LED backlit TV as color monitor

[naavt]

Good CC monitors are way expensive for me right now so I am looking for a TV that can do the job.

Can anyone share their thoughts with me about LED backlit TVs for CC? And the best way to route and calibrate them to achieve a workable CC solution? (starting on DaVinci Lite)

Thanks

 

[cheezweezl]

LED backlit LCD's may be the worst choice you could make. if you're on a budget or even if you're not, find a used sony CRT broadcast monitor. Some of the later models are HD and will have at least a rgb component input or maybe even an HD-SDI. once calibrated, this will give you and extremely accurate image. I picked up a PVM-14L5 from bexel for $300. I pay to have it calibrated every 6 months but it wasn't far off to begin with and touch ups are very subtle.

 

[daihard]

Probably find some cheap 22inch Lacie Electron Blue CRT monitors around too... that will do broadcast.

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[naavt]

Thanks. I will look into those options even if I don't have much space in my worktable for a CRT monitor.

Nonetheless, even if I find some reluctance towards LED or LCD TVs from everybody I talk to I find somehow that they are the future.

My guess is that CRT monitors will die sooner or later. Besides that LCD TVs is where most people will see our work.

 

[cheezweezl]

the problem with that statement is that while an image graded on a calibrated monitor will look relatively the same on 20 different off the shelf LCD tv's, the same cannot be said for an image graded on any one of those tv's. every tv will have it's own characteristics which will not match the rest of the world, and some tv's are just plain off and cannot be helped.

example. say your tv has an unusually high tolerance for green. you have an image that you want to give a slight green tint. you keep rolling the wheels toward green until you hit what you're looking for. looks great until you play it on another tv with a normal green level and all the sudden your image looks like green jello. that can and will happen if you choose to do a professional type grade using consumer gear. it wasn't as bad when all tv's were crt. then you could get away with what you're trying to do a little easier as they were much more uniform.

LCD tv's regardless of which backlight flavor are just too inconsistent. how are you going to accurately judge your contrast on a tv that crushes by nature? how are you going to judge skin tone when no matter what you do, it looks like paste?

yes, LCD and OLED are the future and there are accurate and expensive grading monitors using this new tech. but that's not what you're talking about.

just so i'm not completely shooting you down, there is one more option. it's not ideal, but much better than LCD. get a plasma. a nice panasonic 1080 plasma can be had for relatively cheap and the colors and contrast are much more accurate. the nicer ones have hidden menus and can be calibrated. i have a 42" panasonic plasma on the wall for my clients. i always tell them that it's "close" because that is the best my calibration guy can do. and if they want to nitpick color, come peek over my shoulder at the grading monitor which is dead on.

 

[naavt]

just so i'm not completely shooting you down, there is one more option. it's not ideal, but much better than LCD. get a plasma. a nice panasonic 1080 plasma can be had for relatively cheap and the colors and contrast are much more accurate. the nicer ones have hidden menus and can be calibrated. i have a 42" panasonic plasma on the wall for my clients. i always tell them that it's "close" because that is the best my calibration guy can do. and if they want to nitpick color, come peek over my shoulder at the grading monitor which is dead on.

Yes, I have to agree to what you said previously but as you could already understand I am in no position to spend big bucks right now.

Curiously I have a nice 1080 42" plasma in my living room. It's not a Pana but a Samsung. I suppose it can do the job like you said. Thanks.