Monitor calibration and DaVinci Resolve

[Samuel H]

Many years ago I bought a calibrator, but it was not very useful because it created a profile that was bypassed by video programs of the time. Images on an internet browser would look accurate, but within Premiere they would not. As I said, that was many years ago, maybe Windows 98...

I'm switching to Resolve now, and since I'm stepping up my color grading game, I'd also like to step up my monitor color accuracy.

Would something like a Datacolor Spyder5pro or an Xrite ColorMunki give me accurate colors in Resolve?

I'm using Windows 10 and a standard HDMI monitor

[Jörgen Persson]

If you want to step up your color grading game then you should stop grading using your GUI monitor. You need a separate reference monitor connected to a Blackmagic device via SDI or HDMI. Calibrate with Lightspace or SpectraCal software and a good probe that works with those applications. (You could proabably rent a package depending on where you live). After calibration you get a LUT that you either: 1.Upload to your brand new video monitor (if it supports it). 2.Upload it into a LUT Box. 3.Use the LUT as a Monitor LUT in Resolve. Either way it's an investment that involves a lot more than just a new color probe. Many people use FSI monitors since they can store the LUTs internally and the monitors are calibrated at the factory. Personally I use a Sony A250 OLED and upload a Lightspace calibration LUT to an FSI BoxIO connected to a Decklink Mini Monitor. Lightspace support is great. FSI is even better.

[LochnessDigital]

Look into DisplayCAL. It specially has some options for Resolve users. And it can use several third-party colorimeters/spectrophotometers.

[shijan]

Color calibration works well yet only for images. Photoshop, web browsers and almost any image viewer app nowadays is color managed and converts build in input image profile to monitor profile. There are still some non uniformity because different OSes use slightly different implementations of color management methods.
In video world things are very odd. There is no any global standard how to embed color profiles in video and how to read them. Some video players are color managed, some not. Every app, web browser and OS use its own color management system for video and may shift colors and gamma a lot. There are tons of threads about different color in different players and different editing apps problem. Even if you calibrate your editing workstation other people probably will see your video in many different color and gamma variations. Resolve viewer output is not corrected by monitor profile but there are some options to calibrate it.

To see Resolve output video trough monitor profile you need to create Rec709 to monitor ICC transformation profile, convert it to LUT and apply in the end of Resolve Timeline.
You can also calibrate external monitor and viewer in Resolve as described in these videos




DisplayCAL app is really great app. It is free, it creates very high quality profiles and provides tons of unique color management tools and options.

[Samuel H]

Thanks

It seems this is almost as awful as it used to be. Reminds me of this https://www.xkcd.com/2055/

I'll check that video and the DisplayCAL app. It seems a ColorMunki Smile would be a cheap way to get this working...

(thanks for the higher-end suggestions too, but given how my workstation is set up, there's no option for a second monitor; and I intend to step my game up, but not necessariy to the top: I just want something better than what I currently have)

[razz16mm]

IMO, grading reference monitors should be internally calibrated to your primary delivery color space independent of any particular software application or source equipment used to drive them.