32 in LCD in studio ??

[NYMo]

Hi there,

I am refurbishing my little studio at the moment and am thinking of putting a 32 inch LCD on the wall.

There are two reasons for this..

My over 50's failing eyesight.

Apple 23 in monitors are pretty expensive.

I'm still using PT 5.1.1 and G4's (so my macs don't have the right video outputs) for the later apple monitors.

Anybody using a monitor like this in their studio and what are the pro's and cons ??

cheers
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[wez]

hey nymo... we have a 42" plasma in the B room, in addition to 2 x 17" LCDs. it's supposed to be for video playback for post sessions etc. it used to be in the A room where it looked fantastic but was just being used as a glorified protools display.

there is a certain "impress the clients" aspect to it, but honestly i don't use it and until we get foxtel so i can watch the cricket it will probably stay that way. i think you would be much better off getting another video card and then a pair of 19-20" widescreen LCDS for $300 each (or less, they are so cheap now). if eyesight is an issue, the big 32" may only help if you have it really close (ie too close for comfort), or run it less than it's native resolution., which kind of defeats the purpose. 2 x 19" wide is considerably more screen real estate than 32", cheaper, and more flexible.

ok i will declare that i hate computer screens and i am still working out how i can do my job without them. don't get me started on alpha waves v. beta waves and how they effect how we listen. placement is also an issue... i assume it's going between (and slightly behind) the speakers. that's a really big distraction from what you're there to do, right in your line of sight all the time...unless you do a lot of video work. there are also acoustic considerations - big sheet of glass on the front wall, potential problems there.

of course i don't know the layout of your room or how you work so this is just my rant on big screens really. but to answer your question, we have one and we never use it.

[Guest]

I went through this a decision a while back and went with two 19" screens. I found it easier to find a usable comprise between the acoustic problems they created and the functionality of needing to see stuff, than trying to get on big screen in there. I also put switcher in line so I can view a few other computers and cameras i use at the press of a button. One input is left blank so if I want to get all zen I can flick the monitors to black and mix away.

Tony

[Kris]

There are a few 23 inch alternatives besides apple. Dell do some good prices in that area.

[JulienG]

Projector?

No, seriously. Might not be the best for pro tools, but would work well for other things.

Yes, they have fans, but that can often be strongly mitigated by proper mounting.

[Aearth]

I think you guys have lost it.

Nic

[NYMo]

Thanx for your replies.

Yes, i forgot the screen would be in the middle of my front broadband absorber !

It is a real pain in the a$$ with failing eyesight because one needs a pair of glasses to see 18inches of depth, another one for close reading (waveform zoom etc ). The only place where i can see ok (even not wearing glasses) is if i am back from the wall at around 2m. that is why i was thinking of the LCD (cheaper than a plasma right?)
I should still be able to see the waveforms pretty well at that distanceand don't have to keep taking glasses on and off.
I usually mix on my TS12 but two screens maybe too close on the meterbridge. (I also know what Stav says about placement of screens !)

Hmmm..maybe have to drag the G4 down to harvey normans to check this out.

[wez]

the guys at harvey norman will look at your G4 and scratch their heads, you'll have to explain to them what it is. probably using drawings.

seriously, they won't be able to help you.

plenty of dual-display mac video cards on ebay. what G4 do you have?

re. the 32" option... you're the one who has to live with it, and the eyesight issues are obviously a big factor. it would be good if you could get hold of a big screen and try it out for a while.

[NYMo]

Hi Wez,

Harvey Norman is for the 32 in option !

cheers
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