Reference monitor for digital cinema workflow

We use the Digital cinema workflow to create 2K title sequences for theatres. We plan to ad a 2K reference monitor into our workflow. The problem is that the video-out path for preview on reference monitors is not color-managed.
Is there a way to see a correct image on a referrence monitor in adjusting the monitor with LUTs?
Where can I find the needed LUTs?
Which monitor do You recommend?
I use After Effects CS3, Mac OSX 10.5.5, 2x2,8 Ghz Quad-Core Intel Xenon, 6GB RAM, Blackmagic HDExtreme2, Grafic card ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT

I'm trying to find out much the same thing. I would assume that anyone knows the answers can help both of us.
I'm purchasing a new Mac Pro desktop. I also use final cut but not after effects.
I actually have 4 monitors to choose from. 2 Dell 19" - One 27" Apple cinema display and a spector High Def 1080i monitor that has a DVI input.
I would like to use one of the Dell's as my primary home desk top monitors with folders and all the usual dock and stuff. I would like to use the cinema display as my primary final cut work surface.
I would like to use the HD monitor to show HD footage and use it as a client monitor. Remember it has a DVI input.
I've talked with the folks at the Local Apple store and they are not sure if I will get a real HD signal on the HD monitor if I add a second radeon 2700 card to the computer and take on of those DVI outputs and attach it to the HD monitor.
If thats not possible can I use the apple cinema display as my playback monitor?
Or do I have to go with a conversion box like a mxo, AJA board, or decklink box.
The goal is to have two monitors for the program and One monitor in HD for the client monitor,
Thanks everyone in advance.
Rich

Similar Messages

Want to use a TV as a third monitor for Digital Cinema Display....HELP!

Hey Guys,
Here's my set up, please tell me where I am going wrong:
I have 2 22" LCD Monitors that I use for my main work. I added a second card to my MacPro so that I could add an additional monitor. Now I have a DVI to HDMI cable going to my Plasma that I want to use as playback for clients and such. Here's where it gets weird... In After Effects, I can use the Plasma in Digital Cinema Preview for Playback and Previews...works great. Then, when I open up Final Cut I have problems. First, when I go to "Digital Cinema Desktop - Full Screen" it display one frame and stay on that one frame even during playback. So then I changed my Sequence settings thinking my TV couldn't handle that Sequence. No I get a White Screen with no playback at all, not even the one frame. Now the weird part is that if I change the TV to my "Main Screen" in Monitor Prefs, and set Digital Cinema to "Main" it plays back fine. So, if I can playback with it as my main, why can't I playback otherwise? And...if it works in After Effects, why is Final Cut Having Problems with it? It's set to "All Frames" and "Desktop Mirroring". Thoughts? I have seen this set up work before...what am I doing wrong?

I'm trying to find out much the same thing. I would assume that anyone knows the answers can help both of us.
I'm purchasing a new Mac Pro desktop. I also use final cut but not after effects.
I actually have 4 monitors to choose from. 2 Dell 19" - One 27" Apple cinema display and a spector High Def 1080i monitor that has a DVI input.
I would like to use one of the Dell's as my primary home desk top monitors with folders and all the usual dock and stuff. I would like to use the cinema display as my primary final cut work surface.
I would like to use the HD monitor to show HD footage and use it as a client monitor. Remember it has a DVI input.
I've talked with the folks at the Local Apple store and they are not sure if I will get a real HD signal on the HD monitor if I add a second radeon 2700 card to the computer and take on of those DVI outputs and attach it to the HD monitor.
If thats not possible can I use the apple cinema display as my playback monitor?
Or do I have to go with a conversion box like a mxo, AJA board, or decklink box.
The goal is to have two monitors for the program and One monitor in HD for the client monitor,
Thanks everyone in advance.
Rich

DD 5.1 Surround Workflow to create TS file for Digital Cinema

I need a little help.
My objective is to create a test file for digital cinema. The client requires at the end a TS DD 5.1 mpeg HD file....
I have tried creating the project in Premiere CS4, which is straight forward. The issue I have is in the export. I have been using the surcode plugin. The first question I have is in the routing of the channels. I can only seem to create a Premiere project with the layout of L,R,Ls,Rs,C,LSE where as the surcode only gives you the layout option of L,R,C,LSE,Ls,Rs, which I believe is the industry standard...so I have no idea if the plugin will read the channel allocation correctly.
However, my bigger issue is that I'm not able to export a TS file from Premiere. There is an option to do so, but when I try that with the surcode plugin, the media encoder just crahses...
I have been able to create a single 5.1 surround mpeg file from Premiere with the surcode plugin, but its of no use to the client..and I can't think of a way that would turn it into a TS file that would keep the 5.1 DD.
I have many questions, and there are many things I don't understand...so if anybody is able help at all that would be wonderful.
Many thanks

