help calibrating a CRT

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lost eden

Gawd
Joined
Dec 13, 2006
Messages
546
I've owned an IBM P275 (21" FD Trinitron) since around Easter this year. I do a lot of photo-editing but have never actually managed to calibrate the P275 properly. I run a dualhead setup with the P275 next to an old yellowing 17" NEC MultiSync LCD. The colours of the P275 look wonderful compared to the MultiSync, but the contrast of the P275 is dreadful compared to the MultiSync.

The problem is that the darks seem too dark. If I stick up the same contrasty/shadowy photo on both monitors & compare the two, I see that loads of detail is lost on the P275 as it just disappears into the shadows.

I've tried reading the user manual, but that wasn't much help when it came to the finer intricacies of calibration, and looked around on the web for guides & the such, but however I follow them I still end up with the same problem.

Atm I have contrast set to 100%, brightness to around 72% & colour temperature to 9300k (it goes all the way up to 11000k). I don't know what the options in the 'Convergence' menu do so I've left those untouched. In case it makes any difference, I'm running 1600x1200@85Hz (manual's quoted optimum). I believe the answer may lie in using the 'Expert' colour options, where instead of choosing from the range of 5000k-11000k I get individual brightness & contrast controls for red, green & blue - however even if I crank all of those up to 100%, I still can't make out half the detail in the shadows that I can no problem on the el-cheapo LCD.

So, is there some way that I can make this better? Or is this a known problem? (I remember that my C220P was even darker than this P275, to the point that it was completely useless for any media work.) I really don't have the money to splash out on an IPS panel atm so I'd really like to use what I've already got...
 
You need a hardware device such as X-Rite's i1 Display 2 to calibrate a monitor and set the colour temperature to 6500K.
 
+1

get a hardware calibration/profiling device to do it properly.

Even a cheap, obsolete model is better than eyeballing it
 
This is assuming that the monitor is even capable of reaching the required contrast/brightness/etc? I mean, even if I crank everything up to 100% it's still too dark in the shadows so how will a hardware calibration tool help if the monitor physically can't reach what it needs to?
 
If the monitor is failing and can't reach the required settings then nothing will help besides a new monitor.
 
Generally the FD Trinitrons fail bright (G2 problem), or have HV failures (snap, crackle, pop), they don't seem to be failing "dark". Many settings affect each other, especially in the more advanced modes. You must be certain that your individual RGB channel gains haven't been changed.

Typically the black point is set by the brightness control. Are you saying that brightness 100% and contrast 0% doesn't have washed out blacks?

Does this IBM model have "IMAGE RESTORATION" as a menu item when in "Easy" or "Preset" colour temp like the genuine Sonys? If so, do a full settings reset (ie. return to factory) and an image restoration after 30min+ warmup and see where you are.

BTW, if you do photo editing your colour temp should be 6500K, not 9300K.
 
One thing that has worked for me in the past:

Head over to the black tests here http://www.drycreekphoto.com/Learn/Calibration/monitor_black.htm
or here http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/black.php

Open your graphics card control panel and tweak your gamma settings up a little and things should improve.

Of course by doing this your are forcing your settings away from the recommended values and you'll end up making the whole image brighter. If you're happy with this then all is good.

A hardware calibrator is able to make very fine adjustments to your gamma curve, applying an additional boost at lower colour levels while remaining true to the selected curve across the full range.

Would you notice the difference? Probably. Would the difference be significant given your eyes and your usage? I can't say.

Edit:
As Surly73 says allow 20 to 30 mins warm up before any adjustments.
As mlewis says, your monitor may be ageing and the above may result in an overall washed out appearance. Perhaps you can find a compromise.
 
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