May I rant?

[Phoenix_Jackson]

I have been using an old LCD TV with my old computer for a long time and never needed to look at other people's computer. The tv was set to "movie" mode and I think it's so old that I don't know if I can calibrate it or not.

So I've been using these two old machines editing and browsing my photographs and perhaps my eyes got used to it too much. Yesterday I visited a friend of mine with a gaming PC. We were talking about something that lead me to show my flickr page. I was dumbfounded when I saw my pictures as they're all atrocious! So different from what I've been seeing through my own tv. I feel so ashamed that all the while I thought I was progressing, seeing my pictures made me go back to square one.

I'm definitely going to buy a new laptop. I guess I'll have to spend a little bit "lens money" for this but what I saw was just unacceptable!

[BexJarratt]

If was you I'd get a proper computer screen rather than a laptop. With a laptop the image usually looks completely different depending on what angle you have the screen at, so it can be really hard to get things at a consistent level. Also you're less likely to move around and put different lighting environments on a separate screen. Just my 2ps worth.

Edit: Also, there's no saying that your gaming friend had a calibrated monitor, a lot of games load monitor settings for all sorts of criteria. Maybe if you post a couple of the photos that you're most worried about the some-one with a calibrated monitor can advise you how it looks, although to a certain extent colours, etc. are subjective as you're the only one who really known what it looked like and what you're hoping to achieve. It's a bit more important when you're printing it because you need to know it's going to come out the same from the printer.

[SwissJon]

Calibration of monitors is only useful if you're intending to print your photos out.. Everyone sets their Laptop/Desktop screens differently unless they're planning to print out.. I'd suggest you get a decent laptop, or shell out for a proper moniter.. Most high end Laptop and Desktop monitors CAN be calibrated, but remember, you go into a room full of computer users, and show them the same picture, and unless they've calibrated each one, they'll all look different.

If you're into printing your pictures, then calibrating is essential. If you aren't, then just get a reasonable laptop or desktop and set your monitor to something that makes OTHER PEOPLES pictures look good, and you should be fine.

[mshockley]

I have a laptop, but when at my desk I use a nice big flat screen monitor that I have calibrated to my printing lab. I know that what I see is what I will get from the lab, beyond that I agree with everything Jon just posted above me!

I avoid doing any processing of photo's with my just my laptop screen at all cost as I just end up fixing things when I get home and get hooked back up to the other monitor. Laptop screens are not good in my opinion.

[Phoenix_Jackson]

My tv is big. It's one reason why I wanted to edit using it so I can pixel peep if I wanted to (as if I can). But it's not just the colors. It's more the details. On my tv, the images look mild, tame, deep contrast, and even if I max sharpness it looks just right. On my friend's monitor it looks harsh, too sharp, too bright, not much contrast, and I see motion blurs and noise where I didn't see on my tv. I'm really appalled. I don't know. Maybe it's my graphics card along with my tv's settings. I really don't know. But one thing is for sure, I can not accept such quality of pictures with this much time I spent asking guidance from you guys.

I'm not going for prints. Maybe in the distant future if I produce a "Holy crap! That's an awesome shot" shot, and I'll still have it printed somewhere. But really just on digital screens for me.

I needed a laptop for work anyway. I just am battling between 2 models whether their price is justified (care to help me with this?). I've decided to upgrade my desktops. But I need to ask if specifically for editing, should I consider changing my tv to a proper monitor instead? LCD monitors are small. The bigger ones that match my tv are 75% more expensive than a new LCD tv. But is it worth it? (I'm willing to sacrifice my L lens piggy bank for this 'cause I'm still freaking out).

Thank you for leading me to the right direction and giving me even more info about calibration.

[Izzy]

Any pc monitor is going to be more in the ball park than your TV would have ever hoped to be. The cheapest way I can think of to fix this is to go to Walmart or other big box and buy the mid priced ACER monitor. I work from an ACER 19" and only have one issue. Occasionally my reds look hotter on the screen than they do in print (just a little). This is not monitor specific as I have had people say the very same thing when viewing the pic on their computers.

