Calibrating Monitors

[Christopher Go]

How many of you properly calibrate your CRT or LCD monitors? I understand this is a must for production monitors in the editing suite if you're lucky to have one, but what about the computer monitor itself? I believe animators, designers, and those who do work with digital photography, like Photoshop for example, should certainly look into calibrating their monitors. What about for digital video?

[Ken Tanaka]

Calibrating a CRT monitor is essential if you're using it for color judgement. Video University features a good tutorial on the process.

Calibrating computer monitors for SMPTE video color accuracy is not really a worthwhile effort. Color calibration for digital illustration (i.e. Photoshop, et.al.) attempts to normalize a computer's screen to printed results, such as a particular printer's characteristics or the Pantone color system. Since printers (desktop or large scale) use a matrix of overlayed dots to form their image this calibration works very well.

But in the case of video, the standards for "printed results" are basically NTSC or PAL broadcast standards which operate in a very different color universe than your computer monitor. That's why you need to use a good CRT monitor to judge your color as you edit.

[Christopher Go]

Thanks Ken, unless I'm doing extensive color correction on my CRT monitor then I won't really worry about calibrating it as I would for, say, a Sony broadcast monitor.

[Bryan Roberts]

Hey all. Well I've been editing some projects and I've noticed that they are always much darker on other people's monitors. I am lead to believe that I have my brightness turned up very high and I was curious how can I calibrate my monitor to be on the same level as others. Thanks!

[Mike Rehmus]

Almost impossible as very few people really calibrate their monitors.

If you are talking about a NTSC monitor, you can run color bars into it and adjust accordingly. A search on Google will find you colorbar files and instructions.

Computer monitors are normally darker and really cannot display video with the kind of quality normally needed to judge the video.

[Ken Tanaka]

Bryan,
Video university has a pretty good tutorial on calibrating a professional CRT monitor. There are several versions of this process but they generally arrive at the same point.

Calibrating a computer monitor is a different matter, principally because they operate on a different color space and display technology. Run a Search on this topic, as we recently had a lengthy thread on this subject.

[Dan Measel]

I used the following link.

http://www.wideopenwest.com/%7Ewvg/tutorial-menu.htm

[Brad Simmons]

Hi guys. I recently purchased a brand new Sony PVM 8045Q 8" color monitor for field and post work with Ken's advice. The manual wasn't much help to me, as I'm new to all of these engineering phrases and none of them are explained in the manual.

I have a few questions. I checked out this link right here as a start. http://www.videouniversity.com/tvbars2.htm
I'm just trying to set up the monitor so it will display accurately. I've already shot all my footage (without the monitor unfortunatley), so now I'm just using it for post.

One problem I'm running into is that it tells me to adjust with the blue gun setting. I feed color bars from my XL1s into my monitor. I'm following the directions and I turn on the blue gun, but I don't get any blue, all I get is monochrome black, white, and grey. Everything else such as chroma, brightness, phase etc. has not been toyed with and is set right in the middle. Anyone have an idea why I'm not seeing blue bars? If someone could explain their typical workflow that's be great. I just want to make sure I have this thing set correctly. Thanks.

Another thing, a lot of these calibration articles talk about "hue" and say it's different from "chroma". and to adjust them separately. I see the chroma button, but son't see an adjustment for hue. Anyone know what the other possible names for hue are?

Another question I have is basic technique on calibration. I don't understand how it works...if I calibrate my monitor according to that link above, why would I ever need to calibrate it again? One post here mentions. "You have to calibrate a monitor every time you use it, in terms of putting up bars, running through blue check, adjusting color, etc."

I'm confused on why you have to do this. If you set up the color bars and they are all adjusted perfectly, then why would you want to change the setup? Also, if you have to calibrate your monitor every time you use it, why would people send in their monitors for expensive calibration, only to have to change it all next time they turn it on? Guys I'm so so confused about this thing right now, any help or advice would be appreciated.

[Brad Simmons]

Actually, I just figured out Hue is aka "phase", and I think I was confused about the blue gun only setting, turns out you don't really see blue bars, just monochrome bars which are more helpful in adjusting just the chroma, am I right on that? Sorry to be a pain with so many questions...but one article advises that you calibrate adjust for shooting but..."Remember to switch your monitor back to normal before editing." http://www.greatdv.com/video/smptebars.htm

So does that mean that when I'm ready to edit my footage, no calibration is needed? That confuses me, because I thought you had to keep it the exact same as you calibrated during a shoot.

It's funny that after adjustments with the color bars, now my monitor is supposedly calibrated, yet all I've done is make some tiny adjustments to the buttons. I'm wondering why the monitors aren't factory set to have these minor adjustments already made? Ie, why isn't the proper location of the chroma button actually in the middle instead of off to the right a tad?

[Jeff Donald]

Phosphors in the CRT change with age and adjustments will be necessary throughout the life of the monitor. Therefore, don't expect it to stay in calibration for long. Large CRT's are actually effected by the magnetic fields of the earth. It is sometimes difficult to calibrate monitors from the southern hemisphere in the northern hemisphere. This can be demonstrated by moving the monitor to different locations within a room.

It sounds like you figured out blue gun. Blue gun is also helpful for analyzing noise in a scene. Check out some VHS tapes then mini DV with just the blue gun. Pretty amazing.

The monitor will need to be calibrated for different ambient lighting conditions. Thus, the necessity for calibrating the monitor for field use and indoor use, editing etc. I edit with all the light off or very dim. This effects the monitor calibration as opposed to being near a window.

Does the XL1 output SMPTE color bars? I was under the impression it didn't. You might want to check that in the manual (mines not handy or I would). If you work is very color critical you need to use SMPTE bars.

[Brad Simmons]

Hi Jeff, thanks for the response. Now I'm learning about IRE issues and 7.5 setup which is very confusing at first when outputting to analogue etc... but I think I'm starting to understand all this more.

I thought the XL1s had SMPTE color bars. (at least that is the pattern they display, I'm not aware if they're legal or not). Does anyone have a definitive answer on that?

[Jeff Donald]

Most all the equipment should handle setup automatically. It's good to know, but you shouldn't have to change anything. If setup is needed, it will be added at the analog output by almost all devices. Exceptions are very high-end decks (it can be disabled) and a few very old decks.

[Rob Lohman]

The "old" XL1 DOES NOT have compliant bars. The NEW XL1s
DOES!

[Dan Lahav]

How do I go about calibrating my professional monitor to achieve the best color? I currently cannot hook up my computer to my monitor unfortunately so no color bars...I have my DVD player hooked up via s-video at the moment and access to a DVD burner...i dont know if this helps. Thanks.

[Josh Bass]

Ok, I know how to calibrate a monitor using your typical SEMPTE bars, but what about other kinds? I mean specifically those bars that don't have a pluge, where it's just a series of vertical lines all the way across the screen. Any instructions for those, anywhere?