Video and Computer Monitor Buyer's Guide

Joe McCleskey
August 1999

What you see is what you get... if you're lucky or if you have a good monitor. But if you use a crummy old TV to edit your video, you might be sadly shocked at what the output looks like on a high-resolution monitor.

That's why it's important that you use the best monitor you can to edit your videos. A good production monitor allows you to spot dropouts, color problems and other video glitches that you can't see on an ordinary television set. It's the job of most TVs to provide the best picture possible through filtering and otherwise massaging the signal. A more serious video monitor, however, will show the video image in all its actual glory (or lack thereof). A good monitor will also help you select the best-looking footage for your productions, as well as provide a wide selection of input and output ports for convenience in the editing bay.

Not that the good old television set has no place in the editing room. After the edit is complete, an ordinary TV provides an excellent way to test your video on the kind of set your audience is most likely to view it on.

Let's not forget, however, that much of today's video editing takes place on a computer screen. That's why we've chosen to include a buyer's guide of computer monitors to go with the TV sets and broadcast monitors in this article. Whether you're operating on a limited budget or shopping for the cream of the crop, this guide should get you started on the road to better-looking images.