Introduction to Maya - Modeling Fundamentals Vol 2
This course will look in the fundamentals of modeling in Maya with an emphasis on creating good topology. It's aimed at people that have some modeling experience in Maya but are having trouble with complex objects.
# 1 08-05-2010 , 12:24 PM
ben hobden's Avatar
Subscriber
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Chelmsford, Essex, UK
Posts: 1,162

wondering about good tvs/monitors

hi all. i've been wondering for a while about how good it would be to work on a big screen again. my computers quite nice but the the monitor i work on is about 10 years old. it's about 15 inch i think. i had my computer hooked up to my 26 inch panasonic viera tv for a while which was great, but house rearrangements seperated them. i did loads of research when i bought ny tv on amazon and in which? magazine. panasonic always occupied the majority of the top 10 lists, and so thats what i went for and have never regretted it.

im thinking of buying myself a new tv to use as a monitor, poss 26 inch again, i think 32 might be too crap onthe eyes from 2 feet away. i was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions or ideas. would it be best to buy an actual pc monitor, rather than a tv? my mate is a video editor and has a two screen set up for his mac. im thinking picture quality, sharpness, contrast, colour callibration etc.

anybody got 2 cents worth to throw in? im budgeting at around £400.

# 2 08-05-2010 , 12:29 PM
gster123's Avatar
Moderator
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Manchester Uk
Posts: 6,300
Dell do some good monitors, there was a review in 3D world a couple of years back thatrecommended them.

I use a 26" Ilyama monitor thats pretty good for the price.


"No pressure, no diamonds" Thomas Carlyle
# 3 08-05-2010 , 06:06 PM
honestdom's Avatar
The Nurb Herd
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: London
Posts: 2,381
Best monitors for colour are CRTs.... I guess you don't want one of those tho!
We use apple displays for colour, although they don't do the matte finish anymore, so we also have Some of the pro NEC multisync ones.
You should be looking for a resolution no less than 1920x1080 and a high contrast ratio. Saying that some of these monitors have a high contrast ratio but still have a crap black, they just have a high white point.

# 4 08-05-2010 , 09:05 PM
ben hobden's Avatar
Subscriber
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Chelmsford, Essex, UK
Posts: 1,162

Originally posted by gster123
Dell do some good monitors, there was a review in 3D world a couple of years back thatrecommended them.

I use a 26" Ilyama monitor thats pretty good for the price.

How do you find 26" on your eyes? Is it comfortable to work at?

Must be great.

# 5 08-05-2010 , 09:10 PM
ben hobden's Avatar
Subscriber
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Chelmsford, Essex, UK
Posts: 1,162

Originally posted by hammer.horror
Best monitors for colour are CRTs.... I guess you don't want one of those tho!
We use apple displays for colour, although they don't do the matte finish anymore, so we also have Some of the pro NEC multisync ones.
You should be looking for a resolution no less than 1920x1080 and a high contrast ratio. Saying that some of these monitors have a high contrast ratio but still have a crap black, they just have a high white point.


CRT's? Are they super expensive then? I dont want to go all NASA super computer about it, but at the same time, when I got my Tv I spent more money than I could have done, but I got what I paid for. I don't wanna buy some shitty LCD screen thats gonna be blurry and have crap colours, but I guess my main issue was whether a specific monitor, like, a monitor built for a computer, would be better, or whether a decent TV is better. Or if the differene is negligible.

I'll google search about a bit over the coming future.


1920 x 1080? - Got ya, I'll keep that in mind.

# 6 08-05-2010 , 09:16 PM
gster123's Avatar
Moderator
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Manchester Uk
Posts: 6,300
Yeah its great, just the right size OMHO, you can model/animate etc, with the maya interface and have the reference there too. without it being too large and moving about a lot (vision wise).

Toyed with having another monitor there but you really don't need it.

26 @ 1920 x 1200 perfect size, for me anyway, got one at work and at home.

Ive also got a laptop that has the same res the monitor on that is really good, but its a different topic.


