laptop edit setup

[freedom]

I'm looking to set up a laptop edit system. I need portability. This will almost exclusively be used with an EX-3 camera.
My biggest stumbling block right now is monitoring. I would like one 8" monitor that I can use with the camera and the notebook editor. The EX-3 has HD-SDI and component analog HD out. I much prefer the component analog out for camera monitor. What can I use for both camera and edit for monitoring?

Is there a good on-line tutorial that can explain monitoring issues?

Thanks

 

[Chugach3DGuy]

Not sure if I understand your question exactly. From what I can glean from your post:
You have a laptop and an EX3. You want to edit footage from your EX3 on your laptop, but you want an external 8" monitor you can use with the camera AND with your laptop. If this is the case, I'm not sure I know of anything currently existing that is capable of something like this. I know you can get 8" monitors from companies like Ikan that you can hook up to your camera, but unless your laptop has an HDMI Out, you most likely won't be able to hook up that kind of monitor to your laptop. Also, most of these little 8-inch monitors would have extremely low resolution compared to your laptop's LCD screen. I'd hate to try and edit or monitor something like EX-3 video on a tiny 8-inch screen at 800X480. So much detail would be lost.

If you're looking at laptops, I remember seeing Lenovo's biggest Thinkpad that comes with a built in Wacom tablet also has an option of a second screen built in to the main LCD panel. When you need to use it, you just pull it out horizontally from the side of your main screen. Cool stuff! http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:category.details?current-catalog-id=12F0696583E04D86B9B79B0FEC01C087&current-category-id=F10AD59D781A47888400957242FCF7F8

Is this along the lines of what your question was about?

 

[freedom]

edit setup

The only thing I wasn't clear about is that I don't have any of this stuff yet. Starting from scratch.

I do need an 8" field monitor. Would like to have it do double duty. If it's good for critical field recording, I should be good for the edit.

Monitors come with various I/O connections. Not sure what is available these days on laptops. I am looking for a matching system.

Compactness is important for this application.

 

[Chugach3DGuy]

Most high-end laptops designed for gaming will have an HDMI out. If you're going with a Macbook Pro, I don't think HDMI is an option just yet. Also, I've started seeing some HDMI-equipped laptops being targeted toward the home theater geeks. If the laptop doesn't have the HDMI output, you'll be stuck with a DVI-out or, in some cases (very rare these days), a VGA-out. Most of the 8-inch sized monitors I know about from doing my own research come with HDMI, RCA, or HD-SDI inputs. They're designed to be used with a camera, not necessarily with a computer, since they lack VGA or DVI inputs. However, you might be able to find an adapter to convert a VGA signal into component video. I remember such items being available several years back, touting the ability to connect your computer to your TV screen. Plus, like I said in the last post, these 8" monitors have really low-resolution. I'm not sure what your budget is for something like this, but the monitors that come close to displaying HD resolution (1024X768) cost a pretty penny. The inexpensive models have a range of 480X234 to 800X480.

All the monitors I've seen with DVI or VGA inputs are bigger than what you're looking for, and they're also meant to be plugged into the wall in an edit suite or studio.

 

[Necktie Boy]

Don't you require a third-party-card to view EX-3 files on an external monitor? Or can you use the camera as the transcoder? It seem that he wants to see the edit timeline on a HD Monitor?

 

[Chugach3DGuy]

Yeah, I think you're right about needing a third-party card, but all the cards I know of are PCI- form factor and require a desktop chassis. The only really portable thing I can think of at the moment is that "io" box by Aja.

http://aja.com/html/products_Io.html

Its basically a Kona card in a little box with a bunch of inputs and outputs crammed into it, but it only works with Final Cut. Looks pretty cool, but it is another physical thing to be hauled around. Also, if Freedom is working with an EX-3, it seems kind of silly to haul around an I/O box when he's not even dealing with tapes or discs. Then again, if it might be the way to go if he absolutely needs to have an extra monitor aside from the one on the laptop.

 

[freedom]

Thanks so far...

The EX-3 has HD-SDI out. I can hook up an SDI field monitor to view/shoot with. I can also play back clips from the camera this way.

Separately, I'm leaning toward the Lenovo Thinkpad W for edit. It has dual DVI outputs. That is mostly for additional computer screens but I'd like to get double duty out of the 8" monitor. I'll be doing some travel where I need to pack very light. I'll take a look around for a small box that can convert DVI to HD-SDI. Shouldn't be too hard to find that.

I am amazed that there is not much summary information out there on all this stuff. Plenty of info on the cameras and all their technology but this monitor integration is difficult to assess.

Thanks

 

[jim sitton]

Is it possible to plug the camera into a Mac Book and use the laptop lcd screen to monitor the camera?

 

[freedom]

laptop for field viewing for the camera isn't acceptable.

Here's where I'm at so far. i found out that DVI on the laptop can be converted with a dongle to HDMI. In fact there are cables that are HDMI on one end and DVI on the other. So I can use a monitor with HDMI input as the program monitor for the laptop.

The camera has SDI or component out.

So I need a monitor that has SDI or component plus HDMI. I have found several. I think I have it figured out.

Thanks

 

[freedom]

So I don't have it figured out...

i bought a Manhattan LCD. i was very disapointed with the picture so I sent it back. Looks like I need to spend the big bucks to get the good monitor. But I'll still be faced with connection mismatches. The monitor will likely have HD-SDI and Component inputs but the laptop will have HDMI and/or DVI-D.
So I'll need to convert the HDMI to SDI.