What will be the playback medium of this file? How will you deliver the file? Will the client be playing the file on a computer, or on a Home Theater system? Does the client want, or need, a visual signal, as well, or it just the Audio signal that is important?
The best delivery system that I can think of is to create your material in PrPro in a 5.1 SS Project. Unless the client is looking for just the Audio with no Video, handle the two as separate, in that once your mixing is done, you will Export the Audio as an MPEG file, in the AC3 format, with the DD 5.1 SS encoding from the Minnetonka Audio SurCode DD 5.1 SS plug-in. Export the visual material (Video) as a DV-AVI Type II elemental stream. Go to Encore, and Import the DV-AVI as a Timeline, then the AC3 as an Asset. From the Project Panel, drag the AC3 to the respective Timeline, and author a DVD. You can have menus for navigation, if needed, or just make the single Timeline your First Play, with no Menus. If you want it to Loop, set its End Action back to itself and it'll loop until the user hits Stop. Once the layout is as you wish, you have two choices:
Burn to a DVD disc for delivery, or Burn to Folder. The former will get your 5.1 Audio (and Video) onto a common DVD for play on the computer or in a Home Theater system. The latter will yield the VIDEO_TS folder with the necessary files contained within this folder. The Audio & Video will be in a .VOB format, but will be in MPEG-2 form. Note: this will be a DVD-Video disc, and playable in any DVD player. Whether one hears the Audio in stereo, or in SS, will depend on the capabilities of their playback system. Because it IS a DVD-Video it MUST contain Video. Now, this could be anything you choose, from Titles with instruction, to Black Video (I'd create this for real, rather than rely of purely the systhetic Black Video from Premiere - more on this, if you need it), to abstract patterns of your design, or choosing.
Now, if one needed just the pure MPEG-2 file, outside of the VIDEO-TS structure for playback on a computer only, you could take the .VOB and rename its extension .MPEG, instead of .VOB. Still, the playback channels would be solely dependent on the equipment the file was played on. The software player might figure into this, as well, because it must have the capability to process DD 5.1 SS signals. Check out any software player that your client will be using. If you deliver the DVD-Video disc, mentioned above, a DVD software player will be required. Most computers today come with one, and most of these are DD capable, but again, it depends on the hardware on the computer, and how it's configured, that will determine if one hears the Audio in stereo, or in DD 5.1 SS.
Before I launched off doing anything, other than editing and mixing, I would ask some very specific questions. As Harm points out, there is no TS "file," but a TS "folder." This would be a red flag for me, indicating that the client might be confused, or know just a little and not quite get the full picture. This would dictate to me, that I need to ask some other questions and phrase them in a way that yielded useful info and instructions to me.
1.) Exactly what equipment will you wish to play this material (don't start talking files yet)?
2.) Is this equipment capable of playing Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound?
From the answers to those two questions, you can then start filling in the blanks.
If the client wants something to drop into a DVD player, hooked up to a DD 5.1 SS capable system, then you’re home free. If they want something that will play on a computer, Ask these questions:
1.) What computer software will you use to play this material (still no mention of file)?
2.) Is the computer equipped for DD 5.1 SS decoding and playback?
These answers will direct you even more. If you get proper answers of, say CyberLink PowerDVD of #1 and "yes," for #2, go on to the next set of questions:
1.) Can I deliver this material on a DVD-Video (the format and medium of commercial DVD’s)? Note: this will be a DVD that will play on a computer with proper software, or a Home Theater system, and will contain both Video and Audio. The client can turn the TV, or .computer’s monitor off, if they do not wish to view any Video signal, or you can create Black Video so there is nothing to see. With this delivery format, there has to be a Video stream, but it can be black.
2.) Can I deliver this material on a Data DVD? Point out that a Data DVD will only play on a computer and not on a set-top player through the TV and a Home Theater’s Audio system. Some people do not know the difference, and you cannot trust your client to, unless you specifically ask them.
If the answer to #1 is "no," and the answer to #2 is "yes," go on to the next question:
If I deliver this material to you on a Datat DVD, will an MPEG-2 file with DD 5.1 SS be acceptable? If so, I'd still do the Burn to folder to get the .VOB and rename it to .MPEG. Test this file on your system. A .VOB can contain a lot of things, but yours was created with no Menu or other material, so it should be just the pure .MPEG-2 file. Still, test, before you deliver.
Now, on the off chance that your client needs something like an SACD, or DVD-Audio, you will be shopping for software. Before you do, I’d post to the Adobe Encore forum and ask Neil Wilkes for his suggestions for the creation of DVD-Audio discs. Believe every word he types and follow his recommendations to the letter.
Good luck, and if you need more detail, or other suggestions after you query your client, please ask,
Hunt
[Edit] I see that you also mention "HD." This will mean either a BD (Blu-ray Disc) for delivery, or a BD folder, Burned to a DVD-Video. If you will have HD Video material, your best going the full BD route. If you only will have Audio, the "HD" will not come into play. What exactly do you mean with the term "HD?" This can make a world of difference.
[Edit 2] Sorry about the formatting in the second paragraph. I cannot seem to get it to display properly, though it looks perfect in the editing screen.

