(Disclaimer: what I'm saying here is about the sample I own; let's hope the LED panel and the monitor model are the same worldwide and that nothing has changed.)
Am I still happy with color reproduction on the monitor? Yes, for an all-purpose monitor at an affordable price for home, it very very fine. There is not problem to use it to create web content and desktop documents with a perfectly professional quality. You can as well edit images, photos and videos in very good conditions. And all current pre-print work is OK: let's say it could be used without problem to work on ordinary magazines and books.
Now, of course, I wouldn't use it for highly accurate color printing of art books, movies mastering, and critical photo applications. But that's like 0.01% of the monitor market. And there are awfully expensive screens for that. (Barco, top lines from Eizo,...)
Let's say than, in my opinion, to have something better in color reproduction, you should double the price of the monitor (the Asus PA264Q I mentioned in my comments above in this thread would be a very nice intermediate solution) BUT, in this case, you'll have more or less issues with very fast video games or even videos, as the panel LED will be an IPS most likely or something else but anyhow slower than a TN panel.
The positive point is also that -at least regarding my sample - the monitor came with very decent factory color settings, just too much brightness. (As I mentioned.)
Now, about calibration, unfortunately, nothing is provided and I can't think of any screen below 1100ish euros that come with a real calibration device even if rudimentary.
So you either go for a calibration device, or you do "the best you" can with software. Calibration software can't be better than your own judgement and eyes.
Before starting to calibrate, remember to remove anything interfering, especially Adobe gamma (coming with Photoshop).
Software
QuickGamma
http://www.quickgamma.de/indexen.html
Monitor Calibration Wizard
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/downloads/M ... Wizard.exe
Checkmon
http://www.ykwong.com/checkemon.html
Adobe Gamma - Free with Photoshop software
Nokia NTest
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=960 Simple test and basic calibration (not colors). Totally portable. May require standard Windows video drivers instead of NvIdia ones.
Eizo Monitortest
http://www.majorgeeks.com/EIZO_Monitortest_d5639.html Same kind as Nokia's but more advanced. (Delivered with Eizo monitors most often.)
Callibration equipment
If you want to be sure that two screens will display "the same" colors, you unfortunately have to use a calibration equipment able to perform measurements and create color profiles for each monitor, like for example, the X-Rite devices I mentioned. Bad news, this kind of equipment used to start at around 400USD, and up to ten times more. Good news, you now have some serious equipment around 169USD and at least one of them offers easy dual-monitor calibration ; I haven't used it myself yet but the manufacturer (X-Rite again) is reliable; the specs are nice and the comments I heard and read are good:
- X-Rite ColorMunki Display
Keith Cooper's full review, Summer 2011, provides good information:
http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/revi ... splay.html
(The guy is usually serious.)
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0055M ... tl?ie=UTF8
About calibrating a second monitor:
Keith Cooper's review wrote:Having set up one monitor, it's a simple operation to do a second.
The software offers assistance in matching a second display to the first, if you wish.
You go through exactly the same measurement process as you did the first.
I use such a monitor for palettes and other stuff, to give me more space on my main monitor - it's only a 15" 1024x768 LCD of unknown make, but it's been matched quite closely to the main monitor.
If the second monitor is just for palettes, then having it a bit dimmer than your main one will lessen its effect on how you see the main monitor (you don't want it brighter)
Your second monitor might be a projector...
Err... maybe I was a bit talkative... Will stop there, hoping I was helpful but there are mlore to say. Just ask.
:chrisdidit: