We have been talking about HDR for several years now as the next big advancement in cinema production. It was four years ago that we started to see HDR evolve from a buzzword into a reality, but I’ll admit that I never saw much HDR content outside of a trade show or showroom floor, and I’m guessing that is true for most of us.

Recently I had the chance to take a closer look at the SmallHD 1303 HDR monitor. This 1500 nit 13” 1080p monitor is exceptional for field work. In this video, I take a look at the build, menu set up, and LUT functionality. 

The SmallHD OS3 update is the largest single rollout of new features for SmallHD monitoring solutions to date. Compatible with almost all of their monitors, it adds a ton of new features to their product line.

Engineer Ben Meadors talks monitor calibrations – from why you should be doing them, to how they’re performed, to how often you should perform them. A properly calibrated monitor is the key to ensuring you will see the most accurate colors.

We’re proud to show off our Cameo VESA mount, part of the Cameo line of digital camera accessories manufactured by AbelCine. This flexible and well-thought-out system was designed by AbelCine’s own Jesse Rosen, Director of Technical Development, and his team.

TVLogic has introduced their latest firmware for the VFM-058W, which displays metadata from the Arri ALEXA camera series. Users must request the firmware from TVLogic; it cannot be downloaded directly from the website.

The ALEXA Mini has generated lots of excitement partly due to the form factor, which lends itself to many types of cinematography. The other day I had the opportunity to meet up with Snehal Patel at Arri in Burbank, California. Together we went over a variety of builds for the ALEXA Mini.

Not sure if your monitor is up to spec? SpectraCal, the company behind CalMAN monitor calibration software, recently announced that their Colorchecker Software is now available as a free download. This software, once only available for purchase or as part of a larger CalMAN product suite, allows users to determine whether their monitor is true to industry standards such as Rec709, DCI or Adobe RGB.

To camera people like ourselves, the term Auto White Balance usually brings to mind that little AWB button on many camera systems. When you press the button, the camera tries to adjust its RGB gain levels to make white things in your picture actually white. However, this is not the only place on set where white values are important. A properly calibrated monitor is essential to ensuring what you see on set is what you'll actually get back in post.