Overview

This article aims to provide general knowledge and information about Broadcast Monitors. 

If you are looking for more specific set-up information about the Broadcast Monitors we use in the Post Production Facilities at Emerson, we recommend looking at one of the following articles:

Broadcast Monitors in DPL Suites A, B, D, F, G, I, & J

Broadcast Monitors in DPL Suites C, E, & H

General Information

Broadcast Monitors are hardware designed to display your video as accurately as possible without any processing, enhancements, or changes. The idea is to utilize a calibrated output so that you can properly assess your source video and color correction decisions on a reliable output.

If you are viewing your video on a regular computer display, for example, your visuals may be undergoing additional processing or shifts in color based on the hardware or the software's settings. Some computer displays try to "enhance" or image by introducing elements like dynamic contrast, video scaling, or other processes which could affect the image you are viewing. While these processes have their benefits, as editors and colorists we want to be able to see our unprocessed image, which leads us to using broadcast monitors.  

We use broadcast monitors in addition to computer displays where you are able to view the software interface. In practice, the computer displays will host all of your typical software windows while a broadcast monitor will show an output of your timeline. 

In the industry, studios will use broadcast monitors to color correct their videos and ensure video compliance during the QC process. 

Knowing where your video will be seen is an important thing to consider when using a broadcast monitor. If your video is destined for broadcast or streaming, it is likely important that your video passes QC when viewed on a broadcast monitor in order for that company to comply with broadcast standards when playing your content. Alternatively, if your video is being posted online to a service like YouTube or Vimeo things get a little more complicated. There is no way of knowing what kind of display your viewers will use when watching your video. Many viewers may have additional processing on their computer monitor, like the ones listed above. In general, it is still recommended to color correct your visuals using a broadcast monitor. 

Calibration

Broadcast monitors are calibrated based on broadcast standards. These standards (listed below) introduce differences in terms of color space. 

Rec.709 is a typical standard used to calibrate broadcast monitors since it is still largely used for as a standard for HS video broadcast. We calibrate our monitors to Rec.709 here at Emerson. Rec.709 may also be notated as BT.709 or ITU 709. 

DCI-P3 is another common standard used to calibrate broadcast monitors. DCI-P3 provides a wider color-gamut than Rec.709 (see the chart below). DCI-P3 was introduced as a standard more recently than Rec.709, so it is less widely supported on hardware and by broadcast facilities.

Different kinds of hardware

While broadcast monitors are calibrated to specific standards to ensure accuracy across facilities, you still may notice some differences. That is inevitable based on the hardware being used. 

OLED displays make for great broadcast monitors because they have the capability to produce dark blacks and detailed shadows. LCD displays are also very common. LCD displays do not have the same dark blacks and shadows that can be achieved by OLED displays, but LCD technology benefits from being more widely available. 

Here are Emerson, we have a mic of OLED and LCD displays in the Post Production Suites. 

Resolution is another important thing to consider when choosing a broadcast monitor. Since these displays are outputting an unprocessed image, they are very particular about resolution in order to avoid any changes to your image. Some broadcast monitors will only display in 1920x1080 HD, while others achieve higher resolutions like 4096x2160 4K DCI.