dual monitors LCD and CRT...adjusting pictures ? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

boink · 11-02-2008, 05:42 PM

hey...
so I have a big LCD TV as my secondary monitor (mostly I use it as a regular tv fed by the cable box or DVD player) and primary monitor is a Hitachi CRT.

I've tried using nvidia control panel to get these screens to match up in terms of color and contrast...but it just doesn't seem to work. I have googled this and it seems it either can't be done or at least can't be done very well.

I've opened a .jpg and spread it across both monitors at once and tried to get them to match and I can't seem to get it. one or the other looks bad.

I can get the CRT to look great, but I guess the main thing is I can't get the LCD to match the CRT.
from what I understand LCD's can't display colors as well as CRT's

I can get the LCD to look good, show a movie nicely, but for photoshop, I wanted the LCD to match up...maybe I just can't expect to run photoshop in the LCD ?

anyway I wondered if any one here has played around with this...maybe there's a utility I can use other than nvidia's tool ?

thanks

laudanum · 11-02-2008, 08:13 PM

Speaking as a professional in the film and video world. I can tell you that you will never get them to match.

The CRT has better color and black level depth. Unless your LCD is a professional model, you won't be able to get it to match perfectly.

I used to be called in to editing and compositing rooms to do exactly the same thing. They would always want to calibrate a LCD or Plasma display bought at Best Buy to the professional CRT monitor on their desktop. You can get the the colors close, but the contrast depth would never match.

boink · 11-02-2008, 09:07 PM

that's what I've read more or less.

how would you go about a 'best case' adjustment ? get the CRT adjusted and then the LCD as close as I can ?
bearing in mind I don't want to buy a bunch of fancy software and still not get better than close.

thanks

laudanum · 11-02-2008, 10:15 PM

You could get a monitor alignment probe, but even most graphics houses that do designs that go to air don't have one.

you can adjust monitors by eye using a test pattern. This one is used for broadcast monitors:
videouniversity.com/tvbars2.shtml

The problem is that most monitors don't have a blue channel only viewer.

You have to choose which monitor your are going to use as your "critical viewer" Get that monitor aligned and try to make the other match.

Also, (just to throw more options into the stew) IIRC, Photoshop had a global prefeence setting to adjust the gamma. The gamma adjustment curves the linear curve between the highest white point and the lowest black point.

hope this helps.

MSD · 11-15-2008, 05:49 PM

TN LCD monitors only display around 860,000 colors and simulate the rest of the gamut. Using one for photoshop is good enough for recreational use, but won't look professional and will never come close to what prints

Cynthetiq · 11-15-2008, 06:46 PM

that's why people tend to use dual matching monitors.... I love mine

they are only 19" but now 3 years old.... they will need to be replaced in a year or so.

biznatch · 11-15-2008, 07:59 PM

What about those Apple LCD's I saw in Ironman? Those look amazing, even though I'd probably hook it up to a Windows machine.

laudanum · 11-16-2008, 08:38 PM

The Dell WP series has the same guts inside of the Apple as well as multiple inputs.

The only thing that it doesn't have is that shiny silver bezel as well as the high price tag.

11-02-2008, 05:42 PM	#1 (permalink)
boink Addict Location: Seattle	dual monitors LCD and CRT...adjusting pictures ? hey... so I have a big LCD TV as my secondary monitor (mostly I use it as a regular tv fed by the cable box or DVD player) and primary monitor is a Hitachi CRT. I've tried using nvidia control panel to get these screens to match up in terms of color and contrast...but it just doesn't seem to work. I have googled this and it seems it either can't be done or at least can't be done very well. I've opened a .jpg and spread it across both monitors at once and tried to get them to match and I can't seem to get it. one or the other looks bad. I can get the CRT to look great, but I guess the main thing is I can't get the LCD to match the CRT. from what I understand LCD's can't display colors as well as CRT's I can get the LCD to look good, show a movie nicely, but for photoshop, I wanted the LCD to match up...maybe I just can't expect to run photoshop in the LCD ? anyway I wondered if any one here has played around with this...maybe there's a utility I can use other than nvidia's tool ? thanks __________________ when you believe in things that you don't understand, then you suffer. Superstition ain't the way.

11-02-2008, 09:07 PM	#3 (permalink)
boink Addict Location: Seattle	that's what I've read more or less. how would you go about a 'best case' adjustment ? get the CRT adjusted and then the LCD as close as I can ? bearing in mind I don't want to buy a bunch of fancy software and still not get better than close. thanks __________________ when you believe in things that you don't understand, then you suffer. Superstition ain't the way.

11-02-2008, 10:15 PM	#4 (permalink)
laudanum Upright Location: nyc	You could get a monitor alignment probe, but even most graphics houses that do designs that go to air don't have one. you can adjust monitors by eye using a test pattern. This one is used for broadcast monitors: videouniversity.com/tvbars2.shtml The problem is that most monitors don't have a blue channel only viewer. You have to choose which monitor your are going to use as your "critical viewer" Get that monitor aligned and try to make the other match. Also, (just to throw more options into the stew) IIRC, Photoshop had a global prefeence setting to adjust the gamma. The gamma adjustment curves the linear curve between the highest white point and the lowest black point. hope this helps. Last edited by laudanum; 11-02-2008 at 10:19 PM..

11-15-2008, 06:46 PM	#6 (permalink)
Cynthetiq Tilted Cat Head Administrator Location: Manhattan, NY	that's why people tend to use dual matching monitors.... I love mine they are only 19" but now 3 years old.... they will need to be replaced in a year or so. __________________ I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. What's the best nation in the world? DO-NATION!

11-15-2008, 07:59 PM	#7 (permalink)
biznatch Junkie Location: France	What about those Apple LCD's I saw in Ironman? Those look amazing, even though I'd probably hook it up to a Windows machine. __________________ Check it out: The Open Source/Freeware/Gratis Software Thread

11-02-2008, 08:13 PM	#2 (permalink)
laudanum Upright Location: nyc	Speaking as a professional in the film and video world. I can tell you that you will never get them to match. The CRT has better color and black level depth. Unless your LCD is a professional model, you won't be able to get it to match perfectly. I used to be called in to editing and compositing rooms to do exactly the same thing. They would always want to calibrate a LCD or Plasma display bought at Best Buy to the professional CRT monitor on their desktop. You can get the the colors close, but the contrast depth would never match.

11-15-2008, 05:49 PM	#5 (permalink)
MSD The sky calls to us ... Super Moderator Location: CT	TN LCD monitors only display around 860,000 colors and simulate the rest of the gamut. Using one for photoshop is good enough for recreational use, but won't look professional and will never come close to what prints

11-16-2008, 08:38 PM	#8 (permalink)
laudanum Upright Location: nyc	The Dell WP series has the same guts inside of the Apple as well as multiple inputs. The only thing that it doesn't have is that shiny silver bezel as well as the high price tag.