Intro guide to display calibration?

[Ben Kazez]

Hello,

I am gradually getting into more pro-level video work, using a recent MacBook Pro and Dell U2720Q.

I have many takes from a 4-camera session done in a church at various times of day, which will already be very difficult to color coordinate.

How do I most cheaply calibrate the Dell U2720Q so I at least know what I'm seeing? I got DisplayCAL and was thinking of buying a Datacolor SpyderX Pro. If the solution is just to use a different monitor, I'm up for that too...

I'm clearly a beginner and happy to follow a pre-written guide if you know a good one!

Thanks,
Ben

[Andrew Smith]

My suggestion would be to connect the output of your computer to an actual TV screen instead of a computer monitor. It would be worth a try for bypassing calibration issues entirely when it comes to video.

Andrew

[Ben Kazez]

Hi Andrew, thanks so much for helping a rank amateur like me!

Unfortunately I don't own a TV. I do photo editing and design as well, so I want to have a well calibrated display. I thought monitors would usually have lower input lag, higher refresh rates, and are more color accurate? But right now the monitor's color seems to have gotten really, really bad since I last used it 2 months ago…hard to describe but it's very hard to see light grey on white, and a lot of the grey appears pinkish, as if the color temp is totally wrong.

If I bought a TV instead, is there any brand that should be more color neutral? Is there a monitor I could get instead of the Dell that would be easy to collaborate and better to trust with color accuracy?

Thank you!
Larry

[Boyd Ostroff]

Well, here's an "oldie but goodie" guide to using color bars for calibration :-)

https://www.videouniversity.com/arti...how-to-use-em/

Not doing much video editing myself anymore, but have had one of these Sony monitors for quite awhile and like it. Discontinued, but you might find some deals on used ones. I'm sure Sony has also introduced a replacement for it by now.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1456080-REG/sony_lmd2110w_b_21_5_widescreen_lcd_monitor.html/BI/2855/KBID/3801

Also, have you tried using Apple's standard monitor calibration feature with your current screen? Not really intended for video editing, but it might help.

https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-.../12.0/mac/12.0

[Doug Jensen]

As Andrew already said, you need to output the video signal to a video monitor. No serious video professional color-grades from a computer monitior. And trying to setup a computer monitor for accurate decision making about video is a fool's errand.

What you need is a cheap Blackmagic converter to take the video signal out of the realm of computers -- and convert it over to a true video signal. It makes all the difference. And it is so much simpler. The Blackmagic converters work with Resolve, Premiere, FCPX, Catalyst, etc.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1578062-REG/blackmagic_design_ultra_studio_monitor_3g.html/BI/2855/KBID/3801

If you connect your Dell U2720Q to the Blackmagic device via HDMI, then it is not a computer monitor anymore. Now you are viewiing a video signal instead of a computer signal. Then you just have to setup the monitor to color bars and you are off and running. Here's a good rule of thumb - if you can see your computer mouse on the screen -- you are in a computer environment rather than monitoring actual video.

Check out this video. It explains the concepts better than I can post here.
https://youtu.be/JhRceU31XOg?si=QrHQf6kjUkLOmUCf

[Roger Van Duyn]

How are the viewers (parishioners) viewing the finished output? Are they watching actual an broadcast television signal, or are they watching an online live-stream on YouTube, Vimeo, FaceBook?

If watching a livestream, some will be watching on computers, some on their phones and tablets, others on their smart-tv. I'd suggest judging how the live-stream looks to you on your devices if it's a live-stream you'd be delivering. Of course, during production, watch the "scopes" and histograms in the production software you are using. Plus, the audio is a "whole-nuther can of worms" that can cause even more headaches.

My advice, unless you have a huge budget, keep things as simple as possible. Just do your best with what you have. Expect some gripes no matter what you do, even if you manage to perfectly meet "broadcast standards."

[Andrew Smith]

Honestly, save up for a proper TV screen to work with. It's worth it.

Something you can do in the interim is to spot check your colour by outputting a single frame, sending it to your phone via Signal for Windows on your computer (connected to Signal on your phone) and then displaying it on your phone's high quality screen display. That would get you started.

Andrew

[Ben Kazez]

Hello,

Thanks for your replies! Virtually everyone will watch on computers and smartphones.

Will it be a problem to use an HD device (like the Black Magic one) to monitor 4K video? And will the Black Magic device really help if the color is so washed out on this Dell display (even ignoring differences from one display to another)?

I heard (

Turn your Apple monitor into a color accurate display in DaVinci Resolve - YouTube

) that the Apple displays are the closest thing to a reference monitor, while still being a monitor. Would it make help much to replace the Dell monitor with an Apple one? If not, what would be a small TV that would be reasonably neutral?

Thanks again,
Ben

[Roger Van Duyn]

Continuing the theme from my post upon the varying devices people viewing the videos will watch them on...

Back in the "olden days" long before retiring and closing down my freelance video/photography business, I had a way that minimized the problems. TV is/was one colorspace, rec709 and computer devices/online media/ phones was another colorspace, RGB. If I supplied the video in rec709 it would look good on television, but washed out viewed the other way.

If I supplied the video in the RGB color space, it looked fine online etc., but colors tended to be too "hot" if viewed on a television screen.

