This IS the Avid L2: Re: [Avid-L2] Monitor calibration

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Re: [Avid-L2] Monitor calibration

Your video monitor is your most important monitor for sure, but there are things that you need your computer monitor for as well. I was just at a major national facility doing training. They had their computer monitors, the giant "Best Buy" LCD for "the room" and a calibrated (supposedly) grading/editing video monitor. In all rooms, none of them matched. Sometimes the "Best Buy" TV was better matched than the grading monitor. This creates a lot of confusion.

I have a beautifully calibrated e-Cinema grading monitor. I also have a decent Sony Bravia big screen. My eyes are all over the place and a lot of the time, when I am entrenched in my editing, my eyes are on the computer monitor. I prefer to have it as close as possible to what I'm expecting to see in my e-Cinema display.

Also, there are various plugins, including Magic Bullet Looks, that do NOT send a signal to the video monitor. There are a fair number of plugins that you CAN'T see on your video monitor until you render them. Especially in the case of Magic Bullet - if you are trying to create a "look" in that and your computer monitor is not calibrated, you have to re-do the look multiple times to try to compensate for the monitor differences. I ran in to this exact case just yesterday at another facility.

So, that's my thinking. Am I right? Does it matter? I don't know. It does to me and does to other people who I've discussed it with as recently as the last 24 hours. But I see your point.

Steve

On May 22, 2014, at 12:53 PM, Andi Meek kwikpasta@hotmail.com [Avid-L2] <Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

Steve,

Sorry for the basic question but why is it necessary to calibrate the computer monitors if you'll be using the external monitor for evaluation and the final output doesn't come from the gfx card but the i/o box? Is this more for internet-based delivery? What's the thinking here?
Thanks,

Andi

To: Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com
From: Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thu, 22 May 2014 10:12:13 -0400
Subject: Re: [Avid-L2] Monitor calibration

Yes.

You can use X-Rite along with a calibration software and signal test generator to better calibrate your client monitor (video playback). It is more accurate than the standard SMPTE bars calibration method. Also, use it to match dual computer displays color performance.

We use a Windows based software called ChromaPure.

FYI - if your monitor is way off, it is probably better to get it professionally recalibrated than doing it yourself with entry level tools. Flanders for example will recalibrate your monitor for free. You only pay for shipping to/from.

Dom Q. Silverio

On Thu, May 22, 2014 at 8:58 AM, Curtis Nichols curtisn@pcsproductions.com [Avid-L2] <Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

Is anyone using computer monitor calibration devices like X-Rite i1Display or the Datacolor Spyder?
I've always depended on a high-grade video monitor and scopes. Everything I read about the calibrators refers to matching the monitors to photo prints. Should we be using them for my video work too?

Curtis Nichols
PCS Production Co.
Irving, TX.

(sent via the moons of Saturn)