| Transvideo Super Bright 15" monitor first looks |
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For those who don't know the Transvideo monitors yet: They are very rugged set monitors in several sizes, ranging from 6,8,10,12 and 15 inch. Most of them now have and HDMI option too besides the already standard analogue and SDI inputs. Double SDI is also available on some models. For most sizes there are now "Super Bright"(SB) versions and we got a prototype 15" to have a look at. My own "standard" 15" has been with me on every shoot world wide and can't imagen shooting digital without it. But I have been struggling with the lightlevels when shooting outdoors. Next to the camera you want you monitor but not a whole tent. In practise I usually have a setup before the 'circus' arrives and with a Vlock battery and a cable I don't have to wait to discuss the shot with the director or set the right exposure. I found the 15" a great compromise between portability and viewing. At the end of the day it is usually not only the director looking at it but all clients too and we are talking 15" here... Super Bright The smaller monitors already had Super Bright version but now there is a Super Bright 15" coming and it looks great. This version has a new LCD screen and LED backlight. The one I got here is a 'lab' prototype and certainly not a final version but already interesting enough to have a first look at it. The image: THe first impression is a sparkling, clear and detailed image. Almost too good to be true. One of the DOP's next to me during testing said: "With the standard monitors I always tell the director it will look better in grading but with this one I am afraid they will never see it as good as this. That might be a problem in grading." With a higherbrightness you would expect less deep blacks but this is hardly the case, standing straight in front of it the difference is very small, on an angle the magenta coating is a bit visible but the glossy screen has a darker black as base. Overall the image has more detail in de dark area's aswell as more details in the highlights, which I found surprising. The viewing angle also seem to be wider, although it was never a real problem with the 'standard monitor' either. Brightness: With my standard monitor I always kept the setting off the 'calibrated' position on the "100% User" setting to max out the brightness when shooting exteriors. Not only to see the image but also my scopes on the screen. The new SuperBright gives me the option to leave it on the 'calibrated' setting where it is still brighter than the standard in 100% brightness mode. When needed I can crank it up to the 100% mode which is really a lot more. In the studio I can almost 'dim down' to 10% to get the same level as the 'Standard monitor'. Overal it gives me much more range to work in and judge my images and see the scopes in full sunlight. Colors: Over the whole brightness range the colors seem to stay consistantly good. Skintones look very good and the whole tonal range is very pleasant. My test monitor had an unfinished color matrix and had a little issue in the lower/mid blue but overal it looked great and Transvideo is working on an updated color matrix. Since upgrading the monitor is easy, every improvement made will be going straight into my monitor. Looking at some test charts the Super Bright does shows a bit more noise,l something that is not likely to change and probably more visible due to the higher detail level too. Power: Since the monitor can be used on batteries, I was curious if the higher brightness would drain my batteries quicker. Some numbers: Standard monitor in 'calibrated' mode: 40 wats Standard monitor in '100%' mode: 50 wats Super Bright monitor in 'calibrated' mode: 40 wats Super Bright monitor in '100%' mode: 60 wats Knowing that I will use the SuperBright in 'calibrated' mode and the have been using the Standard in 100% mode, in general I will use less power instead of more. The Super Bright also gets less warm compared to my Standard. Price: The Super Bright 15" evolution will be around a 1000 euro more expensive than the standard one. Transvideo has a great upgrade policy, meaning you can protect your investment by upgrading the LCD panel for a fair price. For me the choice is easy. Future: In the second half of next year we can expect 10 bit screens that might be bigger too. |
