how do you calibrate colours on a projector?

nightrider1470 · 3 May 2012 at 18:43

I have a spears and munsil? blueray disk not that clear though on how to do it.

I notice that when watching TV eveyone looks like they have false tan on! lol

I have a benq W1200 which does have a isf mode

I would have thought you would get colour cards that you could hold up to your screen to match the colours, that seems a good idea doesnt it?

Wanting yo do it the DIY cheap way

Nightglow · 3 May 2012 at 18:58

I have used this freeware CalMAN HTPC Pattern Generator, has dozens of patterns for moire, colour, brightness, test cards, etc.

http://calman-htpc-pattern-generator.soft32.com/

May be a more up to date free one here, in the download section.

http://store.spectracal.com/

lucid · 3 May 2012 at 21:51

I calibrate professionally so have been through the learning curve from where you are starting now.

The idea of holding up test cards might work if you had a professional reference set of them ($200+) and you had a daylight source of light - 6500kelvin colour temp. Printing your own won't be accurate, and viewing under normal household light will change the colour.

When someone goes through the ISF Calibration course in the states they cover using a device called an Optical Comparator. The device has a 6500k light source and reference colour charts in a device that allows you to compare the reference against the display. They work okay for basic colour tune ups but have limitations when it comes to some of the more advanced proceedures involved in a full calibration.

Test patterns on their own have their uses. Setting contrast, brightness and sharpness can be done with patterns alone. Master colour level needs a blue filter. Adjuatments to the red, green and blue drive levels for highlights and lowlights needs a colour meter to measure the levels.

nightrider1470 · 4 May 2012 at 16:45

Thanks for that

.... My disk came with a blue filter and my projector has a mode which turns the picture blue. I am serously confused though! How a blue image helps you set other colours, sorry thats just weird to me

If someone could explain in a easy to understand way, it would be appreciated

lucid · 4 May 2012 at 21:15

Well have you read the instructions?

The blue filter and colour bars test pattern is used for setting the overall colour level. Looking through the filter (or using blue mode on the projector) you will see boxes at different brightness levels. The instructions will tell you which boxes to look at. As you adjust the colour level up or down the relative brightness of those boxes will change. When they are the same brightness as each other then your colour level is as correct as it can be.

nightrider1470 · 4 May 2012 at 22:34

Ok cool thanks for that

no instructions with it as bought used but going to check online.

Rroff · 4 May 2012 at 22:39

I had a friend do it with his IIRC spyder 3 setup - but for most projectors theres usually calibration settings online from other peoples properly calibrated tests that will work fairly well for all but the most demanding person.

lucid · 5 May 2012 at 11:02

Rroff said:
...but for most projectors theres usually calibration settings online from other peoples properly calibrated tests that will work fairly well for all but the most demanding person.

Thats a bit like walking into a restaurant, picking a diner at random and asking them to order your dinner.

moody · 5 May 2012 at 13:38

Rroff said:
I had a friend do it with his IIRC spyder 3 setup - but for most projectors theres usually calibration settings online from other peoples properly calibrated tests that will work fairly well for all but the most demanding person.

Might improve out the box settings but with projectors these so many factors that can effect the image quality. Room conditions, lamp life...