Any way - I think I paid $120 for my ACER monitor and even uncalibrated it will perform better than a TV. ALSO - STAY AWAY from HP monitors. My second monitor is a HP and its color rendition just sucks. It is over bright and well - ahhh the damn thing is just off. I leave my email and After Effects/ Sony Vegas video editing controls open on it.

I have my pro printer come out and cal my screens so it is going to be right, she charges $20 a screen. The HP will never get closer than close enough.

[JFSanders]

Izzy, he lives in South Korea. Phoenix, get a IPS type monitor for your box and if you can afford it get an IPS screened laptop. They can be calibrated and will produce truer colors right out of the box. I like the Dell ultra sharp U2410 for a stand alone monitor at a pretty good price. And if you can swing it a Lenovo IPS display laptop.

This link is a pretty good rundown on what is what with displays and why IPS and a stand alone monitor is best. TFP display thread

Jim

P.S. I did a quick drive by on your flickr and didn't see any glaring trainwrecks wrt to your photographs so I would be in the opinion of your buddies gaming PC being set up for gaming and not accurate color reproduction. Almost all gaming PCs are skewed toward 256 bit color and a very restricted sRGB gamut so as to keep rendering times very low and game speed very high.

[nickbedford]

Originally Posted by SwissJon

Calibration of monitors is only useful if you're intending to print your photos out..

Not true at all. You very much need to calibrate your editing monitor. Why? Because when you have a neutral non-discriminating colour reproduction, you'll have the best possible result on all monitors regardless of how good they are or what settings are used.

For example, if your monitor is too warm, you'll likely produce photos that are too cold on other monitors because your reference for temperature is off when adjusting white balance. If your monitor is too bright, you'll likely end up with photos that appear too dark on other people's monitors and vice versa.

Never underestimate the benefit of calibrating your working monitor.

[Izzy]

Originally Posted by JFSanders

Izzy, he lives in South Korea.

I missed that part

[kcoppock]

Originally Posted by Phoenix_Jackson

I have been using an old LCD TV with my old computer for a long time and never needed to look at other people's computer. The tv was set to "movie" mode and I think it's so old that I don't know if I can calibrate it or not.

So I've been using these two old machines editing and browsing my photographs and perhaps my eyes got used to it too much. Yesterday I visited a friend of mine with a gaming PC. We were talking about something that lead me to show my flickr page. I was dumbfounded when I saw my pictures as they're all atrocious! So different from what I've been seeing through my own tv. I feel so ashamed that all the while I thought I was progressing, seeing my pictures made me go back to square one.

I'm definitely going to buy a new laptop. I guess I'll have to spend a little bit "lens money" for this but what I saw was just unacceptable!

Just to add to what's been said here already (go IPS if you can afford it; TVs aren't typically a good corollary to a computer monitor; etc.) the "Movie" mode your TV is set to also could be throwing you off. I know my monitor has scene modes, and they all have some strange, unpredictable effects that they use that are terrible when you need consistency. For example, my Gaming mode turns on adaptive contrast, meaning my tones can just suddenly change if I move the picture into a position that has more black tones showing. If I turn it to "Photos" mode, it turns all my grays to a ghastly purple color, and boosts the saturation a bit too much. I actually use the plain "Text" mode, with some minor adjustments, and it works quite well.

Another suggestion would be to get a panel with a wider (usually ~95% Adobe RGB) color gamut if you can. If you ever get a good photo printer, you'll be able to get a closer representation of the ink colors this way, if profiled correctly. That said, if you only plan to share them online, sticking with an sRGB monitor may be better for you, since you'll have a better idea what the majority of other viewers will be seeing. I'd still go Adobe RGB though, as I would venture to guess the majority of your photos won't venture outside the sRGB color space anyway.

Oh, and @Izzy, I dig my HP w2408h.