Apple Final Cut Express HD - Manual (Page 162)

162 Part III Setting Up Your Editing System
Connecting DV/FireWire Devices to an External Monitor
A FireWire DV setup is one of the most common Final Cut Express HD configurations.
A DV device (either a camcorder, VTR, or FireWire-to-analog converter box) converts DV
signals to analog video and audio signals that are then sent to a video monitor (and to
self-powered speakers for audio monitoring). If you have a home stereo system, you
can also connect the audio output of the DV device to any available channels on the
home stereo system.
Consumer Video Monitors Versus Broadcast Monitors
Throughout the Final Cut Express HD User Manual, a distinction is made between
“video monitors” and “broadcast monitors.” This is to differentiate between cases
when any video monitor will do, and when only a high-quality broadcast monitor is
appropriate for a given task.
In most cases, when you want to simply monitor your video signal as it will look to
the audience, any standard NTSC or PAL video monitor is appropriate, and there are
many inexpensive models to choose from. When performing critical tasks such as
color correction, however, you should use a high-resolution broadcast monitor that
can be properly calibrated to display your signal consistently and accurately.
Broadcast monitors offer manual control over every aspect of the video signal being
displayed, including brightness, chroma, phase, and contrast. Additionally, broadcast
monitors can often display different parts of the signal using modes such as blue only
(only the blue gun traces the screen; the green and red guns are turned off ),
underscan, and H/V delay. Without these controls to accurately calibrate your
broadcast monitor’s display with the signal being output from your computer, you
run the risk of making bad color correction decisions based on an inaccurate view of
your program’s picture.
Audio
FireWire Composite
or S-video
Computer
DV camcorder
in VTR mode
Standard definition
monitor
Amplified speakers