Viewing HD In The Edit Room

(From The Yahoo Avid User's Group)

When it comes to viewing HD footage in your edit room, it seems like CRTs still offer the most bang for the buck, but I wonder how realistic that is considering LCDs are starting to become the standard for consumer TVs. Shouldn't we be monitoring with LCDs as well?

This is an interesting topic.

While I wouldn't use an LCD for color correction or final client screenings, having an LCD monitor (or some other consumer set) in the room is similar to listening to Auratones in a mix room.

I always check the look of a piece on A CONSUMER SET.
I've had clients before who wanted to watch their piece on
the worst monitor we had in the shop. They actually asked which monitor was the worst so they could check color.

This would also be good if you are working on a piece where a projection or some LCD is the only place where the program would be viewed.

On a regular basis, I always try for the best look on a perfectly calibrated CRT. No matter how many folks have LCD or Plasma TVs or even older sets, as long as there is one person with a well set up television, that's reason enough to strive for the best picture in a controlled environment. Also, there is absolutely no control of the type of lighting present when people at home are watching TV.

In the end though, for television anyway, there is nothing more frustrating than spending many hard hours getting a show to look nice and rich, only to have your cable company destroy it with an ultra compressed signal.

Think how much worse it would look if the original master wasn't the best you could make it.