(Page 1 of 1 pages for this article )

Filed under: *VIDEO* •Editing •Hardware •

Will your AJA IoHD give your DreamColor monitor a free ride?

If you own an IoHD device from AJA which you use as your input/output device for Final Cut Studio, it may give your HP DreamColor monitor a free ride. As explained in my recent article How to connect your HD evaluation monitor to your editing system properly: Let me count the ways!, the DreamColor monitor is quite attractive, yet quite demanding, since in order to allow use of its color engine (and therefore monitor in ITU-R BT.701 color space), the monitor demands that the incoming signal be both RGB (not component) and true progressive (not interlaced or even PsF). Since the HDMI output of your IoHD can be set up to be RGB, the fact that you own the IoHD may be (under certain circumstances) a “free ticket” for the DreamColor.

What circumstances?

Given of the fact the IoHD always puts out 1080HD video over HDMI in either interlaced or PsF, the IoHD only will only put out true progressive in two modes: 720p50 and 720p59.94 (aka “60p”). So if you are producing in 720p, your IoHD may indeed give your DreamColor monitor a “free ride”, saving you either US$690 or even up to US$1299 in external boxes from AJA or Gefen. Full details are on page 2 of the article How to connect your HD evaluation monitor to your editing system properly: Let me count the ways!

In the coming weeks, I’ll be doing a full review of the HP DreamColor 30-bit monitor (10-bit per channel) and the Hi5-3G, one of the two conversion boxes. Stay tuned.

(Page 1 of 1 pages for this article )

Hi Allan,
any news about a review for the Dreamcolor monitor?

I am wondering if it is usable with interlaced video or not. And also of course the accuracy for color
correction.

Thanks!

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  07/26  at  10:29 PM

---

Hi Sproketz,

HP is supposed to be sending me the DreamColor monitor very soon for the review, In the meantime, I got to use it briefly during an instalation in Guatemala and it was quite impressive.

As described in my general monitor article, there are two types of signals which are kryptonite for the DreamColor: interlaced video and component digital video. The DreamColor wants true progressive and digital RGB. If you send it something that is interlaced or component digital (or both), its color engine will shut off, and it will no longer be 709-compliant. So if you are in a situation where you must edit interlaced video, you need to convert it to progressive externally if you expect 709.

Posted by Allan Tépper  on  07/27  at  06:15 AM

---

Hey Allan,
Thanks. I looked back over the articles and understand now. I look forward to your review of the monitor.

The price for it has come down quite a bit from where it started but adding a converter box brings the price right back up there. Still, even with the converter it seems to be a bargain if it truly can be used as a reference monitor.

Last year at Siggraph HP was showing this monitor at several workstations but nobody there had any information at all about using it with interlaced footage. It was as if they had done this thing with Dreamworks and had completely disregarded any other uses than animated movies.

Even now the marketing people seem to be ignorant
of the markets they are pitching their products too.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  07/27  at  11:40 AM

---

Name:

Email:

Location:

URL:

Smileys

Remember my personal information

Notify me of follow-up comments?

Submit the word you see below: