Affordable Colour Grading Monitors

Latest Update – February 2024

If I were to recommend an affordable colour grading monitor it would be the ProArt PA32UCR (2021) because it delivers a true 10-bit panel, 3840×2160 resolution, 1000 nits of peak brightness, hardware calibration, a mini-led backlight and a spacious 32″ display.

It also offers a wide range of connection options and five USB ports for connecting essential peripherals, all for around $1200/£1000 but read on to learn a lot more about choosing an affordable colour grading monitor and to understand how I came to this decision.

Another top pick would be the Dell UltraSharp U3223QE, which delivers excellent 4K SDR colour accuracy, a 2000:1 contrast ratio, and a huge range of ports at an even more affordable price.

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One of the most searched for and hotly debated topics on colour grading forums, websites, podcasts and tech shows is that of “Affordable Colour Grading Monitors“.

The search for a cheaper option, most often a high-end calibrated computer monitor or high end television, used in place of a (relatively) expensive, purpose-built, professional colour grading reference monitor, still remains a holy grail quest, of sorts.

In this post my aim is to dip a toe in the water, share some expert opinions (not my own), present a case for and against, and suggest some possible solutions. Along with a bucket load of caveats.

The first being, I am only an editor with a blog, I am certainly not presenting myself as a professional colorist nor colour science expert, so, with that out of the way, let’s get started!

Update changelog

• Feb 2024 – Major update – Added new monitors, removed most discontinued models, updated all pricing and personal recommendations.
• Incremental updates
• Complete rewrite in May 2021
• Annual refreshes, additions, updates etc.
• First published 2015

A shortlist of Affordable Colour Grading Monitors for 2024

Here’s a shortlist of the best affordable colour grading monitors mentioned in this post, with my top picks highlighted in bold:

• (New) ASUS ProArt PA32UCR (2021) – Approx $1200/£1200
• (New) ASUS ProArt PA32CRV (2023) – Approx $600/£699
• (New) BenQ SW272U (2023) – Approx £1,200/$1,499
• BenQ SW321C (2019) – Approx $1,899/£1,799
• BenQ PD2725U (2021) – Approx $749/£690
• BenQ PD3220U (2018) – Approx $999/£899
• (New) Dell UltraSharp U3223QE (2022) – Approx $869/£900
• (New) Dell UltraSharp U2723QE (2022) – Approx $500/£500
• Dell UltraSharp UP2720Q (2019) – Approx $710/£994
• Eizo ColorEdge CS2740 (2019) – Approx $1,800/£1,400
• (New) Eizo ColorEdge CG2700X (2022) – Approx $3,400/£2,500
• (New) HP Z32k G3 (2022) – Approx $785/£650
• HP Z27xs G3 4K DreamColor (2021) – Approx $500/£700
• LG C3 55″ OLED TV (2023) – Approx $1,300/£1000
• (New) LG UltraFine Ergo 32UN88AP (2023) – Approx $480/£600
• LG UltraFine Ergo 32UN880-B (2020) – Approx $480/£600
• LG 32BN67U-B (2020) – Approx $349/£389
• LG 32UQ85R-W (2022) – Approx $796/£650 – THIS IS MY NEW MONITOR

The monitors are listed by brand in alphabetical order but be sure not to miss the final section on LG OLED TVs and their new 32-inch OLED computer monitor.

Unsurprisingly, I haven’t personally purchased all 14+ monitors in this post to compare them side by side after extensive testing, but I hope this comparison of the listed specifications and detailed information on the things to consider when buying an affordable colour grading monitor leaves you better informed to make your own decision.

TLDR: When you put ‘affordable’ in front of colour grading monitor, this is like saying ‘affordable luxury car’, the real deal is expensive for a reason. Professional reference monitors cost many (tens of) thousands and can be calibrated to a fine degree with an equally expensive specialised probe by a fully qualified technician, for a reason.

But that is not what you are looking for when you Google “Affordable colour grading monitors” so with that in mind check out the ASUS Pro Art P32UCR or the Dell UltraSharp U3223QE for 32″, true 10-bit, UHD monitors with solid SDR colour accuracy at an ‘affordable’ price.

This post is detailed and long but please read through each section carefully, it will be worth it!

• Caveats you should accept
• Why confidence is what matters most
• Professional Colour Grading Monitors ($$$)
• What to look for when choosing an Affordable Grading Monitor – Key Terms and Concepts
• Affordable Colour Grading Monitors – A Few Options ($-$$)
• What about HDR?
• How to connect your affordable colour grading monitor correctly
• Calibrating a Colour Grading Monitor properly

You may also find it helpful to read these two other posts: How to use an OLED in Post Production and a detailed round up of 4K Video Editing Monitors.

First, A Few Caveats

Here’s the thing… buying a display is a highly personal decision that has as much to do with you and your clientele’s preferences as it does with a given display technologies’ level of accuracy.

Don’t buy a display because you read that I like it, because my reasons may not be your reasons.

Instead, you should evaluate the different legitimately color-critical options for yourself, and then get what suits your particular needs.

This is the approach I’ve tried to take when describing the various display technologies that are currently available in chapter two of my updated Color Correction Handbook, 2nd Edition, and I think it’s the only way to be honest about this frequently debated subject.  

– Alexis Van Hurkman, colorist

The first thing we need to clear up are a few philosophical framing issues when discussing this topic.

Firstly, as Alexis so eloquently points out, everyone is starting from a different spot and will end up at very different destinations. Budgets, creative needs, technical requirements and promises made to clients will vary wildly from person to person.

So everyone should evaluate their choice in light of their options.

Secondly, the most slippery aspect of this topic is that it’s an endless rabbit hole of a search for perfection. There is always more that can be done to make the monitor, grading system, viewing environment, source footage etc. more technically accurate:

• Is your background wall 18% grey?
• Is your room lighting the right colour temperature?
• How much reflected light is bouncing around your room?
• How black are you blacks?
• How recently was the display calibrated?
• How old is the technology?
• What format is the footage?
• What is your output device?
• What software are you running, on what operating system?
• And on and on it goes.

I would wager that *most* people who are looking to buy an ‘affordable grading monitor’, are probably not going to be trying to persuade their clients to pay them vast amounts of money per hour for their colour grading skills, founded on the promise that the display in front of them is 100% perfectly accurate. Although some may have the audacity, I think a lot of people just want to have a decent display that they can work with, reasonably confident it looks ‘pretty good’.

Notice what just happened.

In one sentence we slid from ‘total professional perfection’ to ‘pretty good’. These days, as with so many advancing technologies, ‘pretty good’ is actually very, very good.

But this is still doesn’t negate the vast difference between a professional reference monitor and an ‘affordable colour grading monitor.’

That said, colour-critical monitors which can be accurately calibrated and will get you most of the way there, are now very ‘affordable’, for example $1000-$3000 instead of $6000 – $30,000.

What matters most – Confidence

The real purpose of the display is peace of mind.  Because that’s what as a colourist drives you nuts. You can work on any display, but you need the confidence that the display is showing you something that is accurate to the specification, so that you can have that peace of mind.

There’s so much else that needs to fit correctly to give you that peace of mind, that could go wrong with those (cheap) displays, that unless you have a real display that does give you that peace of mind to compare it to, you’ve kind of lost… But if you don’t have that comparison device, and it’s off, you won’t know it’s off.

– Juan Salvo, colorist

This brings us full circle.

What really matters most, in professional colour grading suites, is that you can point at the display and say “This is accurate”.

So the question becomes, how confident are you?

And how much are you willing to pay for that peace of mind?

Now, as soon as you take your project off that display and out into the real world, it doesn’t really matter anymore, as everyones iMac, TV, projector, iPad etc. will make it look completely different anyway. But at least you’re starting from a comfortable position.

But again, I’d expect that the majority of people reading this are editors, photographers, cameramen, budding colorists and DITs etc. who want to have a decent display to work on and who know that for 100% accuracy, they need to take their project to a reputable colorist for the final polish. Or rent a real monitor for the final pass themselves.

Which Colour Grading Monitor Should I Buy?

So, what should you look for when choosing an affordable colour grading monitor?

While you can buy a Sony BVM-HX310 31-inch TRIMASTER HX Professional Master Monitor for about £30,000 or $41,000 as the pinnacle of colour-accurate perfection, many colorists are opting for the latest generation of LG OLED TVs as their colour-accurate client monitor or even their main reference monitor.

These OLED TVs deliver a large screen, ranging from 55″–83″, with perfect blacks, a wide colour gamut and capable of displaying both SDR and HDR content. And best of all, they come with a consumer price tag.

I’ll get into OLEDs in more detail later on.

Often, colorists may also have a smaller, more expensive and more accurate display in front of their control panel as their main point of reference, but if both displays don’t line up together exactly, you can get into the troublesome situation of the client asking “Which one should I be looking at?” i.e. what can I trust?

If you can afford it, the consensus seems to be that a Flanders Scientific monitor is a more affordable slice of the high-end. Their flagship 65″ 2000nit 10bit 4K Dolby Vision Mastering HDR monitor, the XMP650 will set you back $22,495.

The Flanders Scientific DM160 drops down to a bargain price of $4,500 for a 16″ 1920 x 1080 10bit OLED display. For comparison, the cheapest FSI monitor is the DM211, a 21.5″ HD 8bit monitor for $2,895.

One benefit of buying a cheaper model from a more expensive brand is the trickle-down tech effect, where the XM310 is “built around the same industry-leading QD-OLED panel technology as our HPA Award Winning 55″ XMP550.“

Speaking of the XMP310, this is FSI’s latest monitor, which has gotten a lot of colourists excited due to its impressive spec at a (relatively) very affordable introductory price point of $9,995.

With 1,000nits peak luminance, 1.5Million:1 contrast, and an exceptionally wide colour gamut the XMP310 is ready to handle your most demanding HDR and SDR monitoring needs.

You can learn a lot about the XMP310 from FSI CEO Bram Desmet’s replies in this forum post over on Lift Gamma Gain.

But ‘buy cheap, buy twice’ the man says. And in many ways he’s right.

If you’re aiming to become for becoming a serious colorist, this is a much better direction to head in, instead of wasting $1000 on a computer monitor, when you could save a bit longer, or rent in the meantime, for a ‘real’ colour grading monitor, that costs (quite) a bit more.

But looking at these prices, *most* people switch their thinking to a ‘high-end computer display’, which is where the rest of this post will be heading.

Colour Grading Monitor Shootout

Watching a colorist and a calibration technician judge a collection of different monitors whilst sat directly in front of them, is another really helpful place to start.

In the course of about 50 minutes Colorist Warren Eagles and Stuart Pointon cover the monitors listed below as well as five ‘monitor myths’ such “It’s just for the internet so I’ll colour grade it on my laptop…”

I’ve included time stamps (left link) and prices (right link), accurate at the time of writing, to give you a quick point of comparison:

• Introduction
• EIZO CG319X – $5,739 – Check latest price on Amazon Global Stores
• ASUS PA32UCX – $4,399 – Check latest price on Amazon Global Stores
• Flanders Scientific CM250 – Available 2nd hand, comparable to DM240 – $4,195
• BenQ PV270 (2016) replaced by SW271 (2020) – $1,099 – Check latest price on Amazon Global Stores
• iMac 27 – Discussion around ICC profiles and calibration troubles.
• GUI type $200 LCD 24” – ICC profiles, video card gamma profiles, LUT in Resolve viewer
• LG C9 55″ OLED TV – 2020 CX $1,349 – Check latest price on Amazon Global Stores

They also cover the real world implications of uniformity, viewing angle, factory calibration and other details that should help you make a more informed purchasing decision.

What to look for when choosing an affordable grading monitor – Understanding Terms and Concepts

There are quite a few things to take into consideration when choosing an affordable grading monitor, not least the final price tag. Here are some thing that you should weigh up when making your selection.

Display Resolution – You want to be able to monitor the kind of footage you regularly work with at it’s full resolution. If you’re often working with 4K footage then you’ll want a 4K monitor. If you’re only ever delivering HD then a 1920 x 1080 monitor will do just fine. (See my 2018 update below for more on this!)

Inputs – Depending on the monitor you choose it will come with different inputs. The most common are SDI, HDMI and DisplayPort.

Outputs – You’ll also want to look at whether it has downstream Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1 and audio capabilities as these make the monitor even more useful day to day.

(Upstream connects monitor to computer, downstream connects monitor to peripherals.)

Size of display – If you’re the only one who will be looking at the display, having a 30-50″ monster will be overkill. If clients need to be viewing it from the comfort of a sofa, having a bigger display might be helpful. Personally I like something around the 27″ mark – plenty of space to work with, but not unwieldy.

Gamut & Gamma – This is the range of colours (gamut) and luma range (gamma) that a given specification requires. For example, can the monitor accurately display common specifications such as Rec 709, Rec 2020, DCI-P3, Adobe RGB etc?

Viewing Angle – What you don’t want is your image looking different when you move your head or seat around. The image should look exactly the same no matter which angle you’re viewing it from. Most displays these days declare that they have a ‘wide viewing angle’ of around 178 degrees. Although technical specifications and real world testing can be quite different things.

Contrast Ratio – This will probably make the biggest difference to your perception of the images on display. Glossy displays tend to have a higher contrast ratio than matte displays. According to chapter 2 of Alexis Van Hurkman’s Color Correction Handbook 2nd Ed. (paraphrasing here) for an LCD display 1400:1 (glossy) or 1100:1 (matte) or better, is a good ball park. For OLED 5000:1 is a good ball park.

Black Levels – Having deep blacks is what colorists are always looking for, not muddy grey ones. Deep gorgeous blacks with plenty of detail still in them. Partly this impacts on your perceived contrast and partly it’s a sign of a good display panel. OLED panels beat LCD in this and the contrast department.

Brightness – SDR (Standard Definition) is mastered to a 100 nit brightness range. HDR is usually mastered to 1000 or 4000 nits. True HDR reference monitors are incredibly expensive. My focus in this post is on SDR use-cases.

Calibration – That you will be able to calibrate your monitor with either in-built tools, and/or an external probe and software should be an essential element in your choice. Otherwise you won’t be able to maintain the accuracy of your images over the lifetime of your monitor. (Which, by the way, will also be a moving target, as display’s performance changes as they age.)

1D vs 3D LUT – Even if your display can be calibrated the precision with which that can be achieved will be dictated in part by the complexity of the calibration LUT, which bridges the gap between the colours the display is receiving and what it should be sending. A 3D LUT is preferable for colour accurate calibration. But only a few monitors make this user accessible.

