how to set up FCP to use calibrated display?

w.pasman wrote:
Now how do I get FCP so far that it USES the calibration?

I don't think you do.

I'm afraid the reality is that while you can calibrate your monitors to bars that is about as good as it gets.

Besides once the signal gets to your viewers it will look yet again still different.

Calibrating your computer display for FCP doesn't achieve much because FCP is only giving you a proxy image to edit with. If you want to see what you really have you need to monitor externally. That means that you will be setting your monitor to color bars... that's the standard. And if you have a very good, very expensive monitor you will get a very good picture that conforms to the standard.

Nothing wrong with trying to get to a standard, and FCP's color tools are used for much more than just getting things to standard. But TV is not print. The picture ends up on a million sets that are each set up differently and very few of them even come close to a standard (ever watch tv at your granny's house?)

I have the Matrox MXO which allows you to really calibrate a display (attached to it) for true color correction. I bought it for HD but it also does SD (duh!) and I am now using it as my primary TV monitor. I recommend this setup (if you already have two displays and one is a 23" ACD.

I've heard they are great. Gives you all the color adjustment controls and blue gun only right?
But you are using it as an "external monitor" It sounded to me like the OP was calibrating a display for use within FCP itself... canvas, viewer, capture etc.

Jim, when you output through the MXO to an SD monitor, do you still get accurate color?

rh

Yep, MXO gives you blue gun / contrast / proc amp corrections on the 23 ACD to use as a "production monitor" for color correction, etc.

I think the original poster had two monitors, as there is a description of moving a FCP window from one monitor to the other and seeing a big shift.

So, my scheme is to use the 23" ACD as my production monitor, period; for SD, for all the flavors of HD. I realized if I am using the MXO for HD, I can also use it for SD and don't need my old JVC monitor (though it's a nice one).

I don't claim that the color is "accurate" but since it can be calibrated, I believe it is pretty good. See Shane Ross' post about the MXO.

If you have a MacBook Pro you don't need to purchase another video card. The Matrox MXO that has been talked about works off of a DVI port which your Macbook Pro has. So the only thing you would need is an Apple Cinema Display (the 23" one) or a Dell 2408 (I think that is the right one). Those two monitors have been recommended for the MXO.

And from what I have learned from other posts is that it is nothing to do with Final Cut putting off accurate color correction. Final Cut is just one piece in the large puzzle of video editing. And for those who want to embrace fully the professional side of Final Cut, it just requires other pieces to make it fully complete, like hardware to be able to fully take advantage of true color representation.

of course there is a colour management system for Broadcast video, it is part and parcel of the Broadcast specifications, in Europe the PAL specifications are set by the EBU (European Broadcasting Union, have a look at one small document on the EBU requirements for broadcast monitors.

http://tech.ebu.ch/docs/tech/tech3320.pdf


you confusion is caused because there are two different colour systems being used by Final Cut Pro and you are treating them as the same thing.

there is colour management of the computer display

there is colour management of broadcast video

they are both handled separatly and one system does not control the other


you can create a custom profile for your combination of graphics card, display and working methods, you then have to apply this profile to the graphics card by:

apple menu >system preferences >displays >colour and selecting the profile you want to use.

if you change from one profile to another, you will see the change on your display on how it affects the computer graphics display system, but it will not affect the colour scheme of NTSC or PAL video as it is a totally separate system.

The technique for picture monitoring and signal control for broadcast video is to use a waveform monitor, vectorscope and a high quality Broadcast spec colour monitor and use the tools in Final Cut Pro to produce the picture the editor wants.

The picture on my TV set at home will not exactly match the picture on my broadcast monitor, but that is not the purpose. The objective is to monitor and control the picture so that it is the best that can be achieved by the editor as it leaves his edit room.

There is color management for video, it's called setting your monitor to color bars.