Monitors usage in video editing

Computer monitors and TV screens may look similar, but the two have profound technological differences. The most important difference involves color. Computer monitors can display more colors than TV screens. Also, computer screens are non-interlaced; TVs are usually interlaced (interlaced displays draw every other line of the picture on separate passes, whereas a non-interlaced or progressive scan display draws the whole picture at once).

The important point is that the video you preview on your computer monitor may look a lot different when it’s viewed on a TV. To address this problem, many video editors connect a video monitor (that is, a TV) to their computers so they can preview how the video looks on a real TV. Fortunately, you don’t need expensive, specialized hardware to hook up a video monitor to your computer. All you need is an old color TV and one of the following devices that connect to your computer:

• An analog capture device: If you have an analog capture card or video converter, you might be able to hook up a monitor to the video output connectors. Check the capture device’s documentation for instructions on connecting a video monitor.
• A digital camcorder: Connect a TV to the analog outputs on your digital camcorder, and connect the camcorder to your FireWire port. You can even use the camcorder itself as a monitor — but keep in mind that the LCD display on your camcorder is probably non-interlaced, so you won’t be seeing a “real” TV picture. (Is “real TV” an oxymoron? Who knows? Just make sure your movie looks right on an interlaced screen.)

Some video-editing programs allow you to play video directly to an external monitor. In Pinnacle Studio, you must first export the movie as if you were going to export it to tape. After you have exported a file, simply connect your monitor and click Play in Studio’s preview window. If you have titles or other graphics in your movie that incorporate very thin lines, interlacing could cause the graphics or letters to flicker when they’re viewed on a TV. Pay special attention to anything with very thin lines when you preview your movie on a video monitor.