Top Free LCD Calibration Tools

The festive season is the time to splurge. I'm sure LCDs and speaker systems will be on many shopping lists, so I've decided to showcase some simple calibration software to get you going with your new AV toys. Even if you have older equipment, these suggestions might help you dial in a better image.

Now, hardcore calibration may require hardware such as chroma meters and SPL meters, but one can still be Sir Tweakalot with some cool software and test material. So here's how you can make sure that your new LCD puts out the right shade of red... if only to do justice to those gory hack-and-slashers.

Quick Gamma (download)
The right gamma setting is very important for LCDs and CRTs, whether PC monitor or TV. Even with the latter, you should connect a computer to your LCD TV and run this test. So what's gamma? There is a difference between the input signal and output luminance signal; for every 0.1 Volt increase in input, the brightness increases exponentially, and not linearly. That exponential factor is gamma.

In Windows systems the gamma is set to 2.2 (it's become de facto now), so any monitor having a gamma setting of 2.2 is fine. But life is not that simple; or rather, not that accurate. The settings differ among manufacturers, so we should ideally do slight corrections using a test like Quickgamma.

Quickgamma is a small-sized software with an intuitive help file and GUI. It has only one chart, which is more than enough. It also has a settings for adjusting individual levels of gamma for each red, green and blue channel. The operation is simple; all you have to do is tweak your monitor's contrast menu and brightness; the actual gamma correction is offered by the software itself on the fly, on its GUI.

Gamma is very important in calibrating visual displays, as we can achieve some realistic midtones and good brightness without blooming and harshness. Besides, color and sharpness are affected positively.