If you want a monitor that you can actually afford, look no further than some of the products from ikan. They've got some of the cheapest monitors in existence, and they are also unveiling a new flagship IPS display that will be competitive with similar IPS displays from SmallHD. Today we've got a video with Ryan Aivalis, who is a jack-of-all-trades at ikan, from drafting to blog writing. Ryan participated in the Blogger's Breakfast discussion at NAB (which also featured yours truly), and in the video embedded below he introduces some of the exciting things that ikan is working on.

Ryan Aivalis from ikan:


The video does not do any of the monitors justice, but the IPS display is on par with any other IPS displays out there. The ability to do waveform, vectorscope, and RGB parade on the slightly more expensive D7w is a welcome feature, and something we should expect from all monitors at this price range. Here are the specs on the 7" D7 and D7w, taken from the official ikan blog:

  • 1280 x 800 IPS panel
  • Aluminum case with 4 reinforced 1/4 20tpi threads
  • HDMI loopthru / 3G SDI loopthru
  • Peaking
  • False Color
  • Pixel to Pixel
  • Supported Inputs: 1080p 24, 25, 30, 50, 60p / 720p 50p, 60p
  • 4 adjustable function buttons and scrolling menu wheel
  • list price =  $1099.99
  • upgrade hardware for $300 to include Waveform, Vectorscope, and RGB Parade

If you're looking for something cheaper, but with a massive 1600 x 768 resolution, the 8" VH8 might be a better option. A nice touch is when you're not in pixel to pixel mode, the information about what's on screen can be put on the right side of the screen, keeping the left side free and unobstructed. Here are the specs for that one:

  • High brightness 1600 x 768 LCD panel
  • 
Pixel Data Analysis (IRE the color charts)
  • HDMI input and output without signal loss
  • 1 composite input
stereo headphones
  • 4-capacitive sensing “F” button
  • False Color – Adjustable Under Luminance & Over Luminance Warning (only HDMI)
  • Clip Guide – Adjustable Threshold (similar to the zebra crossing function) (only HDMI)
  • Peaking – (red outline)
DSLR Scaling (only HDMI)
underscan
Movable Pixel to Pixel
  • Guides (4: 3 & 16:9 Framing Safe Area)
  • Check Field (blue, red, green, mono)
  • H / V-line field delay
  • aspect ratio (16:9 / 4:3)
  • 2 1/4 “-20 mounting holes
  • Adjustable 
RGB
  • Tint
  • 
480 i/p; 576 i/p; 720 p 50hz, 60hz; 1080 i/p 24hz, 25hz, 30hz, 50hz, 60hz, 24hzsf, 25hzsf

The 2-in-1 bag is not yet available, but it's a great option if you're looking to travel with just one bag. It should compare favorably with what Tenba was showing at NAB, and at $249 it's extremely versatile.

Link: ikan