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Can LCD monitors be calibrated with color bars as older CRT monitors were?
Hi Everyone,
We just purchased a Dreamcolor Z27x monitor so that we can evaluate color and quality of footage during editing.
We also plan on using it for color grading (we thought it was a good compromise between quality and price).
I know that there are various hardware/software systems that are being sold to “Calibrate” an LCD monitor (Spyder, xrite, etc).
But, are those systems necessary to calibrate an LCD monitor?
Is it possible to use color bars and the in-monitor (or apple OS) monitor adjustment controls to calibrate a monitor, just like how CRT monitors were calibrated?
Or, are LCD monitors completely different animals and need additional hardware to calibrate them?
Thank you for your thoughts and help.
(I posted a similar but different question about the best calibration hardware to purchase for the monitor in the FCP forum: https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/8/1189554 ….But, this question is whether it is necessary to have a separate calibration system)
Producer-Director
Wakan Films
Hollywood, CA
http://www.wakan.com -
3 Replies
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For others who might have the same question:
I was doing some research on the difference between LCD (i.e., “computer”) monitors, and Video monitors, and I found this article: https://www.videomaker.com/article/17816-how-to-calibrate-a-monitor
In the article, it states:
“Computer monitors use a larger color space than HD video. This can make it a difficult to monitor HD video with a computer monitor because it can reproduce colors that HD video can’t, so the color you see on the screen may not be an accurate representation of what you’re video really looks like.”
And…
“Computers don’t use the same color space as HD video so you can’t just use NTSC color bars to calibrate them. There are a number of colorimeters that work in conjunction with software to automatically calibrate your computer’s monitor.”
So, essentially, according to this Videomaker article, LCD computer monitors use a different (and larger) color space than stand-alone vide monitors, and can’t be accurately calibrated using standard color bars.
Is this everyone’s understanding?
Producer-Director
Wakan Films
Hollywood, CA
http://www.wakan.com -
In case this might be helpful for other who are trying best calibrate their LCD monitors for color accuracy:
After reading reviews and researching, we decided to purchase the “X-Rite i1Display Pro” monitor calibration devise.
From the reviews and articles I’ve read, it is better suited for monitor calibration for video than the Spyder is.
Also, in order to be helpful to others who are considering the same questions, many editors recommend not using the included software (for all calibration devices), and instead using the combination of 2 open source software:
dispcalGUI and Argyll CMS
Producer-Director
Wakan Films
Hollywood, CA
http://www.wakan.com -
I know this is an old thread, but thank you for your post. I will check into these.
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