Hi guys, I've tried to search for this via Google but I couldn't find any simple definitive answers. Reviews aren't much better because they aren't specific about.
Calibration is a subject which comes up frequently wherever there is discussion of monitors. As you will hopefully realise from ourreviews, there are two important things to consider when purchasing a new screen, and when you might be concerned about it's ability to render colours accurately: 1) How does the screen perform at default colour settings?, and 2) how can it perform with correct calibration? There are several methods to calibrating your screen which we will discuss below in this article. However, it should be understood first of all that to get truly calibrated settings, and good colour accuracy, you are likely going to need to invest in a hardware calibration solution. This is why we discuss a monitors performance at default settings in our reviews and how the screen is preset in the factory before being shipped. Most users will not have access to hardware colorimeter/spectrophotometer devices, and they are generally not cheap. It's important therefore to understand what kind of performance you can expect from your screen with basic software configuration.
Panel technology does come into play to a degree when we discuss colour accuracy. There are some common misconceptions however which need correcting. Just because a screen is based on a particular panel technology, does not automatically make it the best for colour accuracy. It is often thought that an IPS panel will offer much better colour accuracy than a TN Film panel, but this is not necessarily a hard and fast rule. Things which do come into play though include:
We discuss this in our reviews regularly, but there are certain settings we aim for when calibrating an LCD screen:
These are the settings we aim for when calibrating a monitor in our tests, and is what your calibration process should work towards, regardless of whether you are using software or hardware methods.
Software calibration methods can be handy in helping to adjust some basic settings on your screen. They are most useful in helping to get the screen operating at a comfortable setting, helping to get a decent contrast / brightness level, and a good colour balance. This is a good way to help improve the 'feel' and look of the screen, but it should be noted that it does not necessarily result in more accurate colour rendering from a strict point of view. Settings are normally altered either manually through the OSD options (RGB levels, contrast and brightness) or through similar controls at the graphics card level. Commonly LCD monitors come set with a default 100% brightness which means that luminance is way above the desired 120 cd/m2 we aim for. This is frequently the main issue with LCD monitors, and is something which can be corrected to a comfortable level at least using software methods. Contrast can also be improved to a degree, and colour levels can be evened and at least appear to be at a nice setting. All these methods rely on the human eye, and so the individual preferences and ambient lighting conditions come into consideration here. You can even use some test images for very basic manual set up as follows: The first calibration utility is a simple gray scale consisting of 17 steps between white (255) and black (0). Adjust your monitor’s brightness and contrast controls so that the full range of the scale is visible. The darkest step visible (Step 16) should be just barely visible against the black background surrounding the scale. The second calibration utility gives a bit more control. You should be able to adjust the monitor controls and, if possible, the system gamma from your GFX card settings, to be able to detect the small squares within all of the larger squares of the array. Adjust your monitor’s colour levels. If your monitor is properly calibrated you will see distinct steps between all 21 steps of each color strip and the steps will be uniform in appearance. Adjust your monitor’s colour levels again. If your monitor is properly calibrated you will see distinct steps between most of the 21 steps of each color strip and the steps will be uniform in appearance. Most monitors do not display the lightest end of the scale accurately so the last 2-3 lightest steps may look the same. There is a very useful website here (http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/) which gives you various tests and methods for calibrating your screen. Well worth a look for some free 'by eye' calibration. There are many different software tools available, and in fact many manufacturers like to package their own software with the screen to allow calibration. For instance, Samsung package some of their screens with Natural Color Pro software which allows the user to calibrate their screen quickly and easily. Further software tools are available which might be worth taking a look at as listed below. There are also various test images available which can be handy for you to test, with the human eye, the colour levels you have arrived at.
Adobe Gamma - Free with Photoshop software QuickGamma Further Reading:
Proper calibration of a monitor really requires you to use a hardware calibration device. These come in two varieties, with the more mainstream (and affordable) devices being colorimeters. You can also buy higher end spectrophotometers (such as theX-rite i1 Pro) which read the light differently, but the cost is probably prohibitive for most normal users. There are many different devices to choose from which vary greatly in price, performance and accompanying software packages. These devices are connected to your PC typically via USB, and feature a hardware module which you place over the screen. By running the software suite which comes with the device, the tool sits over a background which displays many different colours. These are then recorded by the device and used to establish how accurate the colours shown on the screen are compared with what is being requested by the graphics card. Once this difference is established, the device can be used to correct the difference as best as possible from the screen, and results in a calibrated profile being produced. Hardware devices will typically run through the calibration process automatically once you have defined your target settings and been guided through some basic hardware adjustments using the OSD menu (brightness, contrast, RGB values). Apart from these changes, the majority of changes are implemented at a graphics card LUT (Look Up Table) level after that through the creation of the profile. Some higher end screens offer hardware level adjustments to the monitors LUT which can offer an even better level of accuracy. This is normally reserved for high end professional grade monitors. The accuracy of these calibration devices obviously varies somewhat, and quite often you get what you pay for. Obviously the features and options of the software package come into play as well, and so cheaper devices typically offer limited calibration options and reporting functions, whereas high end devices are far more versatile. For professional grade calibration it is recommended to spend what is a considerable amount of money on a device which is