"No pressure, no diamonds" Thomas Carlyle
# 7 08-05-2010 , 09:21 PM
ben hobden's Avatar
Subscriber
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Chelmsford, Essex, UK
Posts: 1,162
When I had my computer running through my tv, that was pretty cool. Modelling at that size was good. And just the definition was som much better. It's come about more for painting wise though, using Photoshop loads recently as Ive been doing, when Murambi asked me to resize, and you and Genny made the comment too didnt you, about the images being too small... when I enlarged it and posted it, looking at it on my screen was like, 'I could so take a brush to that, be great to work at that siz, just a shame I have to scroll about to get to the other side of the picture.' But if I could have it that big and still have it fit within the frame of the tv/monitor... plus.... just cool innit...having a massive screenuser added image

# 8 08-05-2010 , 09:23 PM
gster123's Avatar
Moderator
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Manchester Uk
Posts: 6,300
CRT's are going out TBH (if noe gone unles you want to pay the money, the BBC were buying them up a few years ago) If you want a "pro" set up then your looking at paying a lot of money.

For the cash I would go for a 24-26 decent monitior over a TV. you can (or a t lest mine) you can still hook it uo as a HDMI , DVI TV anyway.

Have a look for what you need, gaming goes for referesh seed, but as hammer pointed out contrast is a big factor, you need it to sisplay the colours for CGI.


"No pressure, no diamonds" Thomas Carlyle
# 9 09-05-2010 , 12:22 AM
honestdom's Avatar
The Nurb Herd
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: London
Posts: 2,381
i should add that plasma screens are better for colour than LCDs, so if you were going to get another tv and wanted the best colour then plasma imo.

# 10 09-05-2010 , 12:26 AM
G-Man's Avatar
Subscriber
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Bowling Green. Kentucky U.S.A.
Posts: 810
I'm running two 32 inch Sony bravia's on my computer
both are 1080 p, and they are hooked up via HDMI cables to the tv. sound running through the HDMI via SPDif interface.

PErsonally i love them, 80,000:1 contrast ratio, light sencing technology that automatically adjusts teh contrast according to the ambient light in the room around the tv for best quality of both color light and relaxation on your eyes.

120 on the refresh rate, i don't think any computer is beating that at the moment, I'm running a Nvidia 200 series gfx card, and it only supports up to 60 refresh, and that works fine for me, ...

for the money i spent on them 400$ per, it was well worth it, most 24 inch monitors i found locally only went up to 720 p resolution ( 1360x768 ) plus, The quality of the tv's image is much sharper and clearer then any computer monitor that i have ever used...

I have them mounted to the wall in-front of my desk, so I'm about 3 feet away form the primary and about 5 feet from the secondary, and they do not hurt my eyes at all, the auto adjusting contrast ratio is very very easy on the brain.

g-man


Follow My Business
On The Web!
Or
On Facebook!
# 11 09-05-2010 , 01:55 AM
ben hobden's Avatar
Subscriber
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Chelmsford, Essex, UK
Posts: 1,162

Originally posted by legendofzombi
I'm running two 32 inch Sony bravia's on my computer
both are 1080 p, and they are hooked up via HDMI cables to the tv. sound running through the HDMI via SPDif interface.

PErsonally i love them, 80,000:1 contrast ratio, light sencing technology that automatically adjusts teh contrast according to the ambient light in the room around the tv for best quality of both color light and relaxation on your eyes.

120 on the refresh rate, i don't think any computer is beating that at the moment, I'm running a Nvidia 200 series gfx card, and it only supports up to 60 refresh, and that works fine for me, ...

for the money i spent on them 400$ per, it was well worth it, most 24 inch monitors i found locally only went up to 720 p resolution ( 1360x768 ) plus, The quality of the tv's image is much sharper and clearer then any computer monitor that i have ever used...

I have them mounted to the wall in-front of my desk, so I'm about 3 feet away form the primary and about 5 feet from the secondary, and they do not hurt my eyes at all, the auto adjusting contrast ratio is very very easy on the brain.

g-man

For all the research I did when buying my TV, the Panasonic Viera's were always miles ahead. But if there was ever a second, it was the Sony Bravias. If ever I get into a conversation with anyone about tvs I say, Panasonic 1, Sony Bravia 2. And you say theyre better than any pc monitor youve used? I only want the one. Just as long as theres no blurring or anything like that. I can fiddle/live with black/white value issues I think. I just want a real crytsal sharp image with strong colours.

