price drop HP DreamColor

[Mark L. Pederson]

FYI -

$1000 less -

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF05a/382087-382087-64283-72270-444767-3648397.html?jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

[Benjamin Rowland]

Wow. This thing just came out.

[Shawn Nelson]

Wow!

So was it ever figured out if one can use the $1000 Blackmagic card that has the HDMI to drive 10bit color to this monitor?

$3500 total to add true 10bit color monitoring (unlike the faux stuff that Eizo advertises) would be really nice.

[Mark L. Pederson]

Wow!

So was it ever figured out if one can use the $1000 Blackmagic card that has the HDMI to drive 10bit color to this monitor?

$3500 total to add true 10bit color monitoring (unlike the faux stuff that Eizo advertises) would be really nice.

Shawn -

You can drive this display via DisplayPort - 10bit right off of the GPU with the new Nvidia card that is about to be released for the MAC.

But you didn't hear that from me ...

[Matthew Rogers]

Wow!

So was it ever figured out if one can use the $1000 Blackmagic card that has the HDMI to drive 10bit color to this monitor?

$3500 total to add true 10bit color monitoring (unlike the faux stuff that Eizo advertises) would be really nice.

What about BM's HD-SDI to HDMI converter for $500? That could be a good option for those of us who have the older card or an AJA card.

Matthew

[Wayne D]

you'd be pissed if you have just bought one......

[Jason Diamond]

Surprise Surprise

[Curran Giddens]

you'd be pissed if you have just bought one......

oops....

[Wayne D]

oops....

sorry...........:pinch:

BTW - do you like it. we are thinking of getting one

[Martin Weiss]

Shawn -

You can drive this display via DisplayPort - 10bit right off of the GPU with the new Nvidia card that is about to be released for the MAC.

But you didn't hear that from me ...

Any chance of you not telling us when they will not come of? ;)

[Radoslav Karapetkov]

VERY interesting development.

This thing comes closer to my budget limits.

[Curran Giddens]

sorry...........:pinch:

BTW - do you like it. we are thinking of getting one

I was joking. I only just placed my order last night, after the price drop. It is scheduled for delivery on 10/2.

Besides using it for post-production, I am hoping to use it on-set connected directly to my RED via HDMI. This will be my only other monitor besides the RED 7" LCD.


HP Quick Release Kit ALL------EM870AA------29.00

HP LCD-CALIBRATION KIT------KZ300AA------349.00

HP LCD-HOOD KIT------KZ301AA------129.00

HP Promo DreamColor LP2480zx------GV546A8#ABA------2,499.00


Sub Total: 3,006.00
Freight: 48.31
Estimated Tax: 150.30
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Order Total: 3,204.61

[Wayne D]

ha!

got me curran.......nice save on the $$$

[Curran Giddens]

I do know the feeling of buying a monitor before a price drop though.

I bought one of the first 30" Apple Cinema Displays for $3,300. The price dropped pretty quickly on that one.

[Jason Ing]

So what's the word on the dreamcolor for grading? how does it compare? good? great? what can i do with it? thanks!

[HIGL]

I bought one of these recently.... it looks great and is literally perfect for CC'ing broadcast stuff... BUT... does anybody know how to get the calibration software to work with a mac (only ships with a pc version), or do you have to hand calibrate everything through the menu on the monitor if you're not on a pc? Also, there seems to be a lot of back and forth about what port to use... I've got an ATI card and I'm running this currently through dual-link DVI, which according to this link:

http://www.datapro.net/techinfo/dvi_info.html

means I should be getting full 10 bit color, right? Or am I missing something? Not only that, but running it through DVI also means that you can use all the color space profiles that ship with it, as opposed to HDMI where these options are not available for whatever reason... it would seem that Dual-link DVI out to this monitor should solve every problem, right? Please tell me if I am overlooking something. It also means you can do all your redcine renders through this monitor, which has been awesome and a huge help in processing. This is the only affordable monitor I've seen that allows you to use Redcine and actually know what the hell you're getting on a first light.

Finally... has anyone tested the out of the box profiles that come with this monitor? The Rec-709 seems strangely off and I can't figure out why... I'm also extremely curious about how accurate the DCI-P3 profile is? It would make my life hugely easier if it was close enough to be usable. If it isn't accurate, and someone knows how to make it accurate, I'd be eternally grateful if you'd post how. I know these are a lot of questions... but this monitor has a lot of potential, and I want to make sure I'm taking advantage of all of it. Thanks.

[Jason Ing]

Looks like we posted in both places. anyone use it for film too?

[GlennChan]

So can verify whether the panel in the HP Dreamcolor is an 8-bit or 10-bit panel?

According to Martin Euredjian (which I would point out is a competitor; but I would trust him and he's probably right)


In the case of the Dreamcolor display, as Wes has already clarified, it is, in fact, an 8 bit display with FRC-based dithering. We always jump on new technology, and this was no different. We contacted LG --who manufacture the panel for HP-- and quickly learned that it wasn't a real 10 bit panel but rather an 8 bit with built-in FRC.
http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?p=275625

[John Tissavary]

So, is HP actually completely lying in print and on their website when they say:

"A full 30bit pixel is sent from the DreamColor Engine to be displayed on the HP 30-bit LCD panel with no dithering or frame rate control." ?

This quote is from page 5 of THIS LINK (http://h20219.www2.hp.com/Hpsub/downloads/DreamColor_and_LP2480zx_FAQ_June08a.pdf)

HP says there is no FRC (frame rate control) and no dithering in their panel...

