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Originally Posted by VideoTechMan
Awesome, I added that one to the cart. Now my next question is, do you use this monitor when capturing and other tasks, or only when doing color work? Currently I'm using an older VS monitor right now with the XP boxes but I know the monitor will not be usable for color work.
I would also need to know what calibration software is best for IPS monitors? I read that X-Rite (?) was good)
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You can use any monitor you want for capture, including your old one and the new one mentioned. You'll have to calibrate each separately, which you can do using the same calibration kit (why judge your captures using an uncalibrated monitor?). A monitor won't perform exactly the same way with different graphics cards, so using the same monitor with two PC's requires you to change the monitor settings to match each PC. Pain in the neck. Calibrate your old one as best you can and leave it that way for capture, then use the new one for processing.
Colorimeter kits can be used for LCDs, LEDs, laptops, CRT's, and TVs. A TV would require the same colorimeter but uses different software and methods such as the free HCFR software for use with TVs. You can view screen shots of the HCFR software by scrolling down the page a little on this website:
http://www.homecinema-fr.com/colorim...fr-colormeter/. You'll readily find that calibrating a TV is more difficult and involved, while calibration kits for PC montors have software and hardware that are mostly automated after an initial manual setup. An example of how these kits are used for a PC is on this review link (the review is for an older version of the i1 Profiler, but the latest version is very similar):
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/i1_profiler.htm. Calibration kits from Spyder are similar and are the nearest competition to the i1, but not as accurate.
Most monitors including Viewsonics have decent color out of the box (but not good enough for precision color work) but are far too bright. Typical unadjusted brightness would be about 220 to 300 cdm2, which is 200% to 300% too bright, and contrast is usually pushed. The standard brightness range for graphics work is 120 cdm2 -- the calibration kit will display a meter that helps you get brightness and contrast at prescribed levels.
Keep in mind when working color that a video will look somewhat brighter on your TV, as PC and TV have different luminance curves. A calibration kit will insure that you're compliant either way. Good color work requires a discriminating eye developed through practice as well as tools such as histograms. These tools are available in Avisynth,
Virtualdub, and even more sophisticated with NLE's like Vegas and Adobe Pro. Whether you use any of these pricey NLE's or not, or just PC tools like
VirtualDub, you can get a ton of information about good color methods by browsing free Adobe video and Photoshop, AfterEffects, and
Vegas Pro tutorials on the web. Many tutorials deal with still photo work, but the methods and principles apply to video as well. After all, video is a stream of still images. The CambridgeColor website has a ton of tutorials that are well illustrated, such as these that describe tone and color balance, etc., as seen through histograms:
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tut...istograms1.htm
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tut...istograms2.htm
A quick example of the difference color correction can make was posted by an acquaintance of mine in another forum post that used simple tools in Virtualdub to correct "problem" videos:
http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/3...=1#post2390907. And here:
http://forum.doom9.org/showpost.php?...60&postcount=8.You'll find a ton of similar demos in free web tutorials.
