Go Flat? Stay CRT? It Depends...
Pete Putman, CTS
Columnist, AV Video Multimedia Producer and Film & Video; President Roam Consulting/Doylestown, PA
Despite the switch from 4:3 to 16:9 aspect ratios and a move away from tubes to microdisplays and fixed-pixel technology, the parameters for a good electronic display still hold true for HDTV— wide, linear grayscales, precise color rendering, wide viewing angles, and good contrast and brightness.
Not all HDTV displays are interchangeable in this regard. But not all aspects of HD production and post require the same degree of precision and accuracy, either. The trick is to know the limitations of each display technology and put it to work in an appropriate manner.
There’s no question that flat panel displays have simplified viewing of takes on location. LCD monitors are well suited for this application because they are available in a wide range of sizes with high pixel density. Widescreen models as small as 15" diagonal are available with 1280x768 pixel density and analog YPbPr inputs.
Outboard converters can be had for SDI and HD-SDI interfaces. LCD monitors are best used for viewing rough footage to check for framing, clean backgrounds, and focus. However, LCD monitors are not good choices for determining white balance and exposure settings.
Projectors have gotten so small that they can also be used on location to screen dailies. The quality of color from single-chip DLP projectors is surprisingly good, thanks to their neutral white balance. A portable XGA (1024x768) resolution DLP projector with 1500— 2000 lumens output can be had for well under $3000, and HD content will frame to a letterboxed 1024x576 pixel resolution.
LCD projectors with even higher resolution (1280x720) are also available for under $2500, and can be tuned up to provide good color and clean white balance. A small projector is a handy tool to have in your remote kit, along with a portable roll-up matte white screen. These small projectors won’t support SDI or HD-SDI— only YPbPr component, RGB, or DVI inputs. (SDI to DVI adapters are now coming to market.)
Under controlled lighting, a cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitor still produces the best images with the best grayscale and color quality. If color accuracy is not as important, some plasmas can work in edit suites.
Keep in mind the smallest plasma monitors measure 32" diagonal, and those are becoming somewhat scarce as the market moves to LCD technology in sizes under 40". At 42" plasma monitors come in 852x480 or 1024x768 resolution, while 50" models are typically 1280x768 or 1365/1366x768 pixel designs.
In general, LCD monitors are not good choices for post work due to their limited grayscale and high black levels, unless they offer comprehensive color calibration tools. There are a few plasma monitors that can achieve very low black levels and smooth grayscales, along with clean white balance. These models are all 42" or larger, though.
Of course, front projectors can be used in post. Three-chip DLP large-venue designs, while expensive, will provide the best color accuracy and white balance, thanks to their xenon arc lamps. Many of these models offer SDI interfaces standard or as plug-in cards. Display resolutions will be either 1024x768 or 1280x1024.
Some home theater models equipped with single 1280x720 DMDs do an amazing job with color reproduction and are lower in price. DVI interfaces will be standard on all models. Also check out widescreen DLP projectors equipped with the‘Matterhorn’ DMD chip for 1024x576 resolution and a very attractive price.
Three-panel LCD large-venue projectors are a lot cheaper than DLPS, but may not do as good a job with color reproduction and white balance.
Why Not Flip The Aspect Ratio To 9:16?
Bill Marpet
B Productions/NY
Director/DP
Recent Projects: " New York and LA Fashion Weeks,"Full Frontal Fashion, "Donna Karan Brand Video"
We’ve pioneered shooting "vertically" for fashion shows which require full-figure coverage. Obviously, it’s not for broadcast, but in a store environment it’s very exciting to take a 16:9 plasma screen and mount it sideways. The 9:16 aspect ratio is ideal for fashion— you get a great head-to-toe shot that fills the frame with nothing wasted. For the vertical format, we use an L-bracket to rotate the camera 90 degrees. It’s very challenging because the eyepiece is sideways and you have to trick your mind when shooting this way.
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