Color Temperature.

[SolidRaider]

I'm curious as to what you movie enthusiasts have your TV's color set temperature set to. Since forever it feels like I have had it set on warm and I've gotten use to it. However, it seems like the "normal" setting has a more accurate color, am I wrong? Or does it just look cooler (pun) because it's a bit brighter?

[JJ]

Call me crazy, but I like it a little cooler than most. The whites look whiter, and I don't like the reddish tone that Warm adds to skin tones.

[shrex]

I have my Panasonic VT60 set up with DNice's settings and I usually run Warm 2 unless someone who likes an un-calibrated, out of the box setting I'll put it to Warm 1 or Normal. They also say the skin tones are too red, but I think they'll look pretty natural.

[CtrlCtrlFast]

I have my LG set on Warm2. Since apparently that makes it look more red, that probably explains why the picture always seems to have a red tint to it. I think I have compensated enough by turning the red tint down but now I am curious to put it on other color temps, to see what it looks like.

[nik666uk]

I always go for warm 1, most settings guides I read online seem to go for warm 2 but I find it too yellow

[Beaucamper]

Originally Posted by SolidRaider

I'm curious as to what you movie enthusiasts have your TV's color set temperature set to.

I'm certaintly a movie enthusiast. I went to the movies when I was so small I had to sit on top of the upturned seat. That was in 1949.

I'm a purist when it comes to picture accuracy, calibration, and using a set up disc.
I'm a long time photographer and I worked in the printing and photo industry.
But I've made an exception with color temperature.

As I said on another thread:

I've had two Samsungs, an LCD and a Plasma. Now I have a Vizio.
I did everything I could with them to make them as close to calibrated as possible, with the Disney WoW disc.
Until I tried the 'Cool' setting I was not satisfied with the look of my movies. When I tried it, I said, "Ah, there it is. That's the movie."

As I see it, 'Warm' never has pure whites.
I'm very aware of the standards but 'Cool' still looks right to me.

That said: My first HD screen, a 40" Toshiba RPTV, was calibrated by one of the top ISF techs.
I left it the way he set it, and in terms of color accuracy, I enjoyed it that way for many years.

I think most uncalibrated units are set too warm at the factory and an ISF calibration would correct this.

[UFAlien]

Originally Posted by Beaucamper

I think most uncalibrated units are set too warm at the factory and an ISF calibration would correct this.

Reviewed.com has some really great scientific data and analysis on their television reviews, including measuring color temperature accuracy by detecting and comparing the light output of each sub-pixel (green, red, blue). The majority of TVs they test actually have substantially more blue luminance than the other two colors, making them too cool. That's often intentional, because cooler pictures look subjectively "brighter" and stand out more on showroom floors.

[Beaucamper]

Originally Posted by UFAlien

... The majority of TVs they test actually have substantially more blue luminance than the other two colors, making them too cool...

That's interesting. I've read that that human vision tends to get warmer as people age.
Maybe my eyes need calibrated.

[DanielWatson]

One of the least understood controls on nearly all modern televisions is the color temperature control.Casual adjustment of this can result in the image appearing too red, or too blue. Setting this vital control correctly has a significant impact on the accuracy and performance of your TV.

[tfmahony]

The reason there are so many recommendations to set the temperature to "warm" or "warm2" on most panels is because the highlights are then set much closer to Rec709 D65 white. This is what I've found on both my panels using a Hubble probe for calibration. This is also the case on a lot of professional level plasma displays.

Changing only the color temperature, however, results in the middle grays and shadows (skintones) pushing too red. The color temperature change to warm is only a starting point... individual RGB grayscale calibration is still needed to get midtones in line (which means reducing red output on a lot of panels), otherwise the display is out of balance and way too warm overall.

Colder color temperature settings may appear more "white," and bluer highlights will generally feel cleaner and crisper, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're more accurate to the Rec709 standard and creative intent of the content.

[nik666uk]

After years of using 'warm 1' on different TV's I now prefer 'cool' as i think it makes the image look cleaner

[StingingVelvet]

{Edit: see below}

I do strongly advise against using cool though. It really puts SUCH a blue tint on everything, even faces. If your TV has a middle setting like all of mine have it should give you a brightness boost and purer looking whites without the super, super blue tint of cool.

Best thing is to research and get a TV with a real 6500k mode out of the box.

[ElliesDad]

Originally Posted by nik666uk

After years of using 'warm 1' on different TV's I now prefer 'cool' as i think it makes the image look cleaner

Agree completely. I also keep color generally at 50%, less if a particular broadcast or disc requires it, and bump the red tint just a tech to fine-tune skin tones. Gives an excellent picture on my Bravia.

[nik666uk]

Originally Posted by ElliesDad

Agree completely. I also keep color generally at 50%, less if a particular broadcast or disc requires it, and bump the red tint just a tech to fine-tune skin tones. Gives an excellent picture on my Bravia.

I've upped my colour slightly from 54 to 56 since using 'cool', I just can't seem to get this Samsung to a setting I'm completely satisfied with though! I'm going back to Sony for my next TV as I've always found them more or less good to go out of the box!

[nissling]

I'm a 6500K guy, which usually means warm1 or warm2 on the LG sets I have experience from (I've got an LG plasma at the moment).

[maperez1987]

I have a Sharp Aquos Quattron tv and the options I have for that are high, mid-high, middle, mid-low and low. For standard settings I have it set to middle, cause the whites like snow looks good doesn't have a lot of blue to it or red. For movie settings I have it set to mid-low looks fine. Also adjusted the RGB high/low settings that is associated with those temperature settings. I'm wondering of what to set my xvYCC setting color temperature to when watching something in 4k.

[StingingVelvet]

Ancient thread but... my post above is pretty much useless now, as I discovered the issue was my BD player was sending out HDMI "deep color" and the TV couldn't handle it properly. I set that from auto to off and now my new TV's "normal" color setting looks roughly 6500k, and roughly the same as my older, pro-calibrated Toshiba.

[Canada]

When calibrating your TV you want to start out in movie or cinema mode and set the colour temperature to warm or warm 2.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by Canada

When calibrating your TV you want to start out in movie or cinema mode and set the colour temperature to warm or warm 2.

Some TVs definitely have warm modes below 6500k, which can lead to an overly brown/red picture with a muddy look. My old Toshiba was pro-calibrated and "standard" was closer to 6500k than "warm" was.

If you can't pro-calibrate Casino Royale is supposed to be a good test. The opening black and white should be pure white, no beige or blue, and then about 90 seconds in it switches to the bathroom flashback which should be subtly sepia-toned. If you can't see the sepia-tone then you're too cool, if it's super obvious or the opening has a brown tint then you're too warm.

[julianlionix]

Samsung 4k 6500 Series

I have mine on standard/normal. I also don't have it in movie mode, it's also in standard. I feel the colors and skin tones are accurate.