So, it would appear that either HP is making an intentional false and misleading statement about their product or... highly disturbing to me either way.

regards,

John T.

[Radoslav Karapetkov]

Come to think of it, that's a pretty nasty trick from HP.

Were the initial buyers compensated? Or at least - notified?

Companies behaving like that can make me never buy any of their products ever again.

Even if they're selling me the moon for...

... my 2c.

[Curran Giddens]

Come to think of it, that's a pretty nasty trick from HP.
...

Companies behaving like that can make me never buy any of their products ever again.


I don't see any 10-bit S-IPS panels in LG's PDF catalog for 24" monitors.

http://www.lgphilips-lcd.com/homeContain/jsp/download.jsp?fileName=LG_Philips_LCD.PDF

I am going to cancel my order and never even think of buying anything from HP ever again....

[Mark L. Pederson]

I don't see any 10-bit S-IPS panels in LG's PDF catalog for 24" monitors.

http://www.lgphilips-lcd.com/homeContain/jsp/download.jsp?fileName=LG_Philips_LCD.PDF

I am going to cancel my order and never even think of buying anything from HP ever again....

welcome to world of selling technology. this one goes to 11 ... well ... sort of.

pretty LAME on the part of HP I agree.

I spent some time with the guys from Rising Sun Research (cineSpace) at IBC with this display - and IMHO it's well worth the money - not a game changer - but worth the price for sure.

[Lexicon]

I'm holding out for a slightly larger version to use for photo editing.

[Curran Giddens]

IMHO it's well worth the money - not a game changer - but worth the price for sure.

Well, I guess I'll test it out since it already shipped out this morning. I do need a 20"+ LCD for on-set viewing anyway. But if it doesn't work with the HDMI output from RED then I am going to send it back.

[ericyoung]

Well, I guess I'll test it out since it already shipped out this morning. I do need a 20"+ LCD for on-set viewing anyway. But if it doesn't work with the HDMI output from RED then I am going to send it back.

Keep us posted Curren! :biggrin:

[GlennChan]

HP says there is no FRC (frame rate control) and no dithering in their panel...
It's possible that it's actually a 10-bit panel. Though perhaps HP could clarify. In any case, somebody has made a mistake here.

2- The FAQ linked to does claim that the LCD has "CRT-class blacks"... while in some contexts that may be true (e.g. you have lots of ambient light hitting the face of the CRT, you never ever deal with dark images) that seems to me to be an exaggeration. A 1000:1 LCD doesn't have CRT-class blacks.

[Lexicon]

I don't see any 10-bit S-IPS panels in LG's PDF catalog for 24" monitors.

http://www.lgphilips-lcd.com/homeContain/jsp/download.jsp?fileName=LG_Philips_LCD.PDF

I am going to cancel my order and never even think of buying anything from HP ever again....

There's definitely some misinformation floating around about the product. LM240WU4 is the panel part that monitor users are reporting but it's clearly an 8-bit panel according to LG's description of the part. LG does have 10-bit displays (at least they market them as such) but they use dithering to achieve 10-bit color performance. Perhaps that is what happened in this case. HP simply tweaked the panel to get the 10-bits of coloring.

[John Tissavary]

My point is, which statement should I believe?

Right now this whole thing is a $#!%storm waiting to happen, and I would really appreciate a clarification on this matter from HP & Martin.

Somebody's going to either have to clarify their words, expose the truth about the HP panel: is it a 10bit panel or not? Is there dithering and FRC as Martin claims, or is there none, as HP claims?


John T.

[Lexicon]

The only real way to tell is to get two monitors with that panel, crack em open, and see how the internals are wired.

[Curran Giddens]

The only real way to tell is to get two monitors with that panel, crack em open, and see how the internals are wired.

I got my monitor in today, but I don't think I am willing to crack it open.

It says it was manufactured Aug. 2008, so maybe they are using an LG panel that isn't listed in their pdf catalog...

[Lexicon]

I got my monitor in today, but I don't think I am willing to crack it open.

It says it was manufactured Aug. 2008, so maybe they are using an LG panel that isn't listed in their pdf catalog...

That's certainly possible given that the catalog material was updated at the beginning of 08. Perhaps they changed the specs of the panel and didn't change the number with a letter designation to reflect it.

[Kaku Ito]

I hear a 10 bit 24 inch LCD panel starts to come out end of this year.

By the way, my Sony Bravia W5000 has 10 bit panel.

[Mark L. Pederson]

I hear a 10 bit 24 inch LCD panel starts to come out end of this year.

By the way, my Sony Bravia W5000 has 10 bit panel.

So does the new TVLogic.

[Simon Blackledge]

Another new TV Logic? :-/ nearly bought 3 months ago but held off. Was nice with the scopes included...

I see the E-Cinema FX24 has also dropped in price... interesting!..

ps.. where's this Nvidia card!!! lol

[Jonas Rejman]

welcome to world of selling technology. this one goes to 11 ... well ... sort of.

To sit back, and get over the frustration.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d54UU-fPIsY&NR=1

[GlennChan]

It says it was manufactured Aug. 2008, so maybe they are using an LG panel that isn't listed in their pdf catalog...
Apparently some users are accessing the service menu and figuring out what panel it is through that.

2- Surely if 10-bit matters, then you'd be able to test the panel and figure that out.