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Chapter 21
do not require a color image you can use a single coaxial cable between the sockets on both the camera and monitor labeled Y. This will give you an HD black and white image with the menu if you need it.
21.3.3 Termination If you are simply feeding one monitor directly from the camera then termination should not be a problem. If you are looping from the camera to one monitor and then on again to another monitor, understanding termination is vital. The simple rule is that the last monitor in the line must be terminated. This may, on some monitors, be automatic, may be done with a simple switch or you may have to put a termination plug onto the Video Out socket of the last monitor on the line. If you don’t the danger is you will see a different image on each monitor and it is quite likely that none of them will be correct.
21.3.4 Serial Monitors Even if you get your termination right the number of monitors hung onto a single camera output can disastrously affect the quality of the image. Do not accept an image amplifier between any source and the monitor you, the Director of Photography (DP), are going to watch. They may claim to be transparent – that is, adding no changes to the image – but believe me I would never stake my reputation on it.
21.4 Best Practice The monitor the DP is going to watch should come from a single output on the camera; no other monitors should be fed from this output and no monitors should be fed down line from the DP’s monitor. This rule should never be broken. Choose another output from the camera or HDSDI converter for any other monitors and do not be swayed from this opinion. I have let this happen in the past and it was a disaster – please learn from my experience.