Best Monitors For Production, CRT, TFT, LCD ?

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Currently I’m using a ViewSOnic UltrBrite e90f+ CRT Monitor. I’m not happy with colors.

I’m planning to buy a new one, could you please suggest me which would be better choice for VFX or 3D productions. I was looking for a Sony CRT monitor, but they r out of production.

I see lot of TFT & LCD stuff in the market, how well they suit to my kindda requirement?

I also wanna know the best n easy way to calibrate the monitor., and how effective are the Monitor calibrating too listed here .
http://www.vistek.ca/details/results.aspx?…goryID=Software

[zinnia]

I also think that, currently, CRT monitors give a far better image than LCD’s. The biggest problem with LCD monitors is that the deepest black they can display is equivalent to a 25% grey on a CRT.
The overall brightness of the image is not the same all over the screen, and the small imperfections in the LCD matrix add a sort of grain.
The gamut is also wider on CRT monitors.
It’s not really an issue if you want to make 3D, and basic compositing, but if you want to do high-end compositing, color grading, etc CRT is still best.
I’m using lacie Electron Blue monitors with calibration probe and I never had to complain about their quality.
Maybe the nex gen OLED screens will be more suitable for the VFX industry.

[li mingqi]

Hi Guys
Thanks a lot for u r Valueble suggestions.

thanks&regards,
rams.

[Michael Dalton]

FLGB wrote:

I also think that, currently, CRT monitors give a far better image than LCD’s. The biggest problem with LCD monitors is that the deepest black they can display is equivalent to a 25% grey on a CRT.
The overall brightness of the image is not the same all over the screen, and the small imperfections in the LCD matrix add a sort of grain.
The gamut is also wider on CRT monitors.
It’s not really an issue if you want to make 3D, and basic compositing, but if you want to do high-end compositing, color grading, etc CRT is still best.
I’m using lacie Electron Blue monitors with calibration probe and I never had to complain about their quality.
Maybe the nex gen OLED screens will be more suitable for the VFX industry.

Not to really disagree with what you’re mentioning here, because you’re very correct, but color accuracy on the monitor is based on a point of measurement and comparison to a specific target. So what display device to purchase is so dependent on the task and the target color gammut.

For example, let’s say that the avergae Sony CRT monitor, out of the box is putting out 35 ft-lambert and has some amazinigly high contrast raio and you’re trying to calibrate your monitor against some film source, with a reasonable amount of ambient lighting. Inevitably what’s going to need to happen is a thourough decrease in brightness and contrast on the Sony to get a output of closer to 20-25 ft-lambert to allow for ambient light conditions and monitor brightness that will translate over nicely to the 16 ft-lambert and minimal ambient lighting conditions found in an average Cinema.

If you add the fact that the white point will need to be steered potentially toward 5500/5400 kelvin then the brighness of the white point will change again. In the end perhaps you’re monitors overall brighness and contrast ratio has been severely reduced but, you will be able to achieve a decent match to a film projector using some of the commercially available mon cal utils.

The same holds true to a certain extent with matching to say REC709 or SMPTE274. There are also published specs for how the monitor should respond (while they seemed to be followed loosely) and that should perhaps act as the basis for how to gauge a monitor purchase. Can this monitor put out say 40ft-lambert. Does it have a contrast ratio of bla bla bla…

Or conversely you can approach it from the angle of, “this monitor has extrodinary color fidelity stability and a decent enough gammut for being productive without breaking the bank but a not so great contrast ratio and viewing angle.”

Not a single display device you can buy has all the qualities required for being called the perfect match… arguably.

For best all around, for critical colour evaluation for TV, but a sony Grade 1. For Film buy a Barco or Christie. For moderate colour evaluation for TV or film a sony 24 inch data monitor refurbished will get you far. Otherwise one of the newer higher grade monitors from say cinetal or ecinema are good bets for monitors and the CP35 from CInevation is putting out 16ft-labert at 5500K for mid range film work. For the least crtical environment consumer grade lcds are alright if you know what to do with them. Shake ships with a basic Truelight license which can be upgraded to a full working copy of Truelight along with thier probe which will let you maximize the output of even lower end displays for film work. Ironically the previous batch of apple 23″ cinema displays (not the aluminum ones) had a considerably better contrast ratio and clor gammut than the current shipping screens. Strange.

At any rate good luck and pray for quick and speedy delivery of Toshiba’s SED stuff,

Chris

[bnw]

Great posts from you today Chris 🙂

[Author]

Posts