We were looking for a small, portable monitor that would do 1080p for use in troubleshooting some of our servers in the server room at the Technology Engagement Center. We stumbled across the GeChic 13″ Monitor on Amazon for $299. The monitor is USB powered (comes with a USB power plug adapter) and comes with a mini to normal HDMI connector. It also supports mini displayport and VGA. It has full monitor controls like brightness and even has speakers. It’s super thin and light and comes with a cover/stand that is also made out of aluminum.
We opted for the $19 stand as it makes it stand taller than the one that is built into the cover. It’s really well designed and built.
We immediately thought of other applications for the monitor. We’re in the process of changing some of our laptop kits from Macbook Pros and Cintiq’s to Microsoft Surface Pros. The downside was the loss of the Macbook Pro’s monitor for use to view notes while recording. This fits that bill perfectly. The monitor even plugs into the Surface’s power brick which has a USB port built in.
We are also going to test putting it on our teleprompter. We’re using the video flipper that Chip had purchase to use with live lightboard recording. This will greatly help with the instructor’s eyelines when looking at their slides and not using a script. We’ll need to 3D print longer arms to hold the monitor on the platform. We’ll use this one with the laptop kits and purchase an additional one for the teleprompter application with a black bezel.