Which monitors for digital photography?

What features should be considered when choosing a color monitor for handling and editing digital photographs? What considerations should be given to size, resolution and features? What are some brand names that are reasonably priced that have the important features.
I'll be using the monitor as a plug-in for my PowerBook G4 when I want to have a larger screen than 15".
Thank you.

Have you done any searching on the internet? A quick search resulted in these topic:
Saturday Shout: The Best Monitors for Digital Photography ...
Choosing a Computer Monitor, digital cameras, digital photography ...
Apple Displays for Digital Photography
All you have to to is search.
OT
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto (iPhoto.Library for iPhoto 5 and earlier versions) database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger or later), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. There are versions that are compatible with iPhoto 5, 6, 7 and 8 libraries and Tiger and Leopard. Just put the application in the Dock and click on it whenever you want to backup the dB file. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.
NOTE: The new rebuild option in iPhoto 09 (v. 8.0.2), Rebuild the iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup" makes this tip obsolete.

Which Studio Reference Monitors for a video edit suite?

Sorry that this questions does not have to much to do with Final Cut/Logic Pro though i don't know where i can ask people how know an video edit suite.
I'm looking at buying some Studio reference monitor and have found a pair i think are going to have what i need, untill the question of what happens if i wanted to go from a 2 monitor system and then the need came around for editing 5.1 dolby sound.
The monitors i'm looking at are Roland DS-5 2-way active digital Reference monitors. these have built in amps.
thanks for the help

my suggestion would be to get something that's an industry standard. that way you can somewhat insure that you're hearing what everyone else is hearing. this is important. i use genelec monitors and i love them. if you have a small room get some 1030 or 8040 monitors.. if you have a larger room, go for a pair of 1031's or 8050's.. then add from there.. also make sure to get a totally passive attenuator: ie.. a-designs atty, or maybe even go into the dangerous line to if you want surrond.. also you have the nautilus stuff and more.. but make sure to take the standard high road and you won't regret it in the end. i have gone from totally crappy monitors to genelecs and everything in between. which means that i have lost money on upgrades when i should have just started with the standard from the beginning..

MacBook Pro display usable as a reference monitor for a camera shoot?

I am shooting a video project and wish to try and use my 17" Mac Pro display screen as a reference monitor on a live mini-DV camera shoot for focus and color versus lugging around a heavier CRT and battery back. Will the MacPro display be sufficient to significantly judge color, exposure, and focus? I know it's not ideal, but with improvements in LCD displays over the last few years I would like to hear from other users who may have tried using their display screens in this way and see what their results were.
Many thanks,
John

While the answer in itself is probably no, you could however spend some time to get yourself a known comparitive situation. With some careful calibration and comparison to a final result you should be able to get it to a point where, while not perfect, you know what you're going to get.
By the way, the matte display will produce far more consistent colour than the glossy display.
Utlimately though for the best results the suggested CRT solution is the one to go for even though it's somewhat a pain.

