - just curious how it looks.

filip

Valeriu Campan · January 18th, 2005, 12:48 AM

Some HD digital TV tuners have component input with a DVI-D output option. For example, some, support 720p, 1080i.

Bobby Arnold · January 18th, 2005, 01:14 AM

From the picture on the box, this looks very similiar to discontinued KDS KD-XB XBLASTER transcoder. I have used this device successully (purchased for $60 on closeout) to view output from my HD10U on a Gateway 720p 17" Wide LCD (no component, only VGA and DVI). I do believe that I needed to adjust the scanning a bit to get the image to fit properly on the screen.

January 13th, 2005, 11:48 AM	#1
Bill Piedra Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Manchester CT USA Posts: 109	Simple & Cheap HD Monitoring Solution I just discovered a simple, cheap and very effective HD Monitoring solution for the SONY FX1 camera. You can now to real-time HD Monitoring as you record if you have a spare RGB Computer Monitor (or can afford $149 for a use 19" one) and have $59 for this device. The device is called the Standard VD-Z3 from VIDIGI. The website for them is: http://www.vdigi.com/index.php?optio...d=36&Itemid=68 I ordred mine from Hong Kong and it arrive in a week. Plug in the component cables to the FX1, then plug those into the VD-Z3. Then in turn, plug the VD-Z3 into your monitor and VOILA, full 1080i at 60hz from most mutisync RGB monitors. I Still have to do a little fiddling with the color to improve accuracy, but the image is stunning, especially when compared to the SD video image side by side on 14" SONY PVM Broadcast Engineering Monitor. If you want to spring for an LCD display, I think this might work well also. Check it out guys. This seems like a really nice (and cheap) way to monitor your HD images as you shoot, if you're shooting in a studio.

January 13th, 2005, 12:13 PM	#2
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,368 Images: 513	Excellent tip, Bill. Would you please email some images of this setup to me so I can post them on a tips page at our HDV Info Net site. Thanks in advance, __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

January 13th, 2005, 01:57 PM	#3
Mike Tiffee Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 150	Wow, if the quality is a good as you say, I'm buying one. $59 is a great price. I wonder how well it would work with a VGA Projector..

January 15th, 2005, 03:52 PM	#4
Matteo Ricchetti Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Italy Posts: 39	I made a component to RGB adapter for this but in italy (25 fps) the horizontal freq (about 27khz) is too low for almost every PC CRT monitor I have tryed and them doesn't latch up the signal (out of synch). The only crt wich works between the 10 I have tryed is a Philips with trinitron tube.

January 15th, 2005, 07:34 PM	#5
Valeriu Campan Major Player Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 223	I looked on their support forum and found this: "...The VDZ3 will convert the component to VGA signal withe same refresh rate as the Input. For your case, the output signal will have refresh rate at 50Hz, but most of the monitor don't support it refresh rate ( Min. support fresh rate is 60Hz )..." Matteo, What Philips model did you find?

January 17th, 2005, 04:27 AM	#6
Filip Kovcin Major Player Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: warsaw, poland Posts: 440	matteo, do you have any pics of your converter - just curious how it looks. filip

January 18th, 2005, 12:48 AM	#7
Valeriu Campan Major Player Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 223	Some HD digital TV tuners have component input with a DVI-D output option. For example, some, support 720p, 1080i.

January 18th, 2005, 01:14 AM	#8
Bobby Arnold Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Laguna Beach, California Posts: 52	From the picture on the box, this looks very similiar to discontinued KDS KD-XB XBLASTER transcoder. I have used this device successully (purchased for $60 on closeout) to view output from my HD10U on a Gateway 720p 17" Wide LCD (no component, only VGA and DVI). I do believe that I needed to adjust the scanning a bit to get the image to fit properly on the screen.