Colorist David Torcivia has a really helpful explanation of some of these key terms in the first of his two-part post on Colour Grading Monitors. He also offers some practical suggestions on how monitors of different capabilities will alter your image, according to their specification.

In practice, you’re going to be hard pressed to find a display that offers anything besides 1.8 and 2.2 (Gamma settings) without stepping up to professional models.

Once you do find a display capable of a wide range of gamma power functions, it can be tough to know which multiple to use as BT.709 has no set standard.

Typically, the deciding factor is based on the general ambiance of the room. A darker room requires a higher power (the reason why cinema projections in a completely dark room use gamma 2.6). A good rule is to use a value around 2.0 for daylight uncontrolled lighting, 2.2 for dim lighting, 2.35-2.4 for a dark controlled room, and 2.5-2.6 for pitch black.

– David Torcivia, colorist

In part 2 of his post David considers several professional monitors that he thinks you should be saving up for including brands such as Flanders Scientific, Dolby, Panasonic, Sony, HD2Line and a few others. All in all, very much well worth listening to what a professional colorist has to say on the matter.

True 10bit vs 8bit+FRC in 2021

In all of my research of the ‘best colour grading monitors’ or the best ‘video editing monitors for 2021’ most sites are still recommending monitors which are not true 10-bit, but rather 8bit +FRC.

But it seems like 8bit+FRC isn’t quite what it was. It used to be a lesser brother (and in some ways technically still is) to 10 bit but according to Flanders Scientific Bram Desmet you might not be able to tell the difference anyway…

“You have pure 8bit, you have 8bit+FRC. Now there’s different types of FRC; there’s high speed switching between the bit value over and under and this can happen both in a spatial and a temporal state. So it allows you to, through this rapid switching, get a perceived higher bit depth than the panel may actually have.

At some time this was a much cheaper way of giving you 10 bit appearance and most people with good FRC are unable to actually tell the difference.

So it’s actually a mute point whether it’s FRC or true 10 bit.”

Bram Desmet, Flanders Scientific

You can hear more from Bram in his conversation with Patrick Inhofer from Mixing Light.com.

So it’s up to you how much weight to put on a true 10bit panel vs an 8 bit+FRC panel when making your own purchasing decision.

Affordable Colour Grading Monitors – A Few Options

At long last, we have come to the point where I round up a few potential high-end computer monitors and suggest that you use these as a pretty good way of viewing your images.

Hopefully, given all the caveats, conditions and explanations that have preceded this point, you’ll understand me when I say these displays will all do a fine job of displaying your work pretty accurately at an affordable price.

It goes without saying that there are likely plenty of other excellent monitors out there but I’ve chosen to focus on the main brands and models that I would most likely choose from, when selecting a new monitor, to use for editing and grading on my Mac Pro.

Here’s a shortlist of the best affordable colour grading monitors mentioned ahead, with my top picks highlighted in bold:

• (New) ASUS ProArt PA32UCR (2021) – Approx $1200/£1200
• (New) ASUS ProArt PA32CRV (2023) – Approx $600/£699
• (New) BenQ SW272U (2023) – Approx £1,200/$1,499
• BenQ SW321C (2019) – Approx $1,899/£1,799
• BenQ PD2725U (2021) – Approx $749/£690
• BenQ PD3220U (2018) – Approx $999/£899
• (New) Dell UltraSharp U3223QE (2022) – Approx $869/£900
• (New) Dell UltraSharp U2723QE (2022) – Approx $500/£500
• Dell UltraSharp UP2720Q (2019) – Approx $710/£994
• Eizo ColorEdge CS2740 (2019) – Approx $1,800/£1,400
• (New) Eizo ColorEdge CG2700X (2022) – Approx $3,400/£2,500
• (New) HP Z32k G3 (2022) – Approx $785/£650
• HP Z27xs G3 4K DreamColor (2021) – Approx $500/£700
• LG C3 55″ OLED TV (2023) – Approx $1,300/£1000
• (New) LG UltraFine Ergo 32UN88AP (2023) – Approx $480/£600
• LG UltraFine Ergo 32UN880-B (2020) – Approx $480/£600
• LG 32BN67U-B (2020) – Approx $349/£389
• LG 32UQ85R-W (2022) – Approx $796/£650 – THIS IS MY NEW MONITOR

What to look for when buying an Affordable Colour Grading Monitor – Specifications

Part of my purchasing philosophy (for anything) is to buy the best I can afford and keep it for as long as possible whilst also trusting in ‘trickle-down-tech’, whereby a cheaper model from a higher-end brand is likely to be a good choice due to the fact that it is often the same tech/expertise that’s gone into the top of the range, just with a few more compromises in the cheaper models.

Personally, I would be looking for these requirements;

• True 10-bit panel
• 32″ screen
• UHD resolution (3840 x 2160)
• SDR colour accuracy
• Around the £1000/$1300 price point

It’s worth noting that very few displays these days offer the 4096 x 2160 true 4K resolution, but the price bump to monitors that do doesn’t seem to be worth it.

All the monitors in this post are using IPS panels except where noted for mini-LED or OLED. My focus is on SDR colour accuracy and features rather than HDR, although a lot of the monitors offer some kind of HDR functionality.

If you’re looking to compare several options after your own research I would highly recommend plugging them into the excellent – DisplaySpecifications.com – for a side-by-side comparison of the spec.

What Affordable Colour Grading Monitor Am I Using?

I originally wrote this post back in 2015 and updated it regularly over the past few years.

In 2016, I bought the LG 31″ 4K 10bit monitor (LG 31MU97-Z) and have LOVED using it every day since then. I can’t even begin to calculate how many hours I have stared at this screen!

I’ve really enjoyed having both 4096 x 2160 resolution to work with – allowing me to see my mostly HD projects in pixel-for-pixel resolution, whilst still having plenty of space for timelines, scopes, bins etc. and 31 inches of screen to look at every day.

Along side my Yamaha HS7 studio monitors, I don’t have much more desk space for anything bigger than the LG 31MU97.

UPDATE JANUARY 2023 – MY NEW MONITOR

A few months ago my beloved LG 31MU97-Z died due to a common power surge-related problem which proved to be an expensive fix – relative to the price of a new monitor.

I had been waiting for the LG 32UQ85R-W to be released in the UK for several months but without any luck. In the end, I ordered one directly from B&H in the US during Black Friday, securing a deal that made the extra import duty and shipping worth it.

Buying from B&H was a delightful experience and their chat support team answered all of my questions with aplomb. The taxes, shipping and international import paperwork was all done for me, and cost exactly what it said it would. Having never ordered from B&H before, I definitely would consider it again in the future.

Why did I want this monitor in particular?

• I had liked my previous LG a lot, so I was happy to stick with the brand
• It was brand new for 2022, so it should last for many years to come vs older options
• 2000:1 contrast ratio thanks to the new IPS Black technology
• Custom Colour Calibration Sensor included
• 98% DCI-P3 Colour space
• Affordable price

Compared to my older LG it is substantially lighter regarding the physical weight, whilst being more versatile in terms of horizontal or vertical positioning.

The out-of-the-box colours and contrast look great, and I don’t miss those extra pixels, given that my previous monitor was 4096 x 2160, and this is 3840 x 2160.

It’s early days with the monitor, but all in all I’m very happy with it! I’ll try to share some more detailed thoughts on it soon.

Update – February 2024 – I still love the monitor. It still looks great and works really well, but sadly, it has been discontinued and is no longer available on B&H, but you can still find it on Amazon.

While the 32UQ85R is now discontinued, the upcoming 2024 LG 32UQ850 seems to be an exact replacement, although the specifications I’ve seen list slightly slower USB 3.0 ports.

The Dell UltraSharp U3223QE has very similar specs and also uses an LG panel, so it’s very likely the same monitor under the hood as they both use the LG IPS Black technology.

ASUS ProArt Affordable Colour Grading Monitors

Buy on Amazon Global Stores | Buy on B&H Photo

The ASUS ProArt series has an impressive spec, with the higher-end, mini-LED backlit HDR models having an equally impressive price tag. When it comes to finding more affordable options in the range, the ProArt PA32UCR (2021) or the ProArt PA32CRV (2023) are currently the best bets.

For just over £1200/$1200 the PA32UCR delivers:

32″ | True 10bit | 3840 x 2160 | 100% sRGB, 99% DCI P3 | 1000 nit peak brightness | Mini-LED

But for only $600 the PA32CRV offers:

32″ | 8bit+FRC | 3840 x 2160 | 98% DCI P3 | 400 nit peak brightness | W-LED | USB 3.2/DP1.4

While half the price, the PA32CRV (2023) has an 8bit+FRC panel, lower peak brightness (400 nits) and W-LED backlight, but better ports with 4 x USB 3.2, 2 x DP 1.4 and HDMI 2.0.

Importantly, however, the PA32UCR supports hardware calibration, a 14-bit LUT and the ability to store custom colour profiles on the monitor. But it only has 576 local dimming zones which can lead to heavy blooming in high contrast areas. For 3 x the price ($3k) the PA32UCXR has 2304 zones.

The following Asus ProArt models PA27UCX(-K), PA32UCX(-K), PA32UCX-P(-PK), PA32UCG(-K), PA32UCR(-K), PA27DCE(-K), PA32DC, PA32UCXR, and PA24US do have a user-accessible 3D LUT, which means they can be calibrated with third-party software like ColourSpace from LightIllusion.

The PA32UCR comes with a plethora of connection options:

• 3 x HDMI 2.0
• 1 x DisplayPort 1.2
• 1 x USB 3.0 (Type-C) – Upstream
• 3 x USB 3.1 (Type-A) – Downstream

Understanding Asus ProArt Naming Conventions

It’s pretty tricky navigating the various models in the ProArt range as they have very similar-sounding model numbers with only slightly different extensions, such as the PA329 vs the PA329CV, PA32UCR, PA32UCXR etc.

As far as I know, this is how it works:

• PA(Pro Art) then screen size, 32, 27 etc.
• CRV range has better ports: DisplayPort 1.4/USB 3.2 vs CV DisplayPort 1.2/USB 3.1
• -K model includes a colorimeter in the box
• X range has higher peak brightness/better HDR support

So just make sure you’re ordering the right one!

Having considered the specs of all the monitors in this list, the ASUS Pro Art PA32CRV (2023) is my top pick for the specification it delivers at a incredibly affordable price for a colour-accurate monitor.

Buy on Amazon Global Stores | Buy on B&H Photo

If you wanted to go even cheaper for about half the price ($600/£500) you could pick up the ProArt PA32CRV (2023) which is ‘Calman verified’.

32″ | 8bit+FRC | 3840 x 2160 | 98% DCP-3 | 400 nit brightness | HDR 10

The main downside to this monitor is that you can’t hardware calibrate it but it does feature higher bandwidth port specifications, which makes it look like a bargain as an editing monitor.

• 2 x HDMI 2.0
• 2 x DisplayPort 1.4 (Daisy chain)
• 1 x USB 3.2 (Type-C Gen 1) – Upstream, 96W
• 3 x USB 3.2 (Type-A Gen 1) – Downstream

Buy the ProArt PA329CRV (2023) on Amazon Global Stores

BenQ Affordable Colour Grading Monitors

Buy BenQ SW321C on Amazon Global Stores | Buy on B&H Photo

Update February 2024 – Added the new BenQ SW272U which looks like a great contender in terms of its specification and features but I personally strongly prefer a 32″ monitor over a 27″.

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There are a couple of BenQ monitors that look like they would be good contenders for our needs; the BenQ PV270 (2016) that Warren and Stuart mention in the monitor shootout (above) stating that it “Calibrates really well“, which was replaced by the SW271C in 2020, as well as the larger SW321C (2020), the PD3220U (2018) and the newer PD2725U (2021).

BenQ SW321C (2019) – Approx $1,899/£1,799

32″ | 8bit+FRC | 3840 x 2160 | 100% sRGB, 95% DCI P3 | 250 nit brightness | 16 bit LUT

• 2 x HDMI 2.0
• 1 x DisplayPort 1.4
• 1 x USB 3.1 (Type-C) – Upstream
• 2 x USB 3.1 (Type-A) – Downstream
• 1 x SD Memory Card Slot

The SW321C is also capable of hardware calibration and comes with a factory calibration report (for what it is worth) and has a ‘verified by Calman’ certificate.

According to LightIllusion’s website, it has a user-accessible 3D LUT, which means it can be calibrated by their third-party software.

Buy on Amazon Global Stores | Buy on B&H

BenQ SW272U (2023) – Approx $1,499/£1,200

27″ | 8-bit+FRC | 3840 x 2160 | 100% sRGB, 99% DCI P3 | 400 nit brightness | 3D LUT 16 bit

• 2 x HDMI 2.0
• 1 x DisplayPort 1.4
• 1 x USB 3.1 (Type-C) – Upstream, 90W
• 1 x USB 3.1 (Type-B) – Upstream
• 2 x USB 3.1 (Type-A) – Downstream
• 1 x SD Memory Card Slot

The SW272U supports hardware calibration, comes with a factory calibration report with an average Delta E of <1.5, and has a ‘verified by Calman’ certificate. It also ships with the Hotkey Puck G3 controller.

If this was a 32″ monitor, I would be tempted!

BenQ PD2725U (2021) – Approx $1,100/£900

27″ | 8bit+FRC | 3840 x 2160 | 100% sRGB, 95% DCI P3 | 400 nit peak brightness | HDR 10

• 1 x Thunderbolt 3
• 2 x HDMI 2.0
• 1 x DisplayPort 1.4
• 1 x USB 3.1 (Type-C) – Upstream
• 2 x USB 3.1 (Type-A) – Downstream

The PD2725U is not capable of hardware calibration and comes with a factory calibration report (for what it is worth) and has a ‘verified by Calman’ certificate.

It does also ship with a Hotkey Puck, for easier access to display settings.

BenQ PD3220U (2018) – Approx $1,200/£1,059

31.5″ | 8bit+FRC | 3840 x 2160 | 100% sRGB, 95% DCI P3 | 300 nit brightness | HDR 10

• 1 x USB (Type-C, Thunderbolt 3, 15W)
• 1 x USB (mini)
• 1 x USB 3.0 (Type-C) – Downstream
• 1 x USB 3.0 (Type C, Thunderbolt 3, 85W)
• 1 x USB 3.1 (Type-B) – Upstream
• 3 x USB 3.1 (Type-A) – Downstream
• 2 x HDMI 2.0
• 1 x DisplayPort 1.4

The PD320U is not capable of hardware calibration and comes with a factory calibration report (for what it is worth) and has a ‘verified by Calman’ certificate.

