Using 720p HDTV as a monitor

[Jill Morgan]

I have been using my TV as my monitor since I started edting my photos for Alamy. I love the 32" screen but am wondering if I am properly seeing my images or should I be using a dedicated monitor instead. Is there a big difference from LCD Monitor and LCD TV. Sometimes the pictures can look rather flat compared to the monitor on my laptop.

 

Or does it just need some calibration? Which I have to admit I haven't the faintest idea how to do, but I am sure I could google it.

 

Jill

[Ed Endicott]

I use two LCD monitors on my computer - one is a 1080p and the other is a 720p.  The color profiles are different (I've moved images back and forth and there is a color shift).  I've checked the color against a color chart, but I'm suspicious about calibration devices.  It's not that I don't believe in them, it's just that I often wonder if it would be a waste of time in that I'm not calibrating to a printer and I honestly don't know if the monitors of the reviewers are calibrated (and it would surprise me if they were).

[Ace]

For me I use the iPad for a final check.

So it's JPEG or raw-LR4 - smugmug which are then viewed on the iPad. Then if happy - to upload.

iPad seems crystal clear to me !

[PatrioticAlien]

I always find when i buy something e.g. a monitor or laptop the is generical tone. if you want to fix it just go into the video cards control panel. if you go into the video driver, e.g. AMD, nivdia or whoever (x) go to X control panel you will be able to change the calibration manually to match and get better tones of colour.

[Lynn Palmer]

I use a Spyder to calibrate my monitors.  The uncalibrated LCD gave the images a bluish cast, and after calibration the images (skin tones, etc.) appeared much more natural to my eye.  I don't print often but to my eye the prints look like the image on the screen.

[Chuck Nacke]

Been using a Spyder to calibrate my 28" desktop and my 16" Laptop monitors for years.  I'm now thinking of buying a unit to calibrate my TV's.  [/size]

 

I cannot stand looking at an uncalibrated monitor.  Anyone trying to prepare images for license and not working on a calibrated monitor is making[/size]

 

a big mistake, in my opinion.  My desktop monitor's calibration along with color profiles for the fine art paper I use to make 17" prints works[/size]

 

well and saves me a lot of paper and ink.[/size]

[AndyMelbourne]

Title should read:  Using a 720p HDTV as a Monitor, not has a monitor.

 

I have been using my TV as my monitor since I started edting my photos for Alamy. I love the 32" screen but am wondering if I am properly seeing my images or should I be using a dedicated monitor instead. Is there a big difference from LCD Monitor and LCD TV. Sometimes the pictures can look rather flat compared to the monitor on my laptop.

 

Or does it just need some calibration? Which I have to admit I haven't the faintest idea how to do, but I am sure I could google it.

 

Jill

I have just had a look through your images and they mostly seem ok as to colour balance. However, your first few aircraft landing shots seem to have a colour cast and the shot of the Telus bikes shows a dull brown cast which may be correct but I suspect that they should be white, along with a few others.

A large amount of your shots seem to be a little flat but I believe that is more part of your processing and flat lighting on dull days, they don't 'pop'.

This in not an assasination of your shots but more of an assesment of your photographs when compared to other portfolios on Alamy as to colour balance. What is good is that you are getting through QC so it's not broke.

Look at several other similar portfolios switching from one to the other to compare balance to gain some insight as to the difference.

TV's are designed to be TV's, it may well beneficial for yourself to invest in a decent monitor that is designed to be a monitor. I personally use macs and have never calibrated any of them as they have been (to me) spot on straight out of the box, but thats another thread.

Please read this the right way as I am trying to help.

Andy

[David Kilpatrick]

TVs use a gamma which crushes blacks/shadows as these are not important for video viewing. Computer monitors have much more visible detail in the low-bit values. Just be careful and don't try to open up the shadow detail when using a TV as a monitor, or you may end up flattening the image, over-brightening it, and increasing noise unneccessarily.

[Jill Morgan]

 

Title should read:  Using a 720p HDTV as a Monitor, not has a monitor.

 

I have been using my TV as my monitor since I started edting my photos for Alamy. I love the 32" screen but am wondering if I am properly seeing my images or should I be using a dedicated monitor instead. Is there a big difference from LCD Monitor and LCD TV. Sometimes the pictures can look rather flat compared to the monitor on my laptop.

 

Or does it just need some calibration? Which I have to admit I haven't the faintest idea how to do, but I am sure I could google it.

 

Jill

I have just had a look through your images and they mostly seem ok as to colour balance. However, your first few aircraft landing shots seem to have a colour cast and the shot of the Telus bikes shows a dull brown cast which may be correct but I suspect that they should be white, along with a few others.

A large amount of your shots seem to be a little flat but I believe that is more part of your processing and flat lighting on dull days, they don't 'pop'.

This in not an assasination of your shots but more of an assesment of your photographs when compared to other portfolios on Alamy as to colour balance. What is good is that you are getting through QC so it's not broke.

Look at several other similar portfolios switching from one to the other to compare balance to gain some insight as to the difference.

TV's are designed to be TV's, it may well beneficial for yourself to invest in a decent monitor that is designed to be a monitor. I personally use macs and have never calibrated any of them as they have been (to me) spot on straight out of the box, but thats another thread.

Please read this the right way as I am trying to help.

Andy

 

 

I never take criticism personally. One does not learn if all you want to hear is how wonderful your stuff is.

 

I actually started a thread awhile ago about how I seemed to always end up taking photos on dark dull days. I think except for my Toronto pics, every time it has been a dull day. The latest being my pics from Grand Bend of the dogs on the beach. I actually had to have the ISO at 1600, thats how dark the day was. It's nice and bright today, but high winds and record low of -12, so don't think I'll be out there.

 

Interesting comment on the brown cast.  All the photos you mentioned I took with my son's Sigma lens, not my Canon.

 

I did buy a new monitor on Friday at Staples. When I hooked it up, the picture was horrid. I have a great pic of male lion I took in Africa as my screensaver. On the monitor he looked exceptionally dark and just a flat muddy orange. Extremely dark and when I went to adjust the settings, it was already at the brightest it would go.

 

Went back yesterday to return it and was told by the salesperson if I wasn't in a big rush I should wait till Black Friday cause there will be good deals on some of the nice monitors.  So I shall wait till then. Just use the laptop monitor till then.