IAC DISCUSSION FORUMS

It's a perennial problem.

I have just bought two iiyama 22" monitors, for use with my editing setup (Avid Media Composer 6).

I tried using the montors' own 'menu' settings to match the colours on both. Impossible,

I used the windows 'colour matching' software. Rubbish.

I used nVidia's Control Panel software - better, but there are no duplicated reference images - I tried an identical photograph on both monitors, but really need a proper dedicated ref chart or something.

Also, the process is a bit hit and miss. Tweak this, tweak that ... and gradually drift way off.

Worse, although the colour differences between the two now are not huge (but are perceptible), neither matches the colour on a connected TV.

I need a bit of accuracy because I'm colour grading a movie to look like an early colour film.

(The source & record viewers are on one monitor, full-screen playback when selected, and the effects monitor when selected is on the other monitor. Hence need for correlation between the two)

Suggestions and ideas all welcome! Thanks.

I always use EIZO TEST...

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Windows-Wi ... Test.shtml

So long as you can feed the SAME signal to both Monitors from the SAME Graphics card output, adjustments to Brightness, Contrast, R, G and B can be done separately if your Monitor Menus allow.
Any difference after that is down to differences in SEPARATE Graphics cards.

Thanks Granfer - that sounds exactly what I was looking for (and Google never came up with that solution!). Already downoaded ... and now to be put to the test...

Mike. I don't have any experience of using twin monitors but I wonder if calibrating them using a Spyder might do the trick?

Yes, I found that machine on the net Brian - but from what I could see, it costs (Spyder Pro) over £100! Unless I misread something. I wouldn't use it often enough to warrant that sort of expenditure - of course, it is also good for plain photo work as well as video, but I don't do that much. Maybe the IAC ought to buy one and loan it out? (for a small fee maybe...)

Sounds like a good idea as an extension of the library service ... why not drop a message to chairman@theiac.org.uk and ask Ivor Rose to look into it?

Otherwise maybe Orpington club could buy one to share among members ...

I suspect it isn't something that would be used often enough by members of one club, Dave. For a start, not too many people work with dual monitors, I reckon most work with one. Of course, it could be used to set the colours accurately on just one monitor - but accurately compared with what! All TVs are adjusted differently. The problem with editing on two monitors is slightly different - an image can appear different depending on which monitor it is on - and when editing colours, that is painful!.

However, I am sure there are enough people in the IAC who use two monitors for it to be a worthwhile addition to the services proved.

Especially if someone knew how to use it (properly)!

I'll contact Ivor see what he thinks.

You have to install and register the accompanying software. I suspect alarm bells start ringing if the same serial number keeps being registered and reregistered. I've just fired up mine and there is no information about licencing in the help which is a bit wierd. Guess a trip to the website is in order.

Oh! That's not good.
Supposing someone wanted to go round sorting people's dual monitor systems out? If they have to load the software on each machine that may be an allowable thing to do.
I've still to try out the EIZO thing - that may be all I need, hjopefully!

It is common with software - even that which is only used on one machine infrequently - that if it is going to be used on multiple machines a premium is charged for the licence. Take disk cloning software for example. You are rearely going to use it, but if you want, legitimately to clone say 30 PCs in an installation, you are required to but a professional, 30 seat licence.

That may seem a little unfair, but look at it the other way. If manufacturers did allow all and sundry to move software from machine to machine (and thus make it easier to do), they'd have to charge much more per licence to generate the same revenue. What would you prefer - £120 per user or £1000 for up to, say, 15 people to "share"?

Irrespective of the licence (which I still can't find!) it is intended tha calibration is performed on a regular basis (the default is every two weeks) as monitors drift over time, so the assumtion is that once you've bothered to do it properly, you'll want to keep it calibrated.

FWIW my monitors, one of which is not that old, both fail to come up to spec for recommended brightness for my ambient light (which is not a very brightly lit room - 3 x 50W GU10 pointing away from the screen and blinds shut). The danger is once you buy a clibator, you then feel obliged to upgrade your monitors!

For video picture optimazation I can recommend the set of test patterns from the german company Burosch: http://translate.googleusercontent.com/ ... Ehi-C87FJg

For just 10 euros you can download a set of test images that make it possible to adjust your screens (monitors and TV's) to correct image reproduction. Save it to a usb-stick and the tool is always at hand.
They even offer a instruction video explaining "How-to".

I have used this set for some time and I am quite satisfied.

Welcome back, Leif. You have been absent from our forums for too long.

Dave

Thanks Dave.
Maybe I should ad, that the process can be quite time consuming as these things often do, because it is based on repeated choises between alternative settings.
But the final result can be quite satisfying.