Adding 10bit 4K monitoring for video editing workstation

Hi!
I want to add 10 bit 4K monitoring to my workstation. I currently have 2 x Dell U2412M running off a GeForce GTX970 for the GUI and want to add an Eizo CG277 as my main video monitor for grading and editing UHD @ 24Hz, 25Hz and 30Hz.

The software I use is:

Resolve 12
Avid Media Composer 8.4.2
Premiere Pro CS6
Pro Tools 10

I'm thinking of getting the DeckLink Studio 4K to hookup to my Eizo CG227.

Can you foresee any compatibility issues and will I be able to output to my Eizo when using AVID and Premiere?

What do you think of this setup?

Thanks!

Claude

Win7Pro 64bit, i7-3930K@4.1Ghz, 48Gb DDR3, AsusP9X79Pro, Geforce GTX970 4Gb, RAID-0 2Tb SSD

I suspect you will have an issue with CS6 as later BM drivers only support CC 2014/2015. The last ones that worked for me properly in CS6 were 10.4.0 which may be to old to use in Avid 8.4 and Resolve 12.
Later drivers also only support ProTools 11 onwards

Desktop Video 10.3 & Decklink Studio 4K works with MC 8.n for me under Win Pro 7 SP1 64 bit. All more recent Desktop Video releases prevent MC and Pro Tools from launching. Both crash back to desktop from splash screens. Just recently installed Resolve 12.5b1. Have not yet successfully logged video using 10.3. Could be pilot error, Could be Min spec DeskTop Video 10.4.1 applies. Or Min Spec Win Pro 8.1.

Good luck & share your findings,
/mp

I have the cg277 on my home setup, it's a good entry level monitor and you'll get pretty good results with it for the cost. The next thing up really is an Fsi, but it's quite a leap in price.

The main issue is you will not get 10 bit into this monitor with the decklink 4k. Have a search of these forums and on lift gamma gain, you'll find a lot of tests have been carried out. The monitor only accepts 10 bit via displayport, so you would need a decklink 4k, plus the HD link pro to convert sdi to displayport. 10 bit won't radically change your life, so you may want to think about upgrading your signal path later on.

Avid is very fussy with gpu drivers, your card is not on their supported list, and while you may add it manually you may find some driver versions still give poor performance. If you get smooth playback in avid in full green 10 bit mode, then you should be OK and you'll get the same quality out of the decklink.




Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

Be aware that the CG277 is not a 4k monitor. You'll need the CG318 for displaying 4k native. It's also one of the best 4k monitors available in it's price range!

I connected my EIZO via DisplayPort and MiniMonitor for Resolve 10bit and still use HDMi from the GPU for any programs that won't use the MiniMonitor...

Also worth noting that these monitors do not like interlaced signals, so if you're working with interlaced content for broadcast it can be quite horrible viewing.

Claude, be aware no gaming card like the GeForce supports/displays 10bit colour, You'll need either a Quadro or Fire GL card.

JJ.

This is not fully true.
Gaming cards don't support 10bit with OpenGL, but do support it with DirectX.
For example you can play (with correct player) 10bit source to your modern monitor or TV (DP 1.2 or HDMI 2.0) and you can have proper 10bit pipe (actually even 12bit).

Most pro apps use OpenGL and than you need Quadro/Fire GL card.

Other than this you can also use SDI to HDMI/DP converter.

Thanks for your feedback. Actually, I don't need 10bit for the GUI, 8bit is fine. So my GeForce970 is perfect to drive my 2 x Dell2412M for this. What I do need is 10bit for my reference monitor. Since posting this, I've thought of maybe going with the Intensity Pro 4K. It what probably be a better fit.

BTW I've spoken to a tech at Eizo. They say I can do 10bit via HDMI or DP. You can also do 1080p24. You can also switch from pc signal format (RGB) to video signal format (YUV) input.

...
I connected my EIZO via DisplayPort and MiniMonitor for Resolve 10bit and still use HDMi from the GPU for any programs that won't use the MiniMonitor...

Hi,

could you please help me here: How is it possible to connect this Monitor with a MiniMonitor via DisplayPort? Does the MiniMonitor have a DisplayPort connector?

I'm thinking about getting the Eizo318-4k as well as a MiniMonitor, but I'm still uncertain that this will work for me. My Videos are 4k (4096 x 2160) and _25p_. However, Eizo's compatibility list doesn't show this combination working.

Maybe somebody can elucidate this for me?

Thanks & best regards,
Klaus

Also worth noting that these monitors do not like interlaced signals, so if you're working with interlaced content for broadcast it can be quite horrible viewing.

High-end monitors (like mentioned Eizo) support interlaced signals.

...
I connected my EIZO via DisplayPort and MiniMonitor for Resolve 10bit and still use HDMi from the GPU for any programs that won't use the MiniMonitor...

Hi,

could you please help me here: How is it possible to connect this Monitor with a MiniMonitor via DisplayPort? Does the MiniMonitor have a DisplayPort connector?

I'm thinking about getting the Eizo318-4k as well as a MiniMonitor, but I'm still uncertain that this will work for me. My Videos are 4k (4096 x 2160) and _25p_. However, Eizo's compatibility list doesn't show this combination working.