So 26 inch is determined. 1080/1920 likewise. I think i'd feel like I was cheating on panasonic if i bought a sony lol. Maybe a neutral monitor would sit easier on my concious.

# 12 09-05-2010 , 08:45 AM
halfloaf's Avatar
Lifetime Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Bristol, UK.
Posts: 191
While you're there consider whether you want to go for a S-IPS/ H-IPS panel (better colour, viewing angle & image quality) VS. a TN panel which lacks colour accuracy / image quality.

The only downside of the S-IPS panels are they are slower than the TN panels, most range from 6-16ms, whereas the TN panels to as low as 2ms.

If you're gaming get a TN based LCD panel, if you're modelling painting and only occasionally game get a IPS panel.

I've got an old 2001 Dell 20" at home with an IPS panel and have a newer 20" Dell at work with TN panel...The differences in image quality and colour are quite significant!

Jacques

# 13 09-05-2010 , 11:04 AM
Chirone's Avatar
Subscriber
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: NZ
Posts: 3,125
i didnt know CRTs were still around or used (on a side note it was quite funny watching the matrix again and seeing all the CRT monitors)

Originally posted by hammer.horror
i should add that plasma screens are better for colour than LCDs, so if you were going to get another tv and wanted the best colour then plasma imo.

if you got a new tv wouldn't you be better off with an LED. plasma isn't great, it has that whole ghost thing going on and i dont know how likely this is but aren't they more easier to break?
but also LED tvs are new things so they are more expensive than LCD and plasma




that's a "Ch" pronounced as a "K"

Computer skills I should have:
Objective C, C#, Java, MEL. Python, C++, XML, JavaScript, XSLT, HTML, SQL, CSS, FXScript, Clips, SOAR, ActionScript, OpenGL, DirectX
Maya, XSI, Photoshop, AfterEffects, Motion, Illustrator, Flash, Swift3D
# 14 09-05-2010 , 11:38 AM
honestdom's Avatar
The Nurb Herd
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: London
Posts: 2,381
aren't LED TVs just LCD with a different lighting system? (they are lit with leds rather than strip lights.) Which means they still have light passing through the pixel. So to make black, the light is blocked rather than off. in a plasma system the gas isn't stimulated so black is void of light, therefore blacker.
I was only suggesting plasma screens for colour, nothing else user added image

I actually don't have a TV.

btw,
CRTs are still the best for colour, but i'm talking about grade one monitors. They will still be used in post production until an alternative is found.

# 15 09-05-2010 , 12:30 PM
ben hobden's Avatar
Subscriber
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Chelmsford, Essex, UK
Posts: 1,162

Originally posted by halfloaf
While you're there consider whether you want to go for a S-IPS/ H-IPS panel (better colour, viewing angle & image quality) VS. a TN panel which lacks colour accuracy / image quality.

The only downside of the S-IPS panels are they are slower than the TN panels, most range from 6-16ms, whereas the TN panels to as low as 2ms.

If you're gaming get a TN based LCD panel, if you're modelling painting and only occasionally game get a IPS panel.

I've got an old 2001 Dell 20" at home with an IPS panel and have a newer 20" Dell at work with TN panel...The differences in image quality and colour are quite significant!

Jacques

i'll keep a look out for that. cheers jaque. i never knew all this frame rate/refresh stuff was an issue. i dont do any gaming on pc, it will purely be whats best for cgi. so ips it is.

chirone/hh: i wasnt aware either of this 'led' stuff either. yeah, ghosting is def something i want to avoid, although almost everything i do is still image, am becoming more open/curious to the 4th dimension side of things.

Posting Rules Forum Rules
You may not post new threads | You may not post replies | You may not post attachments | You may not edit your posts | BB code is On | Smilies are On | [IMG] code is On | HTML code is Off

Similar Threads