well regarded. Manufacturers like Gretag and LaCie make a series of devices which are widely used on monitor review sites, and their higher end models feature extensive software options and provide detailed analysis and reporting of colour rendering. If you want high end results, you are probably looking at spending in excess of £150 on a colorimeter, or >£800 if you want a spectrophotometer. The cost will vary depending on the software options taken with the device and anything else which might come in the package. There are of course cheaper options available which have proved popular. These are often more than adequate for most average users, and unless you're really concerned with top notch accuracy for photo / graphics work, you probably don't need much more. For example, theSpyder3 or Pantone Huey do a decent enough job of levelling colours and settings for most average users, and retails for around £60 in the UK. See our various reviews for more information about colorimeters, spectrophotometers and calibration software. Calibration DeviceReviews (TFT Central) LaCie Blue Eye Pro Calibration Software Reviews (TFT Central) Other Reviews: Northlight-images (Good selection of reviews of many devices) Manufacturers: DataColor / ColorVision ICC (International Color Consortium) Profiles Profiles are commonly produced when calibrating a screen. They are preset saved settings for your particular graphics card / monitor combination and can be used to match different devices (e.g a monitor, printer, scanner, camera etc). These help ensure the settings remain consistent across all the devices, so that you don't see different results on each one. Profiles are simply look-up tables that describe the properties of a color space. They define the most saturated colors available in a color space; i.e. the bluest blue or deepest black your monitor can produce. If you don't have a profile, the trio of Red, Green, and Blue values (or CMYK) that make up a color have no particular meaning - you can say something is blue, but not exactly which shade of blue. Accurate profiles are the key to a color managed workflow. With accurate monitor and printer profiles, your prints will closely match what you see on your monitor. Without profiles, you need to rely on trial and error combined with guessing. It should be noted that an ICC profile is produced based on your individual hardware components and set up. As such, it's not possible to share ICC profiles with other users of the same monitor to achieve the exact same results. However, ICC profiles which are shared can often at least help improve settings and colour accuracy to a certain degree, and so are an easy method of attempting calibration without the need for a colorimeter. It certainly won't hurt to try them if you can find an ICC profile has produced with a colorimeter and then has been shared by the user for your particular screen. TFT Central has its own database of ICC profiles and monitor settings, which are taken from our own reviews and from reader submissions. You can view the entire ICC databasehere
Further Reading: Drycreekphoto Calibration Tips and Advice
Useful Resources TFT Central ICC Profile and Monitor Settings Database Drycreekphoto
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For the original German review, see. Technical devices like laptops, tablets, and smartphones are usually not very resistant against severe environmental conditions. Sand, dust, liquids, cold, heat or drops can quickly lead to malfunctions, damage or total loss. That naturally must not happen in the professional field under adverse operating conditions in extreme locations, and requires special hardware that can aptly withstand these influences. Dell offers a small portfolio that is to withstand exactly these conditions with its Latitude Rugged line in the laptop sector.
The robust, rugged exterior passes different tests according to military standards, and can be configured with diverse components according to customers' specifications. Dell primarily sees its use in military and police organizations on its product page. However, deployment on construction sites, expeditions, fieldwork or in the industrial field is also thinkable. The 'normal' user will unlikely opt for this model.
Driver Details. For more downloads. You can see them labeled as “Support Software”, “Dell” or under their titled name in Add or Remove Programs.
Even if the laptop is to be taken along to the beach, or be used while the kids are splashing in the garden, or simply because the unique looks are found appealing - the price will hopelessly break the family budget. The prices for this special device start at about 3400 Euros (~$4541) net (approx. 4100 Euros (~$5476) including VAT), and is currently available in two configurations off the rack. Otherwise, specific customer specifications can be configured, as usual, by Dell via the phone. We received our review sample directly from Dell, and it is configured with alongside the integrated, a 256 GB SSD, and a resistive HD screen. The casing, made in a futuristic stealth design, fuses a magnesium alloy with a shock-absorbing ultra-polymer material, and thus ensures that the innards are particularly well protected.
In addition to the specifications of the military standard MIL-STD-810G that covers various drop tests and resistance under special environmental impacts, the ingress protection standard IEC 60529 is also warranted. The device is also protected against electromagnetic interference, according to MIL-STD-461F.
For example, all ports are under sealed flaps, and the display is closed tightly to the base unit with a clip mechanism. Filme Adeus Lenin Dublado 1976. Everything is designed for use with medium-thick gloves, and thus facilitates use under adverse conditions.
Unsurprisingly, the casing properties of the 14-inch laptop, which has been slimmed down to 3.7 kg (~8.16 pounds), are very robust. The various components cannot be warped, dented or otherwise deformed. The edges around the casing are fitted with extensive rubber pads that do not need special care when placing or putting the device down. A non-removable, flexible handle is integrated into the casing that makes a bag superfluous alongside the protective padding. The casing's surface is rock-solid, and only the display's lid can be dented marginally. The slightly roughened surface texture in conjunction with the rubber parts, conveys a very sturdy impression, and is easy to clean.
Inevitable scratches that occur over time will naturally ruin the looks, as appropriate for the target group, but its functionality will definitely not be affected. The interface configuration principally includes everything needed nowadays. External monitors can be connected via VGA or digital HDMI. Besides the usual USB ports, a card reader, and an optical drive, even a rare serial RS 232 port and a second Gigabit LAN port are found. It is possible to opt for either an ExpressCard 54 mm or a PCMCIA slot.
A rugged docking station specially tailored for our review sample allows quickly connecting external peripherals in stationary use. However, we could not find more details about this extension on Dell's website before the editorial deadline.
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