Maybe somebody can elucidate this for me?

Thanks & best regards,
Klaus

For proper monitoring of such a format you need DeckLink 4K Extreme 12G with Quad SDI expansion board + Apantac 4x3G SDI to DP 1.2 converter. This way you can can have all formats up to 4K 30p 10bit 4:4:4 (4:2:2 for 50/60p 4K). Not a cheap solution though as Apantac converter is quite expensive.

If you want strictly 4K 25p then this can be done over HDMI, but only tested (by Eizo) device which works is AJA Hi5-4K converter (it may be limited to 4:2:2 or 8bit). You may also want to get Hi5-4K Plus which has HDMI 2.0 as it's only bit more expensive. As far as I remember 4K 25p is for whatever reason problematic on HDMI 1.4 spec even if it's within bandwidth. You can also work in 4K, but monitor just as UHD and then this should work at 25p even with BM devices. Not ideal, but can save on costs.

Mini Monitor 4K itself doesn't support 4K 25p over HDMI:

4K DCI Video Standards
4K DCI 23.98p, 4K DCI 24p, 4K DCI 25p*
*SDI Only


You should read this page:
http://www.eizoglobal.com/products/colo ... html#tab03

Other option would be to connect monitor directly to GPU over DP 1.2, but Resolve GUI preview on PC is not 10bit and not necessarily accurate. You would need to use other software with correct GPU.

Hi Andrew,

thank you very much for your detailed anwer.

I have asked Eizo, if it is possible to use 25p/4k DCI with the 318-4k over HDMI and a Blackmagic card.
They gave me a very short - but maybe sufficient(?) - answer (translated from German):

The CG318 works with DCI and UHD resolutions via HDMI at 30, 29.97, 25, and 24Hz.

Unfortunately, they didn't say anything if that's possible with a Blackmagic card, though I had asked explicitly after that.

I am quite a newbie with video editing and everything around it, so please be patient with me, if I write any nonsense: I've checked the spec of the BM cards, and it seems, that the 4k Extreme card tested by Eizo can't deliver 4k DCI 25p over HDMI, but only via SDI. However, the 4k Extreme 12G specs don't mention this restriction; it has a HDMI 2.0 output, and I guess it in fact it should be able to deliver 4k DCI 25 p, and even 30 p via HDMI. Probably this card had not existed yet, when Eizo did their compatibility tests (2015 or earlier)?

Is there anybody out there who hast tested this?

Thanks, best regards,
Klaus

Don't assume things as this is problematic format.
Eizo monitor has HDMI 1.4, so fact that new BM card has 2.0 is not really any guarantee. 12G lists 4K 25p and as you said doesn't mention that it's only SDI, so this is "better".
What is most important is how 4K 25p over HDMI is implemented by BM and is it the same way how Eizo done it.
4K 25p seams to be not in HDMI 1.4 official spec, so maybe thats why it's hit and miss depending how specific company implemented it.
There is really no way to tell for sure if it's going to work or not without a test. It may be absolutely fine like it works with AJA converter. Shame that there is no any other device on Eizo test list for 4K 25p- it would be some hint.

4K 30p 10bit RGB is outside 1.4 HDMI bandwidth, so this is done either using RGB 8bit or 10bit YUV on Eizo monitor (or maybe both knowing Eizo being quite good with what they do). Also don't count on BM side as sometimes even if things are written in product page they actually don't work. It does happen with BM. Here they don't even mention it, so I would not put much of a hope.
Ezio doesn't do those test very often, so possibly.

I can only tell you that Apantac converter works with this Eizo monitor as one of the BM forum users has such a setup, so it has been validated. There also seems to be no other 4xSDI to DP 1.2 converter on the market and definitely no 6G or 12G SDI one, which is shame.

You can always buy and test- if not good return. Eizo may be even happy to do a test if you "rent them BM card".


Maybe you should wait for Eizo new baby:

http://www.eizoglobal.com/products/colo ... index.html

which seems to have HDMI 2.0.

Hi Andrew,

that is phantastic help.
It seems that for me it'd be not such a good idea to buy the CG318.
The Apantec converter is not available in Germany (at least I couldn't find it anywhere), and all possible solutions are rather complicated and pricy.
Waiting for Eizo's new monitor probably is also not the right thing for me, as it'll probably more expensive than the CG318.

You proposed monitoring in UHD, while working with a DCI-4k timeline. Is it possible to monitor a non-resized video that way on the UHD monitor? I mean, a cropped version, which simply doesn't show the most left and right parts of the DCI-4k video?

Cheers,
Klaus

Well Eizo costs quite a lot, but before this you have not much and after this you have only crazy expensive pro monitors. Yes, you would need to order Apantac outside Germany.

It should be possible to monitor UHD centre crop out of 4K timeline. I know mentioned AJA converter does it, but you should be able to get this out or Resolve just with BM card.
If you set Video monitoring to UHD and then in Image Scaling/Output Scaling to "UHD" with "Centre Crop with no resizing" this should do it. I think BM will be sending cropped UHD signal (although I'm not 100% sure). Maybe someone can confirm or you can test even with just BM HD preview.
Key point is "Centre Crop with no resizing" setting in Image Scaling/Output Scaling.