New monitor for video editing: 6-bit E-IPS vs 8-bit IPS

[dsc106]

How important is it for a video editing monitor to be full 8-bit IPS display (in order to display the full Adobe gamma color range correctly)? I know this is important for photographers and printing. I am wondering if for video there is much difference between that and a 6-bit E-IPS panel? Primarily because stuff isn't printed and the vast majority of work is watched on other people's monitors, who are running TN panels, etc.

Dell U2412M is a good E-IPS (6-bit) panel:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824260047

Dell U2410 full S-IPS (8-bit) panel, the older and more expensive but "full/real" IPS panel:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824260020

Or something else entirely? I have previously been editing on 24" Apple LED Cinema display, but no longer. Also considering the Dell U2711.

Wondering what my best current buys for a monitor are and how seriously I should be looking at 8-bit IPS vs 6-bit E-IPS.

 

[Destiny]

How important is it for a video editing monitor to be full 8-bit IPS display (in order to display the full Adobe gamma color range correctly)? I know this is important for photographers and printing. I am wondering if for video there is much difference between that and a 6-bit E-IPS panel? Primarily because stuff isn't printed and the vast majority of work is watched on other people's monitors, who are running TN panels, etc.

Dell U2412M is a good E-IPS (6-bit) panel:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824260047

Dell U2410 full S-IPS (8-bit) panel, the older and more expensive but "full/real" IPS panel:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824260020

Or something else entirely? I have previously been editing on 24" Apple LED Cinema display, but no longer. Also considering the Dell U2711.

Wondering what my best current buys for a monitor are and how seriously I should be looking at 8-bit IPS vs 6-bit E-IPS.

You want an 8 bit IPS that supports at least 100% sRGB color gamut for video and photo editing. 8-bit = 16.7 million colors

A 6-bit e-IPS is only up to 70% to 80% sRGB color gamut... which way work in your favor to prevent over color saturation. 6-bit = 65,500 colors...

It just depends on how accurate or life like you want your colors to be if you do descide to go with photo editing - which may be important if you are editing frame by frame video...

 

[BrightCandle]

Workstation user working with images and video = full IPS monitor and high spec.

While many others can get away with cheaper kit that just isn't going to be possible, you are not in the "good enough" crowd that can buy standard cheap kit. Don't even bother trying, it will impact your results.

 

[Modelworks]

One of he biggest issues with LCD displays and video or graphics work is viewing angle. Pay extra if you have to but the viewing angle needs to be as great as possible. If you get a display with poor viewing angle you will have a hard time turning out quality content because depending on your height, how you sit the video may look great, then when it reaches the customer on a different display the colors , gamma, everything can be ruined.

To see how your current monitor is effected check out the viewing angle test:
http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/viewing_angle.php


If you are looking at quality brands then check out Eizo, they make really good monitors , 10-bit S-IPS, but of course that comes at a price, usually close to $1k.

 

[_Rick_]

If you are looking at quality brands then check out Eizo, they make really good monitors , 10-bit S-IPS, but of course that comes at a price, usually close to $1k.

$1k is pretty optimistic even for a "consumer grade" Eizo.
Their pro-grade screens are usually in the 2k-3k range.

 

[gorobei]

-if you weren't calibrating your monitors before,
-weren't running the output through levels to test for colorsafe,
-and aren't buying a colorimeter for the new monitor,

then the difference will be zero. Your colors were off before and they will be off after the new monitor.

you may notice more banding and some dither effects.

the only way you will know if that is the monitor or the feed is if you are calibrating and have a full 8bit monitor with your software configured with a correct LUT.

 

[Michaelangel007]

A 6-bit e-IPS is only up to 70% to 80% sRGB color gamut... which way work in your favor to prevent over color saturation. 6-bit = 65,500 colors...

Your math is off. 6-bit = 2^6 = 64 colors PER channel. For *three* color channels: red,green,blue = 64^3 = 262,144 total colors which is still a far cry from 8-bit/channel = 256^3 = 16.7 million colors.

Note: Even 8-bit per channel is STILL inadequate witness the fact that we are just starting to finally have 10-bit monitors now (such as the Eizo ColorEdge CG243W which only is capable of 97% of the sRGB color space. http://www.eizo.com/global/products/coloredge/cg243w/cg243w.jpg )

Note: TN panels also have crappy 6-bit gamut.
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frame_rate_control
* http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Cie_Chart_with_sRGB_gamut_by_spigget.png


The Poor Man's Way to tell if you need a better monitor:
* Open Photoshop or GIMP,
* Set the foreground to pure blue (0,0,255),
* and the background to black (0,0,0).
* Make a new image with the size set to native size of your monitor.
* Do a linear gradient from the top left to the bottom right.

If you see banding then you are probably better off investing in a new monitor with a better gamut.

Cheers