Screen calibration

[Green Baron]

I am having color porblem on my external LCD screen connected to my notebook. Basically the color is not consistent on the 2 displays.

Does anyone here have a similar setup and or have a screen calibrator which I can borrow for a day to check the accuracy my monitors ?

[valice]

But you still need to calibrate the monitors after some time after borrowing the calibrator. Why not invest in one?

[Green Baron]

But you still need to calibrate the monitors after some time after borrowing the calibrator. Why not invest in one?

You are correct. Just thought I would like to try it before I invest in one.
I know there are a few in the market at different price points. Which do you think is a reasonably priced calibrator for a weekend/amature photographer ?

[Simon]

note that calibration on LCD isn't alway as accurate as CRT

[hwchoy]

its a bloody nightmare calibrating an LCD.

[valice]

Even worse if calibrating a laptop LCD!
I can't adjust my contrast...

I have one cheap HUEY that is not very accurate. So if you want, I can lend you.

[Green Baron]

I know the color of CRT is more accurate but everybody is switching to the slim and sexy crt. You mean you guys still use CRT ? I just junked my 17" CRT for a 19 LCD.

Just what is it that make calibrating LCD a nightmare ?

[hwchoy]

I think that fundamentally LCD and "emissive" type displays such as CRT and plasma, are different in how colours are generated.

In LCD, all colours are present in the white backlight, then that white lights is filtered by the crystal mask in front of it.

In CRT and plasma, the base colour is black, and then the three primary colours are "added" to create the necessary colours and finally white.

This is also the reason why LCDs have light bleed issue, and is difficult to achieve true black. Plasma and CRT starts from black to begin with, although there is also some base level or "minimum black" which is essentially the least amount of emission generated by an energised plasma cell or CRT mask (minimum electron beam energy).

From a practical perspective, and I am using the EyeOne II. When calibrating an LCD, the result is simply not correct, I got too high level "black". Finally I decided to just preset the brightness and contrast level and then run the calibrator in simple mode. The result seem quite acceptable.

I am using a Viewsonic 2025 widescreen 20" bought during clubsnap mass order. I would have preferred the high end Dell screens (take note they have two grades) particularly because of the onsite replacement policy.

[Green Baron]

Choy,
Thanks for the clarification.