Back in the olden days, most clients wanted the videos I made for them delivered on physical media. So, to minimize the griping, I gave them a standard DVD for television viewing encoded in the rec709 color space. I also gave them a DVD-ROM encoded in the RGB color space. When I explained the differences in the two disks, some, but not all of them, understood. When I uploaded a video for them, it was in the RGB color space, except for the occasional client that wanted to duplicate standard DVDs them selves. Them I typically uploaded a DVD Image file to them to their FTP servers. (Does anyone still use FTP servers anymore, or watch old style DVDs?)

Back then, not much was watched on phones. A few used tablets.

Now, I don't even bother with the rec709 color space. I set my timeline in Resolve for RGB and output in RGB, even though my leftover pro camcorder still shoots in 709. I'm just a hobbiest since retiring. No clients to worry about. But, when I watch YouTube on my Smart TV, even though it's a TV still, the colors still look right. Must be the streaming function built into the Smart TV. Same thing happens with Firestick TV, Hulu, etc. Colors still look right. Don't know why. But that's what is working for me. Just as a hobbiest, who sometimes still volunteers to help out the professional staff my church has now.

Other than that, I seldom film people anymore. Just wildlife.

Hope this helps you.

[Andrew Smith]

Your church has professional staff? Luxury! :-)

Also, "my name's Andrew and I still use FTP."
(rest of room: "Hello Andrew")

For the uninitiated, FTP = File Transfer Protocol which happens to be so much more efficient than other methods of transferring a file through the internet.

Andrew

[Roger Van Duyn]

Yeah, big changes in the last couple of years from when I was "filling in" between one guy leaving and the new team coming in. I did it pro-bono for around eighteen months or so. Finally, the church made video and online ministries a major priority and came across with a budget to make it happen.

Now they have several NDI PTX cameras in the Nave for the services, one is on a remote-control slider at that. Audio received major upgrades too, including also hiring a real audio engineer.

But, in my opinion, the biggest improvement to the video quality, other than the skillful people, was improving the lighting. And not just the light levels, but now the color temperatures are much more consistent. For years I'd told people it's hard to put you in a good light when the light is bad.

Additional antennas for the wireless receivers, upgraded computers, everything rewired throughout all the buildings. Even some of class rooms have NDI PTX cameras for the zoomers to attend class.

[Boyd Ostroff]

Originally Posted by Andrew Smith

Also, "my name's Andrew and I still use FTP."

I used ftp from the 1980's up until around 2008, when an IT guy reminded me it sends insecure unencrypted data which could be a problem if the file contains anything sensitive/private. IIRC, your username and password are also sent as plain text.

Since then, I always use sftp, the secure version of ftp. I use it pretty heavily, transferring files as large as 200gb between devices on my LAN as well as my internet server.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSH_Fi...nsfer_Protocol

[Andrew Smith]

Originally Posted by Roger Van Duyn

But, in my opinion, the biggest improvement to the video quality, other than the skillful people, was improving the lighting. And not just the light levels, but now the color temperatures are much more consistent. For years I'd told people it's hard to put you in a good light when the light is bad.

Just wait until "the glory" comes and messes up with your lighting and exposure levels for skin tones.

[Moses has entered the chat.]

Andrew

[Ben Kazez]

Hello, thank you all for your help.

Since even for regular design work, the Dell monitor's color leaves much to be desired, I've been researching alternatives that might also be halfway reasonable for color grading:

ASUS ProArt Display PA279CV 27" 4K ($430) + used Calibrite
EIZO ColorEdge CS2740 27" 4K ($1790) + used Calibrite
Apple Studio Display 27" 5K ($1599)

Since Davinci Resolve has the option to use Mac color profiles for viewers, do I still need to pass a video feed to these monitors via an I/O box (and have one GUI monitor and one video monitor)?

YouTube recommends Rec. 709 and converts RGB to 709, if I understood correctly: https://support.google.com/youtube/a...%2Ccolor-space

Thanks again,
Ben

[Roger Van Duyn]

Originally Posted by Ben Kazez

Hello,


I'm clearly a beginner and happy to follow a pre-written guide if you know a good one!

Thanks,
Ben

Speaking as a retired videographer, let me say that earning a profit in business is TOUGH nowadays. And while my CPA would depreciate video and audio gear I purchased on my taxes for me, well, be careful overspending on fancy gear that may not generate enough income for you. OF course, if you are an employee of someone else and they will be paying for everything, that's different. You only have to convince them to spend the money.

As for written guides, here are some links: https://www.richardlackey.com/choosi...o-color-space/

and: https://www.richardlackey.com/low-bu...ement-lg-oled/

My biggest gripe with the youtube encoding guidelines is they recomment too low of a bit-rate for footage that has a lot of detail. When I was shooting mostly depositions and corporate meetings, it didn't matter much. But, now that I'm retired and filming wildlife, the recommended bitrate is way too low. I read a lot of posts, and watched a lot of videos on encoding to youtube, and finally decided to upload all my videos first as private then see for myself if they passed the eyeball test. If not, I reencode until they do.

If you want to see the individual hairs on a mammal, strands of individual feathers on birds, varied coarseness of scales on reptiles, and actual reflections in THEIR eyes, it takes encoding in a much higher bitrate than youtube recommends in the link you shared. (Not to say that my videos are that great most of the time, but sometimes I get shots that really are). Of course, YouTube's recommended settings saves space on their servers.

Really, spending a lot of money won't advance the quality of your work nearly as much as the experience gained from lots and lots of practice. Feedback from other knowledgeable people helps greatly too. It's not the gear that matters so much as the skill.