dual 24" at 1920x1080 or single 27" (or 30") at 2560x1440/1600

[Kyle Root]

I'm debating which setup would be better, more efficient for video editing. Right now I've got a 23" hp lcd which is not too bad.

Any thoughts? Which would you prefer and why?

My desk area is 30" deep and 65" wide, but I've got a pair of Yamaha HS50 monitors on stands on either side of the rear of the desk.

Looking at the Dell ultrasharp line of monitors.

[Robert Turchick]

I have had my pair of 24" Dells for several years now and can't stand editing on a single monitor any more!
The big issue with the Dells are getting them to calibrate so they look similar. I use a Spyder elite and after many hours of tweaking, they are close but not perfect.

[Andy Wilkinson]

Another vote for two 24-inch monitors. I've been using a pair of Dell Ultrasharp 2408WFP for a couple of years now and love the space. One's now acting up (see my recent post about that) so have been looking at the 27-inch monitors but they are horrifically expensive and I'm worried that the on-screen text size will be a bit too small if I have a 27-inch for my main editing monitor (FCS & Vegas) and the still perfect 24-incher for viewing....assuming the other one is about to die. After all, they are very small pixels on a 27-inch monitor at that resolution. [Mind you I'm typing this on a Ipod Touch 4 with its Retina display and these pixels are tiny - but it is a joy to use!]

It would be very interesting to hear how people get on with 27-inch monitors for me too - but I'm with Robert, two is definitely superior to one!

[Kyle Root]

thanks for the votes there.

Andy, I read your thread this morning, which prompted me to ask this here because I've been debating it in my head for a few weeks now.

All the while, keeping an eye on newegg.

[Andy Wilkinson]

Yep, good idea! By the way, one thing I learnt a long while ago with Dell, amazon and a few other on-line retailers was to identify EXACTLY what I wanted.... then just check every couple of days to see what the price is.

Every so often they have a 20 or 25% off type offer, this weekend only.... or whatever - then I pounce! But be warned, sometimes it can take months before you get a bargain - you have to be patient!

Incidentally, there are a few short clips of me using my two 24-inch monitors dotted throughout my showreel. It's a really nice way to work.

[Kyle Root]

Andy: Yeah I'm not in too big a hurry, as I'm making it ok right now with the single monitor, but eventually, when a good deal arises, as you noted with the online coupons and discounts that pop up, I would like to be able to pull the trigger and be fairly confident that I made a good decision.

[Steve Kalle]

Dell has 25% off coupons quite often. Personally, I really like their 27" model and have seen it for around $800 with coupon. With Dell's 24" Ultrasharp LCD U2410, I don't like how oversaturated they are and their pink tint problem.

An option I would consider is getting the 27" Dell and a cheap 20" for bins and other windows. I know of some Avid users who absolutely love their single 30" LCDs. Also, using a Wacom Intuos4 with a single 27" or 30" monitor works soooo much better than dual monitors.

Btw, the number of pixels in a 30" and 2 24" monitors is very close: 4,096,000 vs 4,147,200 (27"=3,686,400)

[Jeff Troiano]

I was asking this similar question not too long ago. While I still run a 2 monitor setup, I went with the Dell U3011, and I have to say, I love the massive desktop this monitor gives. My current setup is the 30 inch Dell, and an older 19 inch Samsung. I keep my bins on the 19 inch, and my NLE on the 30 inch. The 2550x1600 desktop is amazing. Even for general computing (web surfing and so on) is great. I'm now saving for a 2nd 30 inch, but may end up with the 24 inch ultra sharp as my 2nd monitor. I use the sypder3elite for calibration, and calibrate the 30 inch to their 709 preset.

My vote is for 30 inch, like I said, I LOVE a dual or triple monitor setup, but I wouldnt give up my 30" for nothing now.

[Jay Knobbe]

I had a 19" 4:3 flat screen monitor and was debating buying 1 U2411 Dell or 2 U2311H Dells. I borrowed 1 24" monitor, tried it, then plugged in my 19" as the second monitor. I knew in an instant that was the only way to go. I watched on techbargains.com until Dell had a 25% off sale and bought 2 U2311h panels. I love them. Something to consider is the amount of heat generated by these things along with the ergonomics such as viewing distance,etc. I have a decent size desk and twin 23" panels fill up a whole lot of space.

[Robert Turchick]

yeah...the heat is an issue most don't consider. Here in hell...I mean Phoenix...it is a real problem so I turn off the monitors rather than use a screen saver.

[Mark Morreau]

Originally Posted by Steve Kalle

Also, using a Wacom Intuos4 with a single 27" or 30" monitor works soooo much better than dual monitors.

I'm using two HP 24" monitors with a Wacom Intuous 2 and not experiencing anything odd or out of the ordinary. No problem with dual monitors and the tablet what so ever. I'd be interested to know what're the issues you've experienced?