It does also ship with a Hotkey Puck, for easier access to display settings.

If I were to choose a BenQ monitor from this shortlist I would likely opt for the SW321C due to the larger screen and hardware calibration options, even though it doesn’t go as bright as some of the other options.

Although it doesn’t have a Thunderbolt 3.0 port to help connect multiple monitors, this isn’t a big problem for me as a 32″ display is all I can fit on my desk!

It is however, pushing the top of our ‘Affordable’ budget at $1,999.

Dave from Post.Color.Gear has a helpful review of the BenQ SW321C, which covers all of the main features in under 10 minutes.

Buy the BenQ SW321C on Amazon Global Stores

CalMAN Verified Displays

The Verified by CalMAN program ensures each display to be accurate out of the box and true to multiple industry-standard colour gamuts…displays are brought into the colour lab at Portrait Displays (creators of CalMAN, formerly SpectraCal) and put through a rigorous testing process to determine each display’s performance.

Only those displays that meet the program’s specifications for colour accuracy can wear the Verified by CalMAN mark.

The BenQ monitors I have included now come with a ‘Verified by Calman’ certificate, which you would hope means they stand a chance of being colour-accurate in the real world.

Dell – Affordable Colour Grading Monitor

The Dell UltraSharp series always seemed to be a useful option for many colorists, especially as a calibrated GUI monitor, given their decent spec and low price.

For context the 2020 Dell Ultrasharp UP3221Q, a 4K UHD display with a true 10 bit, mini-LED backlit panel delivering 1000 nits of HDR ready peak brightness costs $3,449/£3,744.

For about $3000/£3000 less, you can pick up the Dell Ultrasharp U3219Q.

Update Feb 2024 – The U3219Q has been discontinued and replaced by the U3223QE.

Buy U3223QE on Amazon Global Stores

Dell UltraSharp U3223QE (2022) – Approx $869/£900

31.5″ | 8bit+FRC | 3840 x 2160 | 100% sRGB, 98% DCI P3 | 400 nits | HDR 10 | IPS Black 2000:1 Contrast

• 5 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A – 10Gbps Downstream
• 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C – Upstream (90W)
• 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C – Downstream (15W)
• 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C – 10Gbps Upstream
• 1 x HDMI 2.0
• 2 x DisplayPort 1.4
• 1 x RJ45 Ethernet

Unlike the more expensive UP3221Q, the U3223QE doesn’t feature a built-in calibration probe, but you can still quite happily calibrate it with an external probe like an X-rite i1 Display Pro Plus.

In fact, RTINGS excellent review describes its colour accuracy as fantastic out of the box and ‘incredible’ after calibration.

The other stand-out features of the UP3223QE are the massive selection of ports in its built-in USB-hub, including 5 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A ports and 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C Ports. Not to mention the inclusion of the RJ45 Ethernet port.

Connecting this monitor to a MacBook Pro or Mac Studio would make for an affordable editing and grading setup.

For a monitor from 2022, the 32″ 4K, IPS Black, 400 nit, USB-hub spec for less than $1000/£1000 makes it a very compelling low-cost purchase. Plus, it delivers outstanding SDR colour accuracy, making it a highly recommended consideration.

If you prefer a 27″ screen size, there is also the Dell UltraSharp U2723QE, which replaces the UP2720Q and has an otherwise identical spec to the U3223QE, although it’s much cheaper at $500!

RTINGS also notes a few differences in colour accuracy between the two monitors, with the UP2723QE performing much better with regard to its HDR capabilities.

Alternatively, you could still look at the 27″, 4K, 10bit, Thunderbolt 3 UltraSharp PremierColor UP2720Q instead, which is still available in 2024, but stock is starting to dwindle.

UltraSharp UP2720Q (2019) – Approx $1,200/£994

27″ | True 10bit | 3840 x 2160 |100% sRGB, 99% DCI P3 | 250 nit brightness |

• 2 x Thunderbolt 3
• 2 x HDMI 2.0
• 1 x DisplayPort 1.4

To be clear there is the UP2720Q (2019) which has a 10bit panel and 250 nits of brightness and greater colour accuracy is about $1,600 and then there is the U2720Q (2020) which has a 8bit+FRC panel with 450 nits of peak brightness and a very slightly lower colour accuracy which is about $700. You can compare their specifications here.

Apparently the UP2720Q and the UP2720QM are the same monitors, although I found the same UP2720Q listed for about $100 difference on Amazon.

The Dell UltraSharp UP2720Q and UP3221Q are the only Dell UltraSharp monitors with an accessible 3D LUT for calibration using third-party tools and software.

Eizo Affordable Colour Grading Monitors

Buy on Amazon Global Stores | Buy on B&H Photo

Eizo monitors have always seemed like a premium option to me, whenever I ran into one at a post house or client edit suite. They always looked great and had professional calibration features and options at hand.

But it’s not entirely clear to me whether their performance and features still commands that premium relative to other options available today. There also seems to be quite a substantial difference between the UK and (higher) US prices.

It’s possible that I am, however glossing over some of the finer details, build quality and nuanced features that make them worth the money. Either way, I respect Eizo so I’m including them here!

Eizo has two different ranges aimed at creative professionals. The ‘entry level’ CS and the high-end CG range.

The CG range has a greater contrast ratio and a retardation film, providing a more even black level across the screen and reducing the effect of light leakage.

Then we get onto the sensors, with the CGs having a self-calibration sensor allowing the monitor to be calibrated without the need of an external device, whereas the CS monitors can be calibrated, but only using an external device such as a Spyder or iOne Display.

Eizo marketing

Although built-in calibration is handy, they tend to only measure a patch near the top of the screen rather than the middle (or wherever you like), which is more commonly used with an external probe.

For our purposes EIZO don’t make an ‘affordable’ 32″ model with the CG319X coming in at close to $6k, while the latest Eizo ColorEdge Prominence CG3146 HDR reference monitor will set you back over $30k.

So looking at their 27″ options these two stand out:

Eizo ColorEdge CS2740 (2019) – Approx $1,700/£1,200

27″ | True 10bit | 3840 x 2160 | 100% sRGB | 350 nit brightness | 16bit LUT

• 2 x USB 2.0 – Downstream
• 1 x USB 3.1 (Type-B) – Upstream
• 2 x USB 3.1 – Downstream
• 1 x USB 3.1 (Type-C)
• 1 x HDMI 2.0
• 1 x DisplayPort 1.2
• 1 x DVI-D Dual Link

Here is a quick overview of the CS2740 from Eizo (with some rather clunky editing).

Eizo ColorEdge CG2700X (2022) – Approx $3,400/£2,500

27″ | 10 bit | 3840 x 2160 | 100% sRGB 98% DCI P3 | 500 nit brightness | 16 bit LUT | HDR

• 2 x USB 2.0 Type A – Downstream
• 1 x USB 3.1 Type C – Upstream
• 2 x USB 3.1 Type A – Downstream
• 1 x USB 3.1 Type-B
• 1 x HDMI 2.0
• 1 x DisplayPort 1.4
• 1 x DVI-D Dual Link

Here is a similar introduction, which does a good job of explaining some of the extra features in the CG range.

