color correction and monitors, again.

J

johney5

Active member
I keep coming back to color correction as the biggest thorn in my home post-production set up. FCP combined with a mac, is an amazing, powerful tool. Plugins such as Colorista give you the possibility to grade like a pro...but the bottom line is what monitor you are grading on. I'm working with a macbook pro, and an apple cinema display. I've been told there are no video cards that can send out an HD signal to an HD monitor for grading. Although lovely to look at, the apple cinema display is an LCD screen, not really suited for broadcast grading. I've now color calibrated my screen with a Colorvision Spyder...but it is color corrected for print, not broadcast. I would think that someone might have tried to calibrate an apple cinema display to more closely emulate the colors and contrasts of a TV, but researching the internet high and low, I cannot find any information on this. I tried to ask Colorvision if they had a recommendation but they did not respond.

Does anyone have a 'formula' for creating a profile for an apple cinema display? Are there any presets that would work better? Should the gamma be set to 2.2, and should the white point be at 6500k ?

Any helpful tips would be really welcome.
 
Use color bars and traditional color bar calibration to set your Cinema Display. That's what I do on a 30", works great.
 
CRT or broadcast LCD is my recommendation, in that order. The new 24" JVC for $4500 with HD-SDI looks interesting for a solution in that price range.
 
The Matrox MXO connects to your DVI port and sends a BROADCAST QUALITY image to the ACD. I looked at it side by side with a Panasonic HD color correction monitor. Looked identical.

$995.

Or if you don't trust it (I am still in the middle of reviewing the unit against my HD CRT) then get the unit and a pro HD monitor. But many have sworn by this Matrox MXO/ACD combination.

Id never trust an LCD with the signal coming directly from the computer. The MXO corrects the information for the ACD...making it a true representation.
 
shane...great...this looks like the gizmo I need. But how about screen calibration?

Ben..ok thanks again ben...but I don't get how you adjust your cinema display??? there are no color or contrast contols on the mac? How do you do it?
 
Shane, I hope the Matrox forum doesn't rain on our parade..but if you read it, it doesn' sound like the users are having a lot of success.
 
BenB said:
Use color bars and traditional color bar calibration to set your Cinema Display. That's what I do on a 30", works great.
Click to expand...


Ben,

Could you elaborate on that colorbar workflow with your 30" ACD? I've always had a broadcast monitor with blue gun and used that feature so I understand using colorbars. How does one calibrate an ACD with colorbars short of eyeballing it?
 
Eyeball it with HD color bars. Works great for me! Also, use a real DVI video card, don't do VGA to DVI from your computer.
 
System Prefs...

Since it's a pure DVI, it only shows what the comptuer sends it, nothing more, nothing less. It's up to the device generating the video to get it right.
 
OK Shane,
I ordered the matrox mxo, Over on the 'other's forum you made it sound great. I sure hope your don't work for them (hmmm).
If it's the answer to my prayers I will sing you many praises (and them too).
 
I don't work for them. My main card is an AJA KONA LH. But when I was at MacWorld I saw firsthand the Matrox MXO in action. Side beside comparision between the ACD and a Panasonic HD LCD display. They matched perfectly.

I did receive a review unit so I can test the image compared to my HD CRT, but I haven't had the time to set it up yet. But others have sworn by the card, and I have seen it...so...

But no...I don't work for them. I am an independant editor.
 
Shane Ross said:
Side beside comparision between the ACD and a Panasonic HD LCD display. They matched perfectly.
Click to expand...

I bought the MXO after seeing the same demo at Macworld. Realize your computer LCD will not automatically match your video monitor and you still need a method of reliably checking/calibrating either your computer LCD, video reference monitor or both if your color correction work is critical.

One can do that with that Macworld demo setup since the Panasonic 1700 has the blue only, builtin scope features and is a true broacast unit.

Overall though my 23" ACD with the MXO looks pretty darn close to me with it's current calibration when I put bars up so I'm much more comfortable CCing with it now.

That's the beauty of the MXO though, you can do a pretty good job with just your LCD and if you need the capability to use a broadcast monitor you've got a way to connect it as well.
 
Does someone no a place where i can find the steps for calibrating a refrence monitor with color bars and blue only so i can print copies to everyone so i wont have to go and fix their monitor!!!

Thanks
 
Ok, got the Matrox..on first look the image coming to the acd is very similar to what I was getting before...perhaps because it cost me a thousand dollars I'm feeling it looks a bit better (but not much). The real problem is calibration now. the MXO has 1 built in profile...their profile looks nothing like my profiles...it looks like their profile has a gamma of 1.8 and mine 2.2.. so here is where I am completely lost. I have several profiles I created with colorsync, and with a colorvisionpro spyder...my profiles are all pretty similar...their's is in a different ballpark. I'm thinkig theirs is closer to where I want to be, but I don't understand why..except if its set up with a different gamma in mind... Anyone have a clue??
thanks
 
Johney,

I think you've just asked some very good questions when it comes to how to get an accurate color reference out of an LCD conected to the MXO.

If you have a broadcast monitor that you can calibrate to bars and then reference your LCD to that I suppose it's possible to trust that your computer LCD is properly calibrated. (as I mentioned in my post above). If there is another way to accurately do it using a colorimeter, the MXO profile or the setup via system preferences I'd be interested in knowing that workflow as well. Perhaps post your question to the Matrox technical support team via the MXO support forum. I have only had mine a few days as well and I haven't had a chance to delve into those issues either.
 
RDykmans said:
Johney,

I think you've just asked some very good questions when it comes to how to get an accurate color reference out of an LCD conected to the MXO.

If you have a broadcast monitor that you can calibrate to bars and then reference your LCD to that I suppose it's possible to trust that your computer LCD is properly calibrated. (as I mentioned in my post above). If there is another way to accurately do it using a colorimeter, the MXO profile or the setup via system preferences I'd be interested in knowing that workflow as well. Perhaps post your question to the Matrox technical support team via the MXO support forum. I have only had mine a few days as well and I haven't had a chance to delve into those issues either.
Click to expand...
I called them already...PS they are really nice people at Matrox..but didn't have an answer to my question..yet!
On the subject of calibration, I also was trying to get help from the people at colorvision (spyderpro)...these guys are the biggest losers on earth...they were trying to understand what 'Final Custumor Pro' was...they just don't get it.
Back to the problem...yes, if I happened to have a broadcast monitor at home I could figure it out. But I don't (nor do I have a spare 40,000$ or the desk space).. Anyone else with a good idea??? I'm at wits end on this..I've got to get my CC done., and I think I am really ok on color..just the gamma is not right. Everyone has said 2.2??? but the Matrox profile seems like about 1.8; and I think the truth lies in between... I feel like my callibration will be good enough if I could just depend on the right gamma for the ACD.
 
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