Why are external SDI-3G monitors so expensive? Alternatives?

I didn't realize how expensive they really are until I was at FRYs electronic store and saw all these giant 40", 50" and 60" HDTVs by well known brands for nearly half the price of what Ikan/Marshall/SmallHD wanted for these small 7" on camera monitors! It's crazy how you can buy a giant 50-60" Led TV for the same price of these Ikan/Marshall type monitors.
http://www.frys.com/category/Outpost/Vi ... television
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Televisions ... 3400050017

The ikan D7w 7" monitor is $1,169.10 at B&H:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/8 ... DI_HD.html

The Marshall Electronics V-LCD70MD-3G 7" is $999 at B&H:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/8 ... nitor.html


There has got to be an alternative solution that is cheaper. For the price of the Ikan you can damn near get a brand new Macbook Pro. You would think that even an IPad would possibly work with a waveform app or whatever app you need added to it. Maybe it's time we get creative with monitors to save money.

get a hdmi monitor and a sdi-hdmi adapter....

Your best bet is the refurb outlet from Ikan. I'm thinking of getting a refurb D5 evetually-

http://ikancorp.com/productlisting.php?id=156

Welcome to the world of Pro/Broadcast video. 3G SDI monitors are made in limited quantities, as they are aimed at Pro/Broadcast market, which by its very nature has higher costs. Equipment is better built than the TVs at the local "Box" store. I use Ikan and Marshall monitors because you can count on them for being accurate representation of the signal. You are using the monitor to both frame and judge quality of your pix. Accuracy counts here, as does ease of use. You do not get "False Color" audio levels, or "Focus Assist", not to mention "Zebras" for cameras that do not generate these "tools". All this,adds,to,the cost.
$500 to $1,000 for a good monitor is a bargain, try $1,200 to $3K for a typical Sony broadcast field SDI monitor (used price!), and it won't mount to the camera rig either. A HDSDI will be three times as much!

I didn't realize how expensive they really are until I was at FRYs electronic store and saw all these giant 40", 50" and 60" HDTVs by well known brands for nearly half the price of what Ikan/Marshall/SmallHD wanted for these small 7" on camera monitors! It's crazy how you can buy a giant 50-60" Led TV for the same price of these Ikan/Marshall type monitors.
http://www.frys.com/category/Outpost/Vi ... television
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Televisions ... 3400050017

The ikan D7w 7" monitor is $1,169.10 at B&H:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/8 ... DI_HD.html

The Marshall Electronics V-LCD70MD-3G 7" is $999 at B&H:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/8 ... nitor.html


There has got to be an alternative solution that is cheaper. For the price of the Ikan you can damn near get a brand new Macbook Pro. You would think that even an IPad would possibly work with a waveform app or whatever app you need added to it. Maybe it's time we get creative with monitors to save money.

You should look at the latest Flanders Scientific colour grading monitors (with LUTS for the Blackmagic cameras). Say a modest 17" CM171, HD video, 12 bit SDI signal processing, true 10bit colour, and starting at only $3,295. Someday I hope to own that... Or rather whatever model they release next that will take the 6G-SDI signal from the BMPC4K.

Rick Lang
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Just wanted to say that I received an Ikan D5 (refurb for $500) and its pretty great works seamlessly with the BMCC, even with guides turned on.

Those refurbished Ikans (D5 and D7) look really nice, but it seems that they don't have audio meters, which would make them useless for me. Can anyone confirm?

If there are audio meters on the D5 I'm unaware of how to activate them. There is a headphone jack though (not that it's any consolation, but since there is audio piped through perhaps it is something that could be added to the D5 via firmwaHHHHH OMG!!! Between this monitor and the BMCC, I'm in a firmware upgrade wait TORNADO!!!!