HP – Affordable Colour Grading Monitors

Buy HP Z32k G3 on Amazon Global Stores

While HP offer a wide range of cheap business monitors, creative professionals will be most interested in their Z Displays series, a subset of which are (the more well-known) Dream Color monitors.

From my research, there are two HP monitors that seem the most promising. The 2022 HP Z32k G3 and the 2021 Z27xs G3 4K DreamColor.

It’s worth mentioning from the outset that both of these panels are 8bit + FRC ’10 bit’ panels, and the HP Z32k G3 is essentially the same monitor as the Dell UltraSharp U3223QE, both sharing a panel made by LG with IPS Black technology.

Notably, however, the HP Z32k G3 does come with a Thunderbolt 4 port capable of 40 Gbps and 100w charging.

HP Z32k G3 (2022) – Approx $785/£650

32″ | 8bit+FRC | 3840 x 2160 | 100% sRGB 98% DCI P3 | 400 nit | 2000:1 Contrast

• 1 x Thunderbolt 4.0 (100W, 40Gbps)
• 1 x USB 3.2 (Type-C Gen 1) 15W 5Gbps – Upstream
• 1 x USB 3.2 (Type-B Gen 1) 5Gbps – Upstream
• 4 x USB 3.2 (Type-A Gen 1) 5Gbps – Downstream
• 1 x Ethernet RJ45
• 1 x HDMI 2.0
• 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 (In)
• 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 (Out)

HP Z27xs G3 4K DreamColor (2021) – Approx $500/£700

27″ | 8bit+FRC | 3840 x 2160 | 99% sRGB 98% DCI P3 | 600 nit peak brightness | 1300:1

• 1 x USB 3.1 (Type-C 15W DP Alt Mode) – Upstream
• 1 x USB 3.1 (Type-C 100W DP Alt Mode) – Upstream
• 3 x USB 3.2 (Type-A) – Downstream
• 1 x Ethernet RJ45
• 1 x HDMI 2.0
• 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 (In)
• 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 (Out)

LG – Affordable Colour Grading Monitors and OLED TVs

I’m writing this on my (now discontinued) LG 32UQ85R-W 10bit 4K monitor, which I have loved using for the past few years. From my experience, LG monitors and OLED TVs are superb.

Having previously written a detailed review and guide to working with an OLED in post-production with an LG 55″ E9 OLED TV, I can personally attest to how incredible the picture quality of an OLED really is and how nice it is to have such a large screen to watch your work on.

In this last but not least section of this incredibly long post, I will cover LG’s OLED TVs, their OLED monitors, and some of their ‘regular’ computer monitors too.

The LG 55″ OLED TVs are incredibly popular with editors and colourists as client monitors and suffer less from uniformity issues than the larger 65-88″ screens. You can also calibrate them to a professional standard, and each year LG seems to add further functionality to assist with this, most recently the Filmmaker Mode.

The LG OLED 55″ C series launched in 2021 (C1) and is now in it’s 4th year (2024 C4) and is the model most post-pros are likely to consider, although you can usually get almost as good spec for a lot less if you just buy the previous year’s model, such as the LG OLED 55″ C3 for 20% less.

Vincent Teoh from HDTV Test is my go-to source when deciding which OLED TV to aim for and he has dozens of excellent videos reviewing, comparing and researching all of the best TVs available today.

For example it’s through HDTV Test that I learned that an update to LG’s OLED firmware finally fixed the darkeness-inducing auto-dimming when watching HDR scenes with a consistent APL, without needing to enter the service menu to disable certain panel-protection features.

If you’re holding out for a 2024 C4 or G4 these may carry a new Alpha 10 AI chipset, marking a substantial improvement on the Alpha 9 chipset that was originally introduced in 2018.

While a 55″ LG C3 OLED will set you back around $1400 the smaller models are more affordable at around $1100 (48″) and $900 (42″) respectively. So if you don’t need or have the space for such a huge client monitor (or home TV) then these look to be an ideal choice for anyone with a smaller edit suite or who might want to consider using it as their main monitor.

Although I would still have concerns about burn in from the static elements of the GUI if you did that.

Update February 2024

Filmmaker Sidney Baker Green walks you through everything you need to know about setting up an LG C series (C1, C2, C3) monitor as a mastering monitor with DaVinci Resolve, in this detailed 16 minute tutorial.

This detailed tutorial from Portrait Displays guides you through using Calman to calibrate an LG C-series for use in a professional Post-Production environment.

LG’s Pro OLED Computer Monitors

LG launched two OLED Monitors back in 2021, the 32″ EP950 and the 27″ EP950. These are now discontinued but you can still find stock with some suppliers, although prices haven’t reduced.

LG have continued to make OLED gaming monitors such as the upcoming 2024 LG UltraGear 32UGS95UE.

LG 32EP950 OLED Monitor (2021) – Approx $4,000

32″ | True 10bit | 3840 x 2160 | 99% sRGB 99% DCI P3 | 540 nit peak brightness | HDR10

• 1 x USB 3.0 (Type-B) – Upstream
• 1 x USB 3.0 (Type-C 90W DP Alt Mode) – Upstream
• 3 x USB 3.0 (Type-A) – Downstream
• 1 x HDMI 2.0
• 2 x DisplayPort 1.4 (In)

These are RGB-OLED panels instead of WRGB OLED used in LG TVs, which means that they will have better RGB separation.

Sadly these don’t fit into our ‘affordable budget’ listing for pre-order on B&H Photo at $3996.99 for the 32″ and $2,996 for the 27″. They are expected to be available in mid June.

There will also be two other versions of the same monitor, the “UltraFine 32BP95E, which matches the 32EP950’s specifications but includes a light protection hood and a self-calibration option.“

I wanted to include them here as a potential nod to the future and it will be interesting to see how they compare to other similarly priced mini-LED monitors designed for professional HDR use. (See next section below)

LG Affordable Colour Grading Computer Monitors

Buy on Amazon Global Stores

LG 32UQ85R-W (2022) – Approx $796/£650

31.5″ | 8bit + FRC | 3840 x 2160 | 2000:1 Contrast | 98% DCI P3 | 400 nit brightness | HDR10

• 2 x HDMI Input
• 1 x DisplayPort Input
• 1 x USB Type-C (USB 3.1 / USB 3.2 Gen 1) Input/Output (90W)
• 1 x USB Type-B (USB 2.0) Input
• 2 x USB Type-A (USB 3.1 / USB 3.2 Gen 1) Output

The 32UQ85R-W can also be calibrated using LG’s Calibration Studio and the supplied sensor.

While the 32UQ85R is now discontinued, the upcoming 2024 LG 32UQ850 seems to be the replacement, although the specifications I’ve seen list slightly slower USB 3.0 ports.

Buy on Amazon Global Stores | Buy on B&H Photo

When it comes to directly comparable IPS panel monitors, LG have a couple of interesting options that meet our requirements.

In updating this section, the more recent 2023 LG UltraFine Ergo 32UN88AP seems to be the same monitor as the 2020 one listed below.

