How to calibrate your PC monitor to get the best picture possible
Home computers have come a long way since the early days. Processors are much faster and storage size is incredibly large in comparison.
They have also come way down in price. You can now pick up a powerful desktop or laptop computer for a fraction of the cost that you would have paid for a lesser machine in the mid-1990s.
Peripheral devices have also made great strides. For example, you can purchase large, flat-screen HD monitors that are extremely lightweight with great picture quality. Many people use these wonderful gadgets to play video games or stream movies. However, if you buy a new monitor, its display settings might not be right for you.
That’s why you need to know how to test and calibrate your PC monitor. Before we tell you how to adjust your monitor’s settings, let’s define them.
What are monitor settings?
When you go to adjust the settings on your monitor, it’s a good idea to know what you are adjusting.
- Brightness – This setting is pretty self-explanatory. Adjusting this will make your screen brighter or darker, depending on what you like. Many people find that the 75% range is the most comfortable on their eyes. Try this setting with both the room lights on and off to make sure it works for either.
- Color – When you increase or decrease the color setting, you adjust the color saturation of the monitor. That indicates how bold and deep the colors are. Turn it all the way up and then turn it all the way down to see the color range. Set it where it’s most appealing to you.
- Sharpness – This setting is dependent on your monitor’s resolution and the quality of what you are watching. An HD movie will look different from a lower-quality video that you would find on YouTube. If sharpness is set too low, it could result in a softer, blurry picture.
- Tint – This setting adjusts the color hue, defined as the property of light by which the color of an object is classified as red, blue, green or yellow about the spectrum. This can vary depending on the monitor’s manufacturer. Many times this setting will impact the color and dimness of the display.
How to make basic monitor display adjustments
Depending on the ambient lighting at your home, the default display settings on your monitor might not be appropriate. You will need to adjust them manually.
First, go to a website like Netflix or Hulu that offers streaming in HD. You could instead play a Blu-ray Disk if your computer has a built-in Blu-ray player.
Watching an HD movie is the best way to see if the monitor is set up the way you like. If the picture is too bright or dark, you can adjust those settings to your personal taste.
Your monitor should have buttons located on the front that allow you to adjust the screen’s color and brightness. Check the owner’s manual for specific instructions, as these functions differ by brand.
Adjusting display settings with these buttons located on the monitor is the easiest way. There is a more in-depth way to make adjustments. Both Windows computers and macOS already have calibration tools built in. They are quick and easy to use.
Before starting the calibration process, be sure to have your monitor in 24-bit or high-resolution mode. To avoid glaring, use normal room lighting.
How to calibrate a monitor
To calibrate a PC monitor in Windows 10:
- Go to the Settings app
- Choose System in the main menu
- Click Display
- Click Advanced Display Settings
- Scroll down and click Color Calibration
Once you open this feature, follow the instructions that appear.
To calibrate a monitor in macOS:
- Click Settings in the dock
- Choose Display
- Click the Color tab
- Click Calibrate
Again, once you get to this point, follow the onscreen instructions. It’s that simple. These tips will have your monitor set up to perfection for you.
Tags: brightness, buttons, calibration, color, devices, Microsoft Windows 10, monitors, movie, picture quality, price, processors, sharpness, streaming, video games, YouTube
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