Calibrating Dell LCDs + the pink tint issue?

	Re: Calibrating Dell LCDs + the pink tint issue? by Bob Zelin on Sep 20, 2007 at 1:30:50 am Jimmy - you are one crazy guy - just bought 2 x Dell 2007FP monitors for my GUI applications and I'm desparately trying to calibrate them *close* to my Sony BVM - I appreciate I won't get them identical, but if they are close it makes life alot easier. REPLY - Jimmy, you will NEVER EVER EVER get a LCD monitor (certainly not a Dell) to EVER look like a Sony CRT monitor - ever, ever, ever, ever. And in case I didn't say this - EVER. You can't get a Sony LMD-232 LCD to look like a Sony BVM, you can't get a Panasonic BT-LH2600W to look like a Sony BVM, and you can't get the Dell to do this either, so GIVE UP NOW - ITS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN - NOT EVEN CLOSE. The other problem is I think I've got one of these dodgy "red tinted" monitors that I've heard mentioned in the past with some of the Apple Cinemas. When booting windows (the black screen with the flag) my right mon definitely has a pinky tinge and if you look at the monitors from an angle it looks pink. REPLY - you must look at all LCD monitors straight on, not at an angle. This is one of the reason people hate LCD monitors. Seeing a tint at an angle means nothing. You have an NVidia 5200 card - there is a control panel that comes with this monitor on Windows, that allows you to screw with the colors, contrast, etc. Who knows where this is set right now ? Now Ive just about managed to match the right one to the left, but it still won't display a decent black. The left one's black looks great, but the other is more grey and washed out. With no contrast control I'm not sure what to do about this... REPLY - no LCD monitor will give you decent black. The only LCD that even comes close is the $4000 JVC LCD monitor (and its still not like any Sony CRT). Exactly what were you expecting here ? A CRT sharp monitor? You were told that the DELL is only good for HD, and will NEVER be able to do Standard Def, so why are you comparing it to your Sony BVM series monitor ? If you feel that one monitor is "washed out" (and you have been playing with the adjustments), swap it with the other monitor that is ok, and see if it's the monitor, or your Graphics card control panel that is feeding it. Bob Zelin Respond to this post   •   Return to posts index

	Re: Calibrating Dell LCDs + the pink tint issue? by Bob Zelin on Sep 20, 2007 at 1:32:17 am Jimmy - you are really driving me crazy here. I remember when you were looking and considering these monitors, and now you compare it to the VERY expensive Sony BVM CRT monitors. You were looking for 2 INEXPENSIVE LCD monitors - what did you think you were going to get - a miracle ? Bob Zelin Respond to this post   •   Return to posts index

	Re: Calibrating Dell LCDs + the pink tint issue? by Tim Kolb on Sep 20, 2007 at 2:50:16 pm Are you using a probe? That's really the only way to get a reasonably close calibration. The issue with matching monitors is that typically once a calibration program like CineSpace creates a LUT, it loads it across all monitors. I have Dell 30" that I run the probe on as I run overlay there...I don't care about the other 3 monitors...they're all UI. As far as blacks go, no question that that is not an LCD's strongest point (though as Bob mentions, the JVC unit does look like the best of the bunch so far in the 'best bang for the buck' category), though typically I find that most people have them cranked up far too bright to exploit what range there is in the display and that will definitely blow out the blacks (not to mention the whites...and the effect on color saturation). The bottom line is that certainly LCDs aren't going to look like CRTs anytime soon...but then since most new televisions are LCDs anyway, I'm not sure that this is the crisis that some think it is... (plasma will be around for a while, but overall I think the market has decided that physical size, heat, and longevity goes to the LCD, even if one has to concede the very dark-but on a plasma-very mucky, blacks) Accuracy is really consistency in our business...the reds on Sony pro cameras were washed out for years...but everybody knew what to expect so they kept buying Sony cameras. The gamma response curve on a CRT isn't something designed for accuracy...it's how the thing physically works and we're just used to it so we've all worked the rest of the process to work with that constant. On the other hand, with the advent of HD, CRTs would have been doomed even without Europe not wanting any more in their landfills anyway. You can spend tens of thousands of dollars on a broadcast CRT that will still only eek out 1100 TVL down hill with the wind on it's best day...it looks nice, but critical focus is far easier on a native res display...like a 1920x1200 LCD. We'll adapt... TimK, Director, Kolb Productions, Creative Cow Host, Author/Trainer www.focalpress.com www.classondemand.net Respond to this post   •   Return to posts index

	Re: Calibrating Dell LCDs + the pink tint issue? by Borjis on Sep 20, 2007 at 11:28:40 pm Tim which probe do you use? Respond to this post   •   Return to posts index

	Re: Calibrating Dell LCDs + the pink tint issue? by Tim Kolb on Sep 21, 2007 at 4:23:35 am I have a Gretag Macbeth Eye One... I think Xrite has now purchased them so i don't know what that unit might be called now... I use CineSpace calibration software which works very well with my Quadro 4500 card for use with Iridas and AE. http://www.risingsunresearch.com/ TimK, Director, Kolb Productions, Creative Cow Host, Author/Trainer www.focalpress.com www.classondemand.net Respond to this post   •   Return to posts index

	Re: Calibrating Dell LCDs + the pink tint issue? by Tim Kolb on Sep 21, 2007 at 1:21:43 pm The trick with any two monitors is that even tow of the same model high quality displays will show some differences when placed side-by-side. The issue with a probe is that the software...in my case, CineSpace, develops one LUT fro the whole desktop. So the correction happens upstream on the display card, there by...both monitors get whatever adjustment the probe feedback indicates is need based on whichever monitor you positioned it on...you'll be no closer to matching. You can attempt to manually match them for the last tweak, but what material is showing and the surrounding changing light will all have influence on what you see coming from the panels...as well as the ever-so-slight difference in viewing angles you'll have between the two as you move your head around...it's a slippery and frustrating slope. TimK, Director, Kolb Productions, Creative Cow Host, Author/Trainer www.focalpress.com www.classondemand.net Respond to this post   •   Return to posts index

	Re: Calibrating Dell LCDs + the pink tint issue? by Borjis on Sep 21, 2007 at 3:26:31 pm Yeah Jimmy I would highly recommend some sort of calibration device, it will be finished in a matter of minutes instead of spending hours or days trying to get it close. Respond to this post   •   Return to posts index