Why don't all monitors come factory color calibrated?

[yhelothar]

A company can color calibrate a shoddy TN panel and declare it to be more color accurate than a top of the line IPS model going by to Anandtech's tests.

I couldn't imagine the whole process taking more than a few minutes per unit and really even costing anything.

Why not?

 

[Zanovar]

A company can color calibrate a shoddy TN panel and declare it to be more color accurate than a top of the line IPS model going by to Anandtech's tests.

I couldn't imagine the whole process taking more than a few minutes per unit and really even costing anything.

Why not?

Lazy?

 

[Kenmitch]

A company can color calibrate a shoddy TN panel and declare it to be more color accurate than a top of the line IPS model going by to Anandtech's tests.

I couldn't imagine the whole process taking more than a few minutes per unit and really even costing anything.

Why not?

Time is money I guess....In those few minutes the unit could be boxed, crated, and loaded for shipment is my guess.

I would tend to think that if it was done they would charge somewhat of a premium for the service.

 

[Arkadrel]

@astroidea

very good question.

 

[Dribble]

I think there are two reasons:
1) It needs to look flashy on the showroom floor - when looking at a room full of nearly identical looking monitors people seem to go for the one that has the brightest and most over saturated colors. Hence they set up the colors not for accuracy but to sell monitors.

2) Calibrated to what?
The colors change dependent on the lighting.

 

[Phynaz]

Cost

 

[Will Robinson]

2) Calibrated to what?
The colors change dependent on the lighting.

Correct +1.You calibrate for the room where the monitor is to be used.
Move it and you need to recalibrate.

 

[randomlinh]

time. time is money. most people don't care. the ones that do, buy the monitors that are factory calibrated fwiw (I had always taken this as not only color accuracy, but accuracy across the whole screen. Though, I think dell only does a single vs multiple points I've heard). And also have their own calibration tools.

 

[randomlinh]

You calibrate for the room where the monitor is to be used.
Move it and you need to recalibrate.

he was saying what would the OEM calibrate to.. for exactly the reason you mentioned.

 

[yhelothar]

he was saying what would the OEM calibrate to.. for exactly the reason you mentioned.

It's true. I own a pantone color calibrator myself and it does the room lighting adjustments.
However, the the room lighting adjustment change is minimal, especially in proportion to the amount of change a calibration does.

I turn the room lighting adjustment off actually as it doesn't look accurate. I could be editing a photo one day and the next day it looks off. I turn off the room lighting and all looks well again. The purpose of room lighting adjustment should be to make colors look perceptually static regardless of the environment lighting.
This device totally fails in that regard.

However there is one objective standard that is used for calibration, and that's with aligning the wavelength of the light outputted with the corresponding programming that defines color. For example, a pure red 255 value would be 650nm.
It is my understanding that this is how colorimeters work.

 

[QuantumPion]

Most people prefer max brightness and contrast over accurate colors.

 

[yhelothar]

I find that TN panels, especially on laptops have a much much cooler colors than calibrated. The reds are severely desaturated.
It really sucks since often my photoshop edits would look spectacular on my screen but on a friend's TN screen, it looks like utter rubbish.

 

[Zanovar]

I find that TN panels, especially on laptops have a much much cooler colors than calibrated. The reds are severely desaturated.
It really sucks since often my photoshop edits would look spectacular on my screen but on a friend's TN screen, it looks like utter rubbish.

i find cheap glossy tns much better screen vibrancy than ips screen,the peasants keep on buying ips screens with a layer of frost on so i will have to put up with it i guess.

 

[reallyscrued]

time. time is money. most people don't care. the ones that do, buy the monitors that are factory calibrated fwiw (I had always taken this as not only color accuracy, but accuracy across the whole screen. Though, I think dell only does a single vs multiple points I've heard). And also have their own calibration tools.

While you've got the right idea of why a lot of products in the marketplace aren't sold in the optimal state, this isn't one of those times.

 

[Modular]

@astroidea

very good question.

This isn't Twitter.

Anyways, my only guess would be that the time it takes (like others have said) is not worth the cost to them. What customer really knows that their colors aren't accurate? I'd be willing to bet that 99% of panel users never change the color settings, let alone mess with real calibration.

 

[dennilfloss]

This IPS is colour-calibrated at the factory.

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1576210

It's what I'll probably get if my P-MVA monitor dies soon.

 

[Zanovar]

This IPS is colour-calibrated at the factory.

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1576210

It's what I'll probably get if my P-MVA monitor dies soon.[/QUOTEh
hazro hz27wc ticks all my boxes bar the sh1tty qc and warranty,but hey i might get lucky.

 

[gevorg]

It would make sense only for high-end/pro monitors, as one of available presets. But manufacturers don't bother doing even that, due to costs and margins.

 

[JRW]

Ya I wish more companies would address this color issue between models..

I have a TN based Samsung PX2370 and it was tested under 2.3 avg. DeltaE from the factory in various reviews, It's puts our older Samsung 2232BW+ to shame in comparison (also TN).

Then I have a Samsung 2333T (PVA panel) sitting next to the PX and the colors are just "Off" in comparison, The colors are on the cool side and using the Warm setting is to red.

At least the contrast and black levels are better being PVA But I cant help but think how much better it would look if it had the color accuracy of the PX.

Guess I need to invest in a hardware calibrator.

 

[taltamir]

the problem with the "most people like it oversaturated" claim is that monitors are not precalibrated to be oversaturated. Take 2 monitors of the same exact model and you will find out that they require different calibration to look the same. I can only imagine it is cost, because I read reviews that pointed out that some specific high end expensive monitors are precalibrated...

or maybe its a differentiating factor, something that is cheap but they intentionally hold back on for the cheaper models because people will pay.
Rule 1 of economics is "Something is worth as much as people will pay for it"... not "as much as it costs to produce".