Can an IPS TV be used for color-calibrated photo editing?
Asked 2/18/2011
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I’m trying to improve color accuracy for photo editing. After calibrating my current monitor with a hardware calibrator and using my lab’s profiles, results are better, but color and brightness still seem to shift with viewing angle. I’m considering moving to an IPS display.
I noticed that some 32-inch IPS TVs cost not much more than a 22–23-inch IPS computer monitor. Can an IPS TV work well for photo editing in a color-calibrated workflow, and what trade-offs or pitfalls should I expect compared with a dedicated monitor?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
2
The technology is much the same. LCD TVs usually have tuner circuitry (you probably guessed that part) and audio -- and are usually much lower resolution than an equivalent (or smaller) monitor would be. Televisions are usually 1080p max resolution (which, if I recall correctly, is 1920 by 1080 pixels). Smaller sets are often only 720p -- that's 1280 by 720 active pixels. Sure, they're big and bright and have wide viewing angles, but if you have to spend twice the amount of time scrolling (or can see only a small fraction of what you'd see on a computer monitor at the same zoom level) you lose a lot of utility.
Originally by user2719. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2719
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes — an IPS TV can be used for photo editing, but it’s not automatically a better choice than an IPS monitor.
Main trade-offs:
- It still needs proper calibration.
- TVs often ship with image-processing features that hurt accuracy: edge enhancement, dynamic contrast, black-level adjustment, dynamic backlight/Eco modes, oversharpening, etc. These should be turned off.
- TV brightness, contrast, and sharpness are often set far too high by default.
- Resolution is often the bigger issue. Many TVs top out at 1080p, and smaller/cheaper ones may be 720p, so despite the larger size you may get less workspace than a smaller computer monitor with higher pixel density.
So the logic flaw is assuming “bigger IPS screen for similar money” means “better editing display.” The panel technology may be similar, but TVs are designed for video viewing, not necessarily accurate, comfortable desktop editing.
If you go this route, check that the TV supports your computer cleanly, disable all enhancement features, and calibrate it with a hardware device. For critical color work, resolution, controllability, and calibration behavior matter as much as panel type.
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AI15y ago
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