How to set a LCD monitor the right way

June 30, 2005 11:53 PM

LCD monitor brightness&contrast setting.

Hello! Since I moved, I dumped my old CRT for a brand new LCD (Philips 170S). However, my problem is that no matter how I twiddle the brightness & contrast knobs, it's never right (most of the time, it seems to bright, some color don't show...).
I also tried using an FPAdjust.exe tool I found on another constructor site, and one of those "look at this from a distance and change brightness until it looks good" image, to no effect.

Any good tips for setting a LCD monitor right ? Thank you.

posted by XiBe to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

LCDs do not render black well; best you'll get is a grayish black. This will affect brightness and rendering accurate colors. Until LCDs improve this is, on the whole, the unfortunate reality with this technology.
posted by Rothko at 12:14 AM on July 1, 2005

Rothko is mostly right. This is also quite true with projectors. You can very slightly offset this using gamma correction software but trust me the real thing (aka hardware correction) is the one to use.

Otherwise, try the Nokia video test monitor software on download.com or wherever. I use it to test and tune monitors at my shop.
posted by Dean Keaton at 1:05 AM on July 1, 2005

Dont forget to check for dead pixels also.
posted by webmeta at 4:36 AM on July 1, 2005

Fortunately, LCDs are so bright that the slightly washed-out blacks aren't really a problem. Possibly that LCD just sucks -- I'm thrilled with the images on my Samsung LCDs; they blow away any CRT I've ever owned.
posted by kindall at 9:32 AM on July 1, 2005