LG UltraFine Ergo 32UN880-B (2020) – Approx $480/£600

32″ | 8 bit+FRC | 3840 x 2160 | 100% sRGB 95% DCI P3 | 350 nit brightness | HDR10

• 1 x USB 3.0 (Type-C 60W)
• 2 x USB 3.0 (Type-A) – Downstream
• 2 x HDMI 2.0
• 1 x DisplayPort 1.4

The 32UN880-B can also be hardware calibrated.

One of the really cool things about this monitor is the ergonomic stand that it comes with which allows you to clamp it to a desk and then swivel, pivot and extend/retract the monitor to your hearts content. It looks pretty great.

I’m pretty sure that the model variants are just down to where you live, such as the 32UN880-A being the UK version compared to the 32UN880-B in the US.

As one of the cheapest monitors in my list, the LG looks like an excellent budget purchase, even if it doesn’t have a true 10 bit panel.

Buy on Amazon Global Stores | Buy on B&H Photo

LG 32BN67U-B (2020) – Approx $349/£389

32″ | 10 bit | 3840 x 2160 | 100% sRGB 95% DCI P3 | 350 nit brightness | HDR10

• 2 x HDMI 2.0
• 1 x DisplayPort 1.4

For the money, the 32BN67U-B looks like a great deal. It doesn’t have the fancy stand of the 32UN880-B or the ability to connect USB peripherals, but it does have a 32″ display, true 10bit panel and a UHD 3840 x 2160 resolution.

What about HDR?

The premise of this article is that you’re likely looking for a really solid SDR (standard dynamic range) monitor for colour grading in the Rec.709 or sRGB colour spaces and possibly even P3.

When it comes to stepping up to an ‘affordable’ and reliable HDR monitor, right now you’re still looking at several thousand pounds/dollars. The technology is rapidly improving and the prices slowly falling but we’re not there yet.

If you’re on the lookout for an affordable HDR monitor, here are three quick options, each under $4k:

• Dell UltraSharp UP3221Q – 32″ | HDR | UHD (3840 x 2160) at 60Hz | 99.8% P3 | 1000 nit
• ASUS PA32UCX-PK – 32″ | HDR | UHD | 99% P3 99.5%, 100% sRGB | 1200 nit | 10bit
• ASUS PA27UCX-K – 27″ | HDR | UHD | 97% P3 99.5%, 100% sRGB | 1000 nit

In Warren Eagles monitor shoot-out (much earlier in this post), he suggests that the ASUS PA32UCX is a solid choice. But that’s still well over $4000. You can watch Vincent Teoh’s detailed review here.

In these two videos, colorist Kevin Shaw gives his first impressions of the ASUS PA27UCX-K and the Dell UltraSharp UP3221Q. One thing to consider with an HDR monitor is just how much power they consume!

Vincent Teoh from HDTV Test walks you through why your OLED isn’t suitable for HDR grading – mostly because it just doesn’t get bright enough.

With mastering of HDR movies sitting at around 1000 or 4000 nits, consumer OLEDs can’t match this getting to only 650-700 nits in their brightest areas. Whilst also being hampered by ABL (automatic brightness limiting – to protect the panel) bringing their full-screen brightness to around 100-150 nits.

Although you can turn off ABL through the service remote on an LG TV and void your warranty.

The point of all this brightness is that it allows for more detail to be displayed in the brightest parts of the image, without being blown out.

Apple’s XDR Display and the new 2021 iPad Pro with ‘Liquid Retina’

https://twitter.com/j_salvo/status/1384594193864171524?s=20

This Twitter thread from colorist Juan Salvo points to the fact that the new 12.9″ iPad Pro (2021) could be a great solution for HDR reviews.

Here are the display specs from Apple for the 12.9″ iPad Pro (2021)

• Liquid Retina XDR display
• 12.9-inch (diagonal) mini-LED backlit Multi?Touch display with IPS technology
• 2D backlighting system with 2596 full?array local dimming zones
• 2732-by-2048-pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi)
• ProMotion technology
• Wide color display (P3)
• True Tone display
• Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
• Fully laminated display
• Antireflective coating
• 1.8% reflectivity
• 600 nits max brightness
• 1000 nits max full-screen brightness; 1600 nits peak brightness (HDR)
• 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio

https://twitter.com/j_salvo/status/1213220980912541702

In a previous Twitter thread, Juan had more cautionary things to say about the previous XDR display, specifically with regard to Apple’s claim that it can compete with a professional colour grading reference monitor. The very low number of local dimming zones makes for a bad high contrast image with a lot of haloing.

It will be interesting to see if Apple updates the desktop display at some point, with the new tech.

Vincent Teoh from HDTV Test also delivers a thorough review of the Apple XDR display.

How to Connect Your Affordable Colour Grading Monitor to Your Computer Correctly

While you might be able to connect your new monitor or TV directly to your Mac or PC via Thunderbolt, mini-display port or HDMI, should you?

The reason you might also want to invest in an input/output box or card (IO box) is that you can quickly and easily guarantee the purity of your video signal path as it winds it’s way from your hard drive to your eye balls.

Examples of IO boxes would be the Blackmagic Design UltraStudio Monitor 3G (approx $115 – HD video – full tech specs) and the older more expensive, AJA T-Tap (approx $295 – HD video – full tech specs). If you want 4K i/o you’ll need to jump up to the more comprehensive BMD UltraStudio 4K Mini.

This also (mostly) assumes you’re using one screen to monitor your video image as a full screen output (with a clean signal path) and another screen hooked directly to your computer view your software user interface.

As an example of why you want to avoid letting the OS and software manage this process for you is that if you load up the same image or video file in a bunch of different apps and browsers it will likely look different in every one.

It’s not that these things can’t be tackled. Ostensibly you have bits sent out and bits received and you should be able to get a clean signal path whether that’s via HDMI or SDI.

It’s a lot more difficult with HDMI. You have to be really good at knowing what you’re doing. You have to be able to analyse the signal to know if what you’re sending out is the correct thing.

With a PCI card like a DeckLink or an AJA you’re much more guaranteed of that, because it bypasses what the OS is doing, you’re not using a consumer graphics card that may be doing things to the frame rate, things to colour and you’re not relying on colour tags or anything like that in video streams to trigger certain things on the display.

Bram Desmet, FSI Monitors

I’ve written another extensive article on Colour Management for Video Editors, which goes into using IO devices (and many other topics!) in a lot more detail, which you can read here.

Here is a brief snippet to cover the basics.

Understanding Colour Pipeline Management

Video Signal Chain: Source Footage > Video Editing Software > OS > IO/GPU > Cable > Monitor

Video Processing/Viewing Chain: Source Footage > Video Editing Software > Export Codec/Bit Rate > Viewing App > Web Service Compression > Web Browser > Monitor

Let’s say you want to get a Rec.709 10bit video image to your eye-balls the whole time, what would you need to do?

You would need to take a Rec. 709 10bit video file, edit it in your video editing software maintaining that bit depth and colour space, output that video signal to your external monitor in 10bit and in Rec.709 and view it on a monitor with a 10bit panel, calibrated to Rec.709.

The reason to use a dedicated IO box (like the UltraStudio 4K Mini) is that it gives you a properly managed colour pipeline that by-passes the operating system’s GPU and colour profile settings and gets you straight from the video editing software to your monitor without alternation (unless you’ve got some hardware calibration going on too).

