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Color correction solutions on imac (mini displayport)
  • icpicp

    Hi,

    I'm editing my first indie documentary and I was planning to invest it an external card (matrox or blackmagic) and a good monitor (or a LG HDTV) to get a proper video signal that I can color correct with some accuracy, but unfortunely it seems that with my late 2009 imac, with no thunderbolt connection (it has a mini displayport / usb2 & firewire 800) it's not an easy task. I cut on FCP7 and color correct on Apple Color. Right now I'm on a Spyder calibrated imac screen but I doubt this is optimal :)

    After a huge research, these are the options I think I have:

    1) Get an old MXO, so I can connect it via a mini displayport to DVI adapter and then to the monitor. But it only works on FCP7 and AE. I think it doesn't work in Apple Color (it's what I use for color correction), and no way to get it working on Premiere CS6 / Resolve lite. So, it'll work but it's a limited option, with no future now that FCP7 is EOL, and that no other CC apps work.

    2) Get an Blackmagic DVI extender (DVI to SDI converter) and an HD Link Pro (SDI to DVI/HDMI monitor). But I don't know if this will work. It seems that yes, it'll work but I can't find if this support FCP, Avid, Color, Resolve, etc...

    http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/dviextender/ http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/hdlink/

    3) On some forums I've read that getting a THX certified HDTV, calibrate it with a THX Blu-ray Disc and it'll come quite close to REC 709. But without the external card that convert the computer signal to a broadcast signal, I don't know how reliable is this solution.

    4) Sell my imac and get a Mac Pro :) I can't right now.

    The problem here is the lack of a thunderbolt port (or usb 3.0), there's a lot of cards from blackmagic & Matrox for new imac with TB, but the imac users with mini display port, we're left in the dark :)

    I'll appretiate any feedback, ideas, etc...

    Thanks!

  • 2 Replies sorted by
  • Lincoln11Lincoln11

    I used the MXO on my macbook pro to CC my last feature film in 2010. It works perfectly with Color and I've been using it with my mbp 17" and CS6 as well. Using an HDTV is fine as long as you recognize the offset or consistent error after calibration. All monitors have some offset in color and with consumer monitors it's a bit more substantial. But work with what you got. If you can, get into a color correction suite at a post house or university for just 20 minutes, look at your corrected rendered master QT and see how close your monitors are to an EIZO or something well calibrated.

    Don't get a Mac Pro now, they are relics. You can find MXO's cheap on Ebay now, and if you want HDMI out, go with the MXO2 mini- used around 300.00. I'm debating on selling off my MXO now, but the price I'd get for it isn't worth the value of having it around with a mini display port...

  • icpicp

    Thanks for the reply. It's great to know that the MXO works with Apple Color, and CS6 (do you get it working with premiere?). I need something my eyes can trust, the film happens mostly at night, so I need to accurately correct shadows and blacks. I know I can trust the vectorscopes but I think it's time to get something to grade and be safe.

    The MXO2 mini (or any MXO2 products) don't work for my system, you need a PCI Card, an Expresscard slot or a Thunderbord port (my imac doesn't have any of that, the MBP has the Expresscard).

    I think the old MXO it's my best (and lower cost) option.

    Thanks!

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