Native Resolution (noobishness ahead) at DVinfo.net

Ryan Szulczewski · December 7th, 2007, 09:04 AM

I want to get a consumer HD TV to act as a monitor for clients to look at during shoots. I know it won't be good for color or really for precise framing because of underscan or overscan but I can't afford an HD studio monitor yet.

I shoot with an Xh-a1 and it shoots at 1440 x 1080. Lets say I get a 19" LCD with native resolution of 1440 x 900. Is it going to crop, stretch or otherwise crapify the image? If it does lets say i get a 1920 x 1080 monitor, what will that do?

I was looking at computer monitors but since the xha1 doesn't have a hdmi out is there a component to DVI converter that would work?

Sorry if these seem like newb questions I just don't want to buy something if it isn't going to work.

David W. Jones · December 7th, 2007, 12:34 PM

Why not use the component out of the A1 to the input of an HD TV?

Boyd Ostroff · December 7th, 2007, 02:16 PM

Hi Ryan. The 1440x1080 is a little confusing. HDV is anamorphic, which means the pixels aren't square. So when you play back a tape the camera (or deck) will stretch the video to fit a standard 1920x1080 screen. This is necessary because all HD video is in the 16:9 proportion and the monitors use square pixels.

Any monitor which can accept an HD signal will have scaling hardware to resize the incoming image to fit the physical pixel dimensions, so there shouldn't be a lot to worry about there. But it's best to look at these in person, or get recommendations on specific brands from trusted sources.

For example, many LCD panels aren't actually 16:9 but are 16:10 (you will often find resolutions of 1920x1200 for example). The cheap ones may just stretch the image to fill the screen, but the better ones actually letterbox the image with a thin black bar above and below to maintain the correct proportions. 1440x900 is another example of this: a screen which is 1440 pixels wide should only be 810 pixels high to maintain 16:9 proportions. If you buy one of these, have a look at the instructions to be sure it will properly letterbox the image.

There are a lot of variables, and it's hard to know what to expect unfortunately. There are a number of computer monitors which also feature component video input as David has mentioned. These may be a good low cost solution, but you never know until you try.

I have a Gateway 22" screen that I use with my Z1 sometimes. It's good for focusing, but everything looks too dark and no matter how you tweak the controls it doesn't seem possible to get them right.

Ryan Szulczewski · December 7th, 2007, 03:23 PM

Thanks Boyd. All those numbers out there were confusing the hell out me. I feel like my head is going to explode. I swear the more I learn the more I realize I am a ^*%*&%&^ idiot when it comes to this stuff.

I might plan on picking up this monitor:
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/p...4&sku=320-5647

December 7th, 2007, 09:04 AM	#1
Ryan Szulczewski Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Pensacola, FL Posts: 60	Native Resolution (noobishness ahead) I want to get a consumer HD TV to act as a monitor for clients to look at during shoots. I know it won't be good for color or really for precise framing because of underscan or overscan but I can't afford an HD studio monitor yet. I shoot with an Xh-a1 and it shoots at 1440 x 1080. Lets say I get a 19" LCD with native resolution of 1440 x 900. Is it going to crop, stretch or otherwise crapify the image? If it does lets say i get a 1920 x 1080 monitor, what will that do? I was looking at computer monitors but since the xha1 doesn't have a hdmi out is there a component to DVI converter that would work? Sorry if these seem like newb questions I just don't want to buy something if it isn't going to work. __________________ http://www.OneProVideo.com http://www.OneProDesign.com

December 7th, 2007, 03:23 PM	#4
Ryan Szulczewski Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Pensacola, FL Posts: 60	Thanks Boyd. All those numbers out there were confusing the hell out me. I feel like my head is going to explode. I swear the more I learn the more I realize I am a ^%&%&^ idiot when it comes to this stuff. I might plan on picking up this monitor: http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/p...4&sku=320-5647 __________________ http://www.OneProVideo.com http://www.OneProDesign.com

December 7th, 2007, 12:34 PM	#2
David W. Jones Trustee Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Little Rock Posts: 1,383	Why not use the component out of the A1 to the input of an HD TV?

December 7th, 2007, 02:16 PM	#3
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,802	Hi Ryan. The 1440x1080 is a little confusing. HDV is anamorphic, which means the pixels aren't square. So when you play back a tape the camera (or deck) will stretch the video to fit a standard 1920x1080 screen. This is necessary because all HD video is in the 16:9 proportion and the monitors use square pixels. Any monitor which can accept an HD signal will have scaling hardware to resize the incoming image to fit the physical pixel dimensions, so there shouldn't be a lot to worry about there. But it's best to look at these in person, or get recommendations on specific brands from trusted sources. For example, many LCD panels aren't actually 16:9 but are 16:10 (you will often find resolutions of 1920x1200 for example). The cheap ones may just stretch the image to fill the screen, but the better ones actually letterbox the image with a thin black bar above and below to maintain the correct proportions. 1440x900 is another example of this: a screen which is 1440 pixels wide should only be 810 pixels high to maintain 16:9 proportions. If you buy one of these, have a look at the instructions to be sure it will properly letterbox the image. There are a lot of variables, and it's hard to know what to expect unfortunately. There are a number of computer monitors which also feature component video input as David has mentioned. These may be a good low cost solution, but you never know until you try. I have a Gateway 22" screen that I use with my Z1 sometimes. It's good for focusing, but everything looks too dark and no matter how you tweak the controls it doesn't seem possible to get them right.