Rigging up an LCD monitor

Mike Peters · February 1, 2009

I need some help. I have got a spare 15" LCD Dell PC Monitor and want to use it as a directors monitor for a Canon XH-A1 HD camera.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XH_A1

http://www.usa.canon.com/app/html/HDV/XHA1...fications.shtml

The monitor has a connector for the cable from a PC video card and a DVI connector. How can this be simply and cheaply be hooked up to the camera.

Thanks

Chris Keth · February 1, 2009

That Canon site says the camera has a component out, so you could go component out with a cable like this.

Mike Peters · February 1, 2009

That Canon site says the camera has a component out, so you could go component out with a cable like this.

Hi Chris - Yes that would work thanks

I have to sort out how to support the monitor and some kind of hood. I thought to make a hood from cloth glued to card and attached with valcro strips.

I could drill a VESA compatable plate and weld a female adaptor that would slip onto the top of a c-stand

Would be very cheap to do, and can always be improved on.

What do other people do (tiny budget)

Phil Rhodes · February 1, 2009

Probably the best approach is to get something like an HDLink from Blackmagic, if you have DVI monitors. It's designed to sort out all the odd aspect ratio and frame rate issues, and they have the ability to put LUTs on the image and split out the audio. Plus, it's just one SDI lead going to the camera, rather than a bunch of component stuff and more if you want sound as well.

What you're proposing with the TFT might work, although I'm not sure what outputs the XH-A1 offers - "component" could (and generally does) mean YUV, which the TFT won't display correctly as an RGB device (in a pinch you could connect the Y channel to all three RGB inputs, which would get you a black and white picture). I would also be concerned about frame rates and line ordering, since the component out is likely to be 50i or 60i, which many computer monitors won't display.

I'd certainly do a test run, just lash it up on a test bench, and see if it'll play. If not, HDlink.

P

Chris Keth · February 1, 2009

Phil's right. Definitely test before you're on set.

Personally, on a budget tight enough to not rent a monitor, I'd say everyone can just monitor an SD signal. Operator is the only one who needs to see the full res anyway. That would let you get off with one BNC, a minimum of fiddling, and a cheap field monitor.

Phil Rhodes · February 1, 2009

Operator is the only one who needs to see the full res anyway

And on an HD shoot, the operator will be the last person to do so.

P

Mike Peters · February 3, 2009

I did a test yesterday - works great

Thanks for the tips everyone

Jonathan Bowerbank · February 4, 2009

I have to sort out how to support the monitor and some kind of hood. I thought to make a hood from cloth glued to card and attached with valcro strips.

I could drill a VESA compatable plate and weld a female adaptor that would slip onto the top of a c-stand

Would be very cheap to do, and can always be improved on.

What do other people do (tiny budget)

Just get some matte black showcard, cut it to fit your monitor and tape it on.

As far as mounting goes, recently I was a on a shoot where we just screwed a baby plate to a pancake, threw it on a c-stand then ratchet strapped the monitor's stand to the pancake. Worked fine.

Mike Thorn · February 4, 2009

As far as mounting goes, recently I was a on a shoot where we just screwed a baby plate to a pancake, threw it on a c-stand then ratchet strapped the monitor's stand to the pancake. Worked fine.

I did that too on a show this year - in addition, I velcroed a power strip to the pancake, so that I could pull power for camera, monitor, and whatever else I needed, right from one spot. Made it lots easier to move around.

I would suggest, if you're on fairly level, flat ground - especially on interiors - that you beg a roller stand from the grips. It will save you a lot of time.