While this 31-inch unit is too big for a DC input, its 17-inch sibling can run off DC battery power for more portable use. Smaller units usually have DC power inputs to run off of batteries, which would have been really helpful in my DreamColor use case, instead of the workstation UPS battery we ran it off of. I have used a computer monitor as a reference display many times, especially in the case of the original DreamColor on the set of Act of Valor, where it was connected directly to the camera. But a proper professional reference display has a number of features that computer monitors do not.įirst off, computer monitors usually offer DisplayPort, HDMI or USB-C inputs, while reference displays use HDMI along with SDI and formerly analog inputs. To clarify, this is a reference display, not a computer monitor, and while that distinction has been shrinking for a while with the common factor of HDMI connections, this unit’s features are a perfect illustration of the differences that remain. It is the top-end model in Canon’s line of HDR reference displays, but if price is a concern, there are 24-inch and 17-inch options that offer many of the same features at a significantly lower price point. At a list price of $32,000, the 31-inch display is not in everyone’s budget, but that is not more than a high-end SDR reference monitor cost a few years ago. I recently had the opportunity to review Canon’s DP-V3120 4K HDR display. This model is a significant step up from the HP Z31x DreamColor and Dell UP3218K monitors I have tested in the past, and the five-digit price tag reflects that difference.