Monitor calibration suggestions for video capturing/editing workflow

[Mejnour]

Does the approach is the same for calibrating monitor for VHS capture vs traditional photo editing?

I know that the first thing to do is to have a decent calibration.

Right now I have a LG Flatron W2243T...I don't know if I will have the money for IPS monitor.

Anyway I would like to pratice some "free workflow calibration" to get some experience.

I know that there is many protocol on the web (I even read some talks that involve playing with video card setting!!!), but since it's for VHS capture (not photo editing), I want to be sure that I got right suggestions.

Waiting for suggestions...

Thanks

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Does the approach is the same for calibrating monitor for VHS capture vs traditional photo editing?

Yes and no.

• Yes, you'll start off using the same sort of hardware required for calibrating a computer monitor for photo editing.
• And no: But then you'll further tweak it without calibration tools, by comparing it to HDTVs calibrated with a disc like Avia (now Avia II).

Some broadcast experts (or "experts" in some cases) are probably screaming "NO! NO! NO!" at the monitor, but I know what I see. I'm rather tired of looking at so-called "calibrated" video from some smug editor that falsely thinks his tools and methods are flawless. Even calibration tools are not flawless, and its ultimately my eyeballs that will be viewing the video, not some technical gadget. At least not until humanoid AI happens.

Here's a post from about a year ago: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/home...libration.html
It's still valid information.

I may actually add an update to that older thread, because there are some Spyder competitors out there. When using LED light-source LCDs, be sure the calibration gadget will work with it. Some only work with CCFL light-source LCDs, not LED. Aside from that, the more you spent, the nicer the gadget and features. Some are under $75, some are $150+

[Mejnour]

I am reading a lot about understanding color space. So many questions!

Stricly from a technical point of view. We have a VHS tape with a define color space.
Once it goes thru the ATI AIW it's converted into a other color space sRGB? Right?

Since VGA monitor connection is analogs signal! and assume that I have LCD (IPS monitor)

I mean should it better to use DVI instead of VGA?

If I look at the connector on my ATI card it look like this

I am stuck with VGA connector.

Should I use a card with DVI connector

Or if I use VGA, I should use a CTR monitor!?

===============

In a others idea of order...

Anyone have ever use something similar for calibration? or it just belong to another time....

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mejnour

Stricly from a technical point of view. We have a VHS tape with a define color space. Once it goes thru the ATI AIW it's converted into a other color space sRGB? Right?

No. sRGB is the monitor output colorspace. Not the video colorspace.
The video is a YUV space, which varies on codec. 4:2:2 lossless Huffyuv, for example. Or 4:2:0 MPEG-2.

Quote:

Since VGA monitor connection is analogs signal!
and assume that I have LCD (IPS monitor) I mean should it better to use DVI instead of VGA?

DVI is better, yes. Use VGA when DVI not present.

Quote:

I am stuck with VGA connector. Should I use a card with DVI connector
Or if I use VGA, I should use a CTR monitor!?

No and no.
Simply use VGA on a good LCD. The monitor quality matters more than DVI vs VGA.

Quote:

Anyone have ever use something similar for calibration? or it just belong to another time....

Outdated relic. CRTs change over time, too, so the fact that it was ideal 10-20-whatever years ago means nothing now. You could just as easily get a quality IPS LCD and end up with something more accurate. The idea that CRT is always better is a myth along the lines of vinyl always being better than CD. It's nothing more than the rambling of tech xenophobes -- people against staying current.

Sometimes you'll just confuse yourself if you read too deeply.

[Mejnour]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

Sometimes you'll just confuse yourself if you read too deeply.

Yeah I know but on a other hands, I like to understand because it's good to have some arguments when you met the treasurer

I would like to know when you (the experts) are talking about

Quote:

final ATI All In Wonder Radeon series AGP cards

Can they capture VHS? or this is just for "gamer"....
Wich model it included?
The card with the ATI AVIVO technology?
This kind of plug called VIVO
Audio is entering how on this card?

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

No. sRGB is the monitor output colorspace. Not the video colorspace.
The video is a YUV space, which varies on codec. 4:2:2 lossless Huffyuv, for example. Or 4:2:0 MPEG-2.

I remember that when you do capture, it was recommanded to not expand the preview windows to limit CPU usage.

1)Does it means that I will have rely on this small window to do my adjustments (color, noise, saturation, etc)
? Problably that I can do some testing at full windows I guess, but during the capture I will have to rely on small windows if I want to do some micro-adjustements...

2)I saw what a calibration tool can do for a monitor, I guess if you want to do good restoration, you go to get a good preview. You have to put the cursor on the images to see the diffrence...

[lordsmurf]

You calibrate the monitor before capturing -- it's not realtime, done during captures.
Therefore it's a non-issue.

----------------

The graphics half of All-In-Wonder cards were marketed to video gamers. But gamers rarely cared about video. Video folks liked the Theatre 100/200 chipsets, and could not care less about the graphics GPU/RAM.

• VIVO = Video In, Video Out. It was an old 1990s method of describing video capture/input. The label died early in the AIW series.
• Avivo had nothing to do with video capturing. It was a processing tech that, for example, let DVD/Blu-ray play smoother with hardware acceleration.

[Mejnour]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

You calibrate the monitor before capturing -- it's not realtime, done during captures.
Therefore it's a non-issue.

Sorry I was not clear...I was talking about TBC or proc amp for the correction...

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mejnour

Sorry I was not clear...I was talking about TBC or proc amp for the correction...

Calibrate without anything. You want to calibrate the monitor -- not the video input.
Once you have the calibration gear and software, you'll understand it all better.
Right now the questions are sort of odd, because they don't really apply to how calibration is done.

Read my last post again, too -- I edited it.

[Mejnour]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

Calibrate without anything. You want to calibrate the monitor -- not the video input.
Once you have the calibration gear and software, you'll understand it all better.
Right now the questions are sort of odd, because they don't really apply to how calibration is done.

Read my last post again, too -- I edited it.

I know I know how to calibrate a monitor...but I realized that I was not clear because then I asked a question about color correction set-up during capture (assuming for sure that your monitor is already calibrated)...

[lordsmurf]

Ah, I think I understand now.
You want to correct the color of the video on the already-calibrated monitor? If that's the case, just use your eyes.

jmac has also mentioned some methods of leveraging Avisynth as a live meter.
It doesn't appear that he posted it in this thread, but it was one of the other recent threads on a similar topic.

[Mejnour]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

Ah, I think I understand now.
You want to correct the color of the video on the already-calibrated monitor? If that's the case, just use your eyes.

Yeah! My concern was about technical approach or tip; because I already read that during capture it's not recommended to view the image in it's original size because it demand a lot on the CPU, but on a other hand it's easier to do correction on a full-size image!