[Tig] Opinions on the JVC DT-V24L1D?

[Mel Matsuoka]

On May 15, 2007, at 4:56 PM, Mel Matsuoka wrote:

> Anybody here have any opinions on the JVC DT-V24L1D "Reference Grade"
> LCD monitor?  We're upgrading one of our suites for uncompressed HD &
> 2k finishing right now, and am still weighing out the options. DV
> Magazine seems to think it's absolute tits for the money, but then
> again...well...it's DV Magazine :P
>
> I have a hard time believing that this monitor, at $4,695 MSRP, is a
> viable, inexpensive alternative to a pricey eCinema display, but I've
> been hearing from several people now that--despite the stigma of the
> JVC brandname--this is actually a great screen if you don't need the
> level of accuracy that an eCinema or higher priced Sony display will
> give you.
>
> Since we mostly do grading for TV Commercials (though we'd like the
> option of doing more intensive grading for short films), I was
> wondering if this monitor is the best we can buy without shelling out
> 5 figures for a "real" grading display.
>
> The volume of work in my town for fullblown HD & DI work is very far
> and few between, so it's quite a leap of faith for us to drop 20k+
> for the "grown up" grading displays.


Just a followup to my original post..

Thanks to everyone who responded, both publicly and privately  
regarding this monitor. We finally took delivery of the JVC DT-V24L1D  
2 days ago, and while it's certainly far from perfect (I mean, what  
can you expect for $4,695, right?), it's an amazingly stunning  
display for the price.

Right out of the box, without any calibration whatsoever, it matched  
our calibrated Sony CRT almost perfectly. I just had to nudge the  
contrast knob a tiny bit down (literally half a "C.H."...it's a very  
sensitive knob!), after which it was a perfect match in SD mode.  
You'd really be hard pressed to see any significant difference  
between it and our CRT next to it. I was in a finish session today  
with a prominent director in my town, and he could not discern any  
difference that really mattered, at least for grading high-end  
commercials. We were working with a film transfer captured 1080p from  
an HDCAM trasnfer reel, captured as 10-bit uncompressed, and played  
out through a Kona LHe board...the two monitors were dead on,  
relative to each other.

But here's the rub. This amazing level of quality is only valid if  
you are at a near perpendicular viewing angle to the display. JVC's  
claim of 170+ degrees of viewing angle is basically bullshit. Yeah,  
you can see a picture at 170 degrees off axis, but it's washed out to  
all hell. This is a bit problematic if you're going to work with a  
client looking over shoulder, because they literally have to be  
looking over your shoulder in order to ensure that what you're seeing  
on the monitor matches what they're seeing. Even a small degree of  
being off-axis significantly washes out the image. Big bummer.

Other than that, it' seems to be an awesome little monitor for the  
price.

And here I am, for over 12 years, saying to myself I would never buy  
a JVC "professional" product ever again :P

--
Mel Matsuoka
Chief Science Officer
Montaj 9 - Honolulu, HI
http://www.montaj9.com