2 Reference monitors for Waveform/Vectorscope

CS3 - Is there a way to add a second reference monitor? The first for waveform and the second for vectorscope? I don't care for the combined ones because they are too small. Also, is there a way to make it default to waveform every time PP starts instead of having to change it to that mode every time? Finally, what does it take to make them display realtime while the video plays?
Thanks!
C

I don't think there is a way (I would love to learn there is, though).
But you know what? I agree completely (and I made sure this was heard) that WFM and Vectorscope are the essential ones and that the existing combo options make them way too tiny. What we need is not a second reference monitor, but these two things: one one hand, more versalite combination options (so you can have whichever two you want, side by side). On the other, the scopes display shouldn't have a fixed aspect like it does now. It should resize, even deform, the scope display so that it fits horizontally as you drag the reference panel as you like.

Export for digital cinema

I need to export some clips to play in a cinema using motion JPEG 2000. (The Digital cinema standard) I noticed that there is a JPEG 2000 option in Final Cut, however after testing this doesn't work. So, how can I do this, or there a plug in or a work around?
Ian

There is not yet an Adobe product for viewing PDFs on the iPhone or iPad. But there are some good PDF reader software. I like GoodReader. Others like PDF Expert. Those are for the iPad. GoodReader is also available for the iPhone.
That would be a much simpler solution than exporting as EPUB to use in iBooks. (Incidentally, you can also read PDF in iBooks but it's not as good a choice as the products I mentioned above.)

Missing reference assemblies for tutorial project - Workflow Manager

Title: How to: Create a Custom Activity for Workflow Manager 1.0
I checked in both the C:\Program Files and C:\Program Files (86) areas and there's no Workflow Manager folderset.
Standard install of Visual Studio Professional 2012.
The tutorial (for me) fails at Step 7: "Click the Browse button and navigate to C:\Program Files\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Workflow Manager\1.0"

As Richard noted, Create New Trimmed Project is limited in the formats that it supports/trims. All MPEG formats will be copied in their entirety. i.e.: not trimmed.
Starting with Premiere Pro CC 2014.1 (8.1), Consolidate and Transcode was added, which may suit your needs. More information can be found at:
Adobe Premiere Pro Help | Copy, transcode, or archive projects
Consolidate and transcode to work with mixed video formats | Adobe Premiere Pro CC tutorials

Digital waveform reference library for windows 7

Hi,
Where can i find digital waveform reference library for JTAG/SPI/I2C for windows 7 I was only able to find it for windows vista/XP
Thanks
chintan

Hi chintan,
What reference libraries are you referring to that are only for XP/Vista and not Win 7? Can you point me to where you found that? When I searched, I found these three links. Are these the libraries you're inquring about?
- JTAG Digital Waveform Reference Library
http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/epd/p/id/6157
- I2C Digital Waveform Reference Library
http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/epd/p/id/6080
- SPI Digital Waveform Reference Library
http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/epd/p/id/6163
The VI's listed on these pages were originally written for LabVIEW 8.2, 8.5, and 8.6, but they should still work all versions of LabVIEW up to the most current version 2010 SP1. Are you having problems opening these? Any specific errors you're seeing?
Also, I'm not sure if you've seen this document yet or not, but this is a tutorial addressing exactly what you're describing.
- Serial Protocol Communication Reference Design for Digital Waveform Devices
http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/epd/p/id/6200

Problem with Digital Cinema Desktop Preview on Macbook Pro

I hava a Macbook Pro 2.2 GHz with 2 GB RAM. I would like to use a connected 24"-Display for preview of my HD-Material (ProRes and HDV). Unfortunately I am not getting my Macbook Pro to playback all frames. Whend Digital Cinema Desktop Preview is activated, there are only still frames displayed. No smooth playing back neither in the canvas window nor the 24" display. I have External Video -> All Frames checked.
Does the Macbook Pro 2.2 not meet the specs for this feature?
Or is it a problem with Leopard? Is anyone with Tiger able using Digital Cinema Desktop Preview with succes?
Regards,
Joerg

So are you saying that the DVI output on my MacBook Pro IS true HD resolution and not a proxy like the canvas?
What I am saying is that the video feed coming out of the DVI port is YUV. Computer monitors take that YUV information and convert it to RGB for displaying purposes. So if you connect an Apple monitor to the DVI port, and then use that for Digital Cinema Preview, you are seeing a converted proxie image. The MXO takes the actual YUV footage and outputs that to the Apple display as YUV, and therefore presents full quality broadcast colors. And it does it pixel for pixel...the 23" display is 1920x1200, so there are thin black lines on the top and bottom.
AND the MXO software has a proc amp for adjusting color bars, and a BLUE ONLY option for proper monitor calibration. THis really is an amazing little box.
I'm using a Dell ultrasharp 20" that looks very good that way; I just didn't think it was HD.
It is, but it is a converted RGB image...and since it is 20", it isn't pixel for pixel (well, it would be for 720p, not 1080), and if it isn't pixel for pixel, then it is a converted image. Not suitable for color correction.
then using a DVI to HDMI cable I should be seeing HD from my Sony bravia also?
Yup...sure can. It will look pretty good too. But it being a consumer set, and again having a YUV>RGB converted image, it won't look as good as it could. The MXO would feed it a proper YUV signal, as would an Decklink HDP (but you need a decklink card with SDI out for that).
Shane

