Monitor Calibration (11 Series)

[zak forrest]

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[Ido Karilla]

With the dual SDI module on the 11, an X-rite beamer and Cinespace it is quite strait foreword to achive calibration to whatever profile you need.

[M Most]

With the dual SDI module on the 11, an X-rite beamer and Cinespace it is quite strait foreword to achive calibration to whatever profile you need.

You don't calibrate a Rec 709 monitor with LUTs, you calibrate it via proper monitor setup, especially if you're using it primarily for HD video work.

The best way to do this, especially the first time, is to contact someone who does monitor calibration professionally and have them come in and do it. You can then ask a lot of questions as to the best methods and tools to maintain that calibration yourself. There are programs like Cal Man that are very good for this. You will, of course, need some sort of probe, and with a plasma monitor, you don't want a contact probe device, you want something that will sit a bit of distance from the surface of the monitor.

Like I said, if you want this to be done right, step #1 is calling in someone to do it. It will be $300-400 well spent. Barring that, you might want to check out AVS Forum online, where you'll find a lot more detailed descriptions.

[Ido Karilla]

You don't calibrate a Rec 709 monitor with LUTs, you calibrate it via proper monitor setup, especially if you're using it primarily for HD video work.

Hey Mike,
you are more experienced and educated in color management the me, I am still strugling to get an understanding of the matter.
So I just want to share my findings, fresh from today, and hear your thoughts.

The 11 has a built in "monitor" setup that brings its max white to around 50cd/m^2 so I guess it is not aimed for rec 709. More then that, with Cinespace profiler I got a profile with blacks around 0.05 cd/m^2 and very good decoupling error.

All that was done today so I have not tested it fully.
But the image I saw of Redlog material from the Scratch with a Lut based on this profile was very impressing.

Thanks.

[Emery Wells]

You don't calibrate a Rec 709 monitor with LUTs, you calibrate it via proper monitor setup, especially if you're using it primarily for HD video work.

The best way to do this, especially the first time, is to contact someone who does monitor calibration professionally and have them come in and do it. You can then ask a lot of questions as to the best methods and tools to maintain that calibration yourself. There are programs like Cal Man that are very good for this. You will, of course, need some sort of probe, and with a plasma monitor, you don't want a contact probe device, you want something that will sit a bit of distance from the surface of the monitor.

Like I said, if you want this to be done right, step #1 is calling in someone to do it. It will be $300-400 well spent. Barring that, you might want to check out AVS Forum online, where you'll find a lot more detailed descriptions.

Hey Mike, Ive been trying to get an answer on how to best account for the luma limiting the panel has built in. I forget the exact numbers but when displaying a full white field the panel will limit itself to something like 25-foot lamberts in 'standard' or 'cinema' mode. In 'video' mode it will still limit the luma but at least keep it fairly consistent from shot to shot. Were you running it in video or cinema/standard mode? If running in cinema/standard, did you find the luma limiting to be problematic? I can imagine that if you have a talking head against white and everything suddenly looks 'duller' than the other images, this could be a problem.

[M Most]

Hey Mike, Ive been trying to get an answer on how to best account for the luma limiting the panel has built in. I forget the exact numbers but when displaying a full white field the panel will limit itself to something like 25-foot lamberts in 'standard' or 'cinema' mode. In 'video' mode it will still limit the luma but at least keep it fairly consistent from shot to shot. Were you running it in video or cinema/standard mode? If running in cinema/standard, did you find the luma limiting to be problematic? I can imagine that if you have a talking head against white and everything suddenly looks 'duller' than the other images, this could be a problem.

As I recall, we set it up in Video mode, but with all automatic circuitry defeated. However, I'll be at a SMPTE meeting tonight with essentially every chief engineer in town, so if I remember, I'll ask around.

[HD Hildebrand]

Hey Mike, Ive been trying to get an answer on how to best account for the luma limiting the panel has built in. I forget the exact numbers but when displaying a full white field the panel will limit itself to something like 25-foot lamberts in 'standard' or 'cinema' mode. In 'video' mode it will still limit the luma but at least keep it fairly consistent from shot to shot. Were you running it in video or cinema/standard mode? If running in cinema/standard, did you find the luma limiting to be problematic? I can imagine that if you have a talking head against white and everything suddenly looks 'duller' than the other images, this could be a problem.

This is what I'm finding as well. Mike, if you can find out, that would be great. I've been running in Cinema mode and there seems to be some white clipping. I'll try video mode with the same settings and see how that is.

Also, I believe I have every single auto setting turned off, however, are there any hidden away that one might miss.

Thanks for any info,
Dale

[Ido Karilla]

Hey Mike,
you are more experienced and educated in color management the me, I am still strugling to get an understanding of the matter.
So I just want to share my findings, fresh from today, and hear your thoughts.

The 11 has a built in "monitor" setup that brings its max white to around 50cd/m^2 so I guess it is not aimed for rec 709. More then that, with Cinespace profiler I got a profile with blacks around 0.05 cd/m^2 and very good decoupling error.

All that was done today so I have not tested it fully.
But the image I saw of Redlog material from the Scratch with a Lut based on this profile was very impressing.

Thanks.

Any comments?? I really need to know if I am going the wrong way.

Thanks.

[Loren White]

Hmph,
could you get pretty good results sending out bars via HDMI and using the blue only option that a MXO/MXO2 offers?

[Kujtim Ereqi]

You will, of course, need some sort of probe, and with a plasma monitor, you don't want a contact probe device, you want something that will sit a bit of distance from the surface of the monitor.

Hi Mike.. Thanks for all this very useful information you're adding to the Forum. My question is why I should not use a contact probe device with plasma monitors. If I use it what results should I expect?

If I don't get a probe can I make a calibration with a blue filter?