That way, if you know you’ve got a 10bit Rec. 709 video file and you’re outputting it via the IO to a 10bit Rec. 709 calibrated monitor you should be good to go.

Correctly connecting an OLED TV to your Computer

Another important thing to get right is connecting your new OLED to your editing system in a way that provides the cleanest video signal path from the clip on the hard drive through to the monitor itself.

In this image from the Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve Configuration Guide you can see that they recommend connecting the 2013 Mac Pro via Thunderbolt to an I/O box like the 2020 UltraStudio 4K Mini and from there via HDMI 2.0 to the OLED.

Although the Mac Pro has an HDMI port built in, (1.4b UHD) the reason that you need to use something like the UltraStudio 4K Mini ($995/£785) in between, is so that the video signal goes directly from the software to the monitor and by-passes the GPU (and it’s drivers) and the operating system ICC profiles.

Although I’m talking here about the 2013 Mac Pro, which is what I’m still running as my desktop machine in my home edit suite, the principal is the same regardless of your system.

With HDR, every bit counts. Since HDR is about smooth gradation in an expanded luminance range, you need at least 10-bits to properly display HDR.

– Patrick Southern, Lumaforge

The need for an external IO box is especially true when working with HDR material as it requires all the bit-depth and bandwidth you can give it, you can read more about this in the ‘What About HDR?’ section of my Colour Management for Video Editors post.

The 12K overshadowed another amazing announcement today

The UltraStudio Monitor 3G can output 12bit 444 in REC2020 PQ with HDR metadata over SDI and HDMI all for only $115

Those specs used to cost $1000

With it you can send HDR from a MacBook out TB3 to HDMI into LG OLED TV pic.twitter.com/m7nhr4NUDW

— @jamielejeune@postchat.io (@restlesspix) July 17, 2020

Calibrating a Colour Grading Monitor

Getting into the detail of how to calibrate a display is beyond the realms of this already lengthy post. But clearly an integral part of purchasing a monitor that can be calibrated, is that you actual do calibrate it and fairly regularly.

Some high end computer monitors feature in-built calibration devices, although one would (safely?) assume that a dedicated probe will deliver far better results. The two main industry standards are Light Illusion’s ColourSpace and Portrait Display’s Calman.

Although there is a baffling range of product segmentation from both brands, essentially the LTE version of ColourSpace (£525) should cover most use-cases related to this post and will work with an X-rite probe and most non-high-end professional displays from brands such as Eizo, BenQ, NEC, ASUS and FSI. It will also work to calibrate LG OLED TVs. You might need to bump up to the £1,275 ColourSpace CAL version for a fuller range of displays.

Calman Studio is $1,995 for their professional grade calibration software, although they do offer a $145 brand-specific TV calibration option. Calman Studio should cover all of the likely hardware choices for readers of this article.

It’s worth noting that all updates to ColourSpace LTE and CAL are free, whilst after one year Calman’s require a $495 annual fee.

The X-Rite i1 Display Pro Plus is the most recommended low-cost probe, and some of the HDR monitors above, for example the ASUS ProArt ships with one included. Warren and Stuart discuss working with the X-rite probe and how to ‘hack’ it here. But the safest bet is to buy a Rev.B OEM version from LightIllusion. I would recommend reading this entire thread on LiftGammaGain to discover the ins and outs of that.

Understanding the LUT your display uses to apply that calibration 1D vs 3D

A traditional LUT system has one LUT for each RGB color and refers to the LUT for each RGB color when displaying a certain color and calculating the target color using the three RGB colors from each LUT. (3x 1D LUT)

In contrast, a 3D-LUT is a three-dimensional LUT blending each RGB color (i.e., a three-dimensional table assigning R, G, and B to each of three axes). Since the LUT includes points of intermediate gradations blending R, G, and B, it offers improved color representation for intermediate gradations and improved gray-scale accuracy.

This quote comes from Eizo’s article on understanding how the different types of LUT used to calibrate the display effects the final level of colour accuracy.

Most ‘lower-end’ monitors can only leverage 3x1D LUTs instead of the more comprehensive 3D LUTs, some of these are only accessible to the internal (own-brand) calibration software, as opposed to accessible to something like ColourSpace or Calman.

The up-shot of all this is, is that it will have an impact on the quality of the calibration that can be achieved.

Further reading on this topic would include this clear breakdown of the video signal path and impact of a 3D LUT in it, from Calman. As well as this comment in a Dell forum, discussing how much LUT bit depth really matters, relative to other QC factors.

For a clear and practical overview of calibrating a monitor head over to this post from colorist Alexis Van Hurkman, on his process for grading his plasma display with LightSpace CMS and a probe. For more resources on monitor calibration check out this previous post – Colour Grading The Technical Stuff.

Monitor calibration is an obscure corner of the already obscure profession of colour correction.

However, once you know how things work, automated calibration should be a simple and straightforward procedure.

Essentially, you use colour management software to control both a colour probe and a pattern generator (which can be either hardware or software) that work together to measure your display.

The pattern generator outputs a series of colour patches to the display you are calibrating, the colour probe measures each patch, and the software saves the resulting measurements.

Alexis Van Hurkman, Colorist

Pat – When we talked about this four years ago not only was it a dark art but it was expensive. The meters were expensive, the software was expensive, and the thing you needed to generate the test patterns were expensive.

Now with DaVinci Resolve there is a built in test pattern generator to perfectly test your signal path and use it with Lightspace or CalMan.

Bram – Especially for Resolve users there is literally no better way to test your actual signal path and make sure that not only is your monitor calibrated but the signal is getting to the monitor in the way you intend.

Colorist Patrick Inhofer from Tao of Color.com, recently interviewed Bram Desmet, CEO of Flanders Scientific, on the detailed technical ins and outs of calibrating a monitor. If you want a lot more details than I’ve included in this post, and to learn a tremendous amount about the current state of grading monitors and calibrating, you should definitely take the time to listen to both interviews.

In Part 2 of the interview, the topics they cover include:

• Is self-calibration of your reference attainable ‘for the rest of us’?
• The new fast profiling options in CalMan and LightSpace
• DaVinci Resolve’s test patch generator
• Low cost hardware test patch generators
• What is the point of reference monitors when ‘grandma’s TV’ is blue?
• Can a pro colorist rely on a sub-$1000 probe for accurate calibrations?

Part 1 of Patrick’s interview is also well worth a listen and covers similar topics to what I’ve covered in this post, but in much, much, greater technical detail!

• What is the lifespan of an LCD and OLED?
• What is 10-bit FRC and is it still being used?
• Are there 8-bit OLEDs?
• Are consumer panels 8-bit or 10-bit?
• Are there different types of OLED technologies FSI can choose from?
• What’s in the near future for OLED technology?

Calman’s Senior Product Manager, David Abrams, and Colorist Josh Petok walk through how to perceptually match the Sony BVM-HX310 and the 2020 LG CX TV as part of colour grading suite.

More Resources for Understanding Colour Grading Monitors

Filmmaker Sidney Baker Green does an excellent job of summarising a lot of what you need to know when buying a colour grading monitor into under 7 minutes. This includes an explanation of what the delta e number really means:

“Delta e is basically the deviation from where a color is supposed to be and how that display actually represents it. The smaller the number the better. As a general rule of thumb I go for monitors out of the box with Delta e less than one.“ – Sidney Baker Green