Reference Monitor Question

I'm in the market for a new TV. My old 19" Toshiba still works, but the quality isn't there anymore. Still good enough though to view video on before burning to DVD.
My questions are:
-- Will a flat screen LCD be comparable in any way to the CRT for general video monitoring? I'm not doing anything too professional, but am in the process of producing a series for broadcasting on my local cable TV station, so I need to know if I can expect to get a pretty good sense of what my quality will be on a LCD vs CRT. (If CRT is a better external monitor, I can keep the Toshiba nearby for video monitoring.)
-- Also, are there any features I should look for in the LCD TV I'll be buying that are applicable for DV editing?
Thanks.

hey there ramon,
are you doing work for hire-as in broadcast/feature film & documentaries regularly or for friends/family & the occassional video for $$? i do some work for hire-SD to DVD for a couple of clients & have gotten good responses about my work/product from them using a 23" Philips LCD HD monitor(@1920 x1080i over DVI) in Digital Cinema Preview Fullscreen when i work in FCP, sometimes i use FW NTSC 720 x 480 output to a Toshiba 9" CRT TV/DVD combo w/ composite in-i have space issues & like having the HDTV option for when i'm in there working & take a little break for my brain while i'm having lunch. & i use the DVD player on the Toshiba for checking my DVDs playback. a "Pro" LCD monior + a card like AJA or Blackmagic to view video outside of Digital Cinema Preview will be a large chunk o' cash, i didn't have but i wanted/needed a larger display, hence the 2nd best option-LCD HDTV monitor & use Digital Cinema Preview Fullscreen-especially since i made the move to HDV for my own projects it was my only lo-$$ option.
good luck.

Digital Cinema Disply not working

I've been using FCP and express for a long time, but one thing I can never figure out it the Full Screen display. When I first used FCP it worked, then it didn't. Now I have FCP Express HD and it worked when I first used the program. Now I can't figure it out. If anyone has any info, please help me out. I'm tearing my hair out here... Thanks.

Alright. I reinstalled the fce. I can see the options for digital cinema desktop preview but they aren't selectable. what's the last step to see the goodness?
edit
refreshed video devices. thanks for all the help guys.
Message was edited by: wppjeff

Reference Monitor Stopped Working

While working on a project I had to use "Interpret footage" to change the frame rate and pixel aspect ratio on a clip. After making the change, my reference monitor stopped working correctly.
Prior to making the above frame rate change, I was using the reference monitor for a waveform analysis which would play smoothly on both the Program and Reference monitors. Once I made the clip change, I lost the ability for the reference monitor to play smoothly-- it only holds an image of a single frame. In order to see the clip play I have to hold down the right arrow button. The program monitor works fine. And yes, it is set to gang.
The interpret footage command screwed something up. Any ideas?
I'm using Premiere CS2 with XP Pro Service Pack 3. NVIDIA Quadro FX 1400 card, AMD Dual Opteron 254 processors on a Tyan Thunder mobo.

Hey,
I had this exact same problem!
I know this is an old thread, but just incase someone comes along here looking for a working solution,
Liquid80 from http://forums.adobe.com/thread/688529
posted this answer,
"Then for some reason I decided to click on "Window" on the menu bar without even thinking and then clicked "Program Monitor"!!! PROBLEM SOLVED!!!
There are TWO different views. One called "Program Monitor" and the other called "Reference Monitor" and the annoying thing is they look nearly identical but function differently!!!
So all this time you had "Reference Monitor" open instead of "Program Monitor"."
All the best

Which reference monitor would you suggest?

I need to buy reference monitors for a home studio, which brand should I get?
Thanks

In that price range, I'd suggest you check out the following monitors. You might be better off trying to find something used so you can get a little more bang for your buck.
M-Audio BX5a Deluxe
Alesis M1 Active MkII
Alesis M1 Active 520
Enjoy!

Reference monitor for digital cinema workflow

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