Do I need a Monitor Calibration tool with BlackMagic HDLink Pro

[RayFrisby]

Hi all just wondering if anybody can help ?
I have a dell 24' monitor and am looking at getting the BlackMagic HDLink Pro for accurate pixel mapping when working in 1080p (I may look at getting the Dell 30' as well as I was offered a good deal on an almost new one)
My question is do I also need to get a monitor calibration device such as Colour Eyes as well.
I have a Blackmagic DeckLink HD Pro 4:4:4 PCIe card and will connect the HD Link Pro to it for monitoring and future output to a deck.
I am not looking at doing final critical CC work on the Dell, but do want to insure brightness and contrast are correct plus reasonable color accuracy so If I do need to output for TV or film I can send it to a finishing house.
One last question, can anybody please direct me to any reading material on how to use LUT tables with the Blackmagic cards. I will be editing in DVCPROHD and am on a learning curve (excuse the pun) when it comes to Color Correction.
Regards.

[Jeff Brown]

Hi Ray

I have the same set up myself (but with the previous version of the HDlink box). I've used it for finishing projects edited in DVCProHD (from the HVX camera). You can get a 90% accurate callibration using bars and the settings on the dell without the need for an extra callibrating device. This works fine if you're mainly non-broadcast. I tend to use both the component and the SDI via HDlink into the monitor. The SDI gives you the pixel for pixel mapping and the component is closer to the colour you'll get on a TV (The SDI tends to be a little bright). For anything that needs a more accurate finish I just hire in a HD monitor for a day and use that.

Hope that helps


Regards

Jeff Brown

www.brownianmotion.co.uk

[Dominic Jones]

Good to know - I'm looking at running the exact same rig once we upgrade our edit stations (very soon, we were waiting for the Mac Pro update and I'm a happy boy today!)...

One other thing whilst we're on the topic - I'd like to switch between a feed from the Mac Pro and one from the HDLink on one of the monitors, but I know that the Mac will "intelligently" resize your workspace if you drop one of the monitors whilst it's on - do you know any fix for that, i.e. a KVM switch that dummies the "missing" monitor or a pin wire-up that'll fool the Mac Pro?

[RayFrisby]

Thanks Jeff; Like Dominic said its good to know. I've just invested in Cineform and this saves a bit. Thanks

[Jeff Brown]

Hi Dominic - it's easier than that. The Dell has 5 inputs, VGA,DVI-D,Svideo,Component, Composite. The HDlink will connect via DVI-D (input 2). Just get a DVI-D - VGA converter and plug the mac into the VGA (input1). That way you switch inputs on the monitor to display a different source with no effect on the mac.
I use it a similar way where I have a PC hooked up to the VGA and switch to check email on it whilst editing etc.

Jeff

[Dominic Jones]

Ah, good stuff - cheers Jeff, that's the last piece of the puzzle!

One more quick Q, as I haven't yet moved over to DVI (I still run CRT monitors as until recently I've preferred them for quality - probably makes me a laughing stock, but who cares?!):

Is there any real difference in screen quality between VGA over DVI and DVI to DVI? In other words, if I'm running one of my mac outputs into the VGA input of one of the Dells, should I do the same with the other to keep IQ consistent, or is it pretty much irrelevant?

Cheers again!

[Jeff Brown]

Hi Dominic

I'm sure the difference is negligible and anyway those screens are only your working area (I have two 21 inch flatscreens for my work area both connected via the DVI and even they have a slight colour difference (as all LCDs differ slightly).
So long as you use the HDlink monitor as your main reference then I'm sure it'll be OK.

Good Luck!

Jeff

[Manfred Lopez]

Since you guys are on the topic, can anyone recommend the least expensive grating monitor for HD where one can actually do critical color correction? I know one is supposed to also have 5600K room lighting and neutral gray background wall color. And I hope you guys don't recommend the $25,000 Sony monitor as the least expensive...

[Mark L. Pederson]

Since you guys are on the topic, can anyone recommend the least expensive grating monitor for HD where one can actually do critical color correction? I know one is supposed to also have 5600K room lighting and neutral gray background wall color. And I hope you guys don't recommend the $25,000 Sony monitor as the least expensive...

Cheapest way to go - but it wont be 1080 - is a SONY MULTIFORMAT CRT - I forget the model but it has 800 lines - you can get an SDI card for it - or go component in from Kona - as far as cheapest 1080 - I strongly suggest waiting for NAB in April.

[Manfred Lopez]

... as far as cheapest 1080 - I strongly suggest waiting for NAB in April.

Good idea. In the mean time I have an old Princeton EO900 19" monitor that does 1600x1200. Back in the day it was supposed to be real good, but I haven't hooked it up in a while now, so I don't know how accurate the colors are. Has anyone else used this monitor?