Spears & Munsil 4K UHD HDR Benchmark (Test Discs) May 15, 2023

[sapiendut]

Originally Posted by Scenic Labs

Look for "blue filter" mode, or "blue only" mode if your TV has it. Not all do, but it is on many. Otherwise, it is better to adjust by eye with the montage if not using instrumentation. The montage footage is intended to look naturalistic on a calibrated display versus content where the director intent is not known.

If you'd like a filter, I'll send one to you (I have tons!) they just don't work. Blue mode works very well.

That said, I'm writing this in 2019. Who knows what new materials might be available in the future? These posts live forever.

I personally don’t use that (I have my instruments), I only thought the blue filter works just for a guick and dirty check. If you say it doesn’t work, then f-it Cheers.

[sapiendut]

Originally Posted by kristoffer

Maybe, but has Panasonic or Dolby even acknowledged the issue?

Panasonic yes, Dolby... well... rolleyes time

[sapiendut]

Originally Posted by DJR662

3. You say this because of the extra projector/350 nits mode?

So projector owners with a 9000 do not need to run the player in SDR2020, or does this only apply to owners of the most recent native 4K JVC projectors (which are optimized to be used with the 9000 I believe)?

I use a JVC projector, most of my clients either use JVC NX7/9/4500 or Sony 665. I see benefits in using 350 nits projector setting. The rest of the clients use 1080p projectors, so I can’t tell first hand whether SDR2020 is a better choice. But for JVC and a handful Sony 665, I still prefer the look of 350 nits over SDR2020

[p5browne]

Ran Montage again last night. (Thanks for the heads up re the up arrow.)

TV Menu for HDR, does subtly get brighter in all the Nit modes, just NOT the glaring whites I see with other HDR Patterns and 4K HDR discs. (More noticeable change when you switch to SDR)

So, what have you done re your HDR Mode, versus everyone else? (PS. I like yours better without the glare.)

Also, my system seems to play even up to the 10000 Nits. Only it appears a tad sharper looking from 4000 to the 10000.(Noise?)

[mrtickleuk]

quick comment on the "Getting started with the UltraHD Benchmark" article

Set a Default Color Space
The PDF form you can download from http://spearsandmunsil.com/ and print is a handy place to write down the settings you arrive at as you work through the calibration.

I can't find the PDF anywhere. Soooo frustrating! Please please please, do not just link it to that text, but also CLEARLY signpost it at the top level of the "Articles" page, with a big fat "Download the PDF settings sheet here" button?

Thanks.

[Stacey Spears]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

The pattern asked to use colour filter, so logically the filter should be included

We were planning to include one and then we started testing display. e.g. The LG B7 needs 4x of our filter to work, but it also has a built-in blue only mode and color was correct by default. Then I tried the Z9D, and even 8x of filtration did not work. It has no blue only mode either. I used CalMAN and confirmed color was set correctly.

We can include it, but it won't work for 99% of the displays out there.

[Stacey Spears]

Originally Posted by mrtickleuk

quick comment on the "Getting started with the UltraHD Benchmark" article



I can't find the PDF anywhere. Soooo frustrating! Please please please, do not just link it to that text, but also CLEARLY signpost it at the top level of the "Articles" page, with a big fat "Download the PDF settings sheet here" button?

Thanks.

Thank you for the feedback.

Are you looking for a PDF version of the getting started guide? If so, we have not made one. There will be a PDF coming for a novice guide in a couple of weeks.

If you are looking for a PDF of the color space checklist, we have not created a new one yet that includes the changes on the color space eval pattern. That will come once we get the new choosing a color space article done. Aiming to create the images this weekend and then it will be posted. We will create the new checklist after that. Here is the one from the 2nd edition.

Based on your feedback, we just installed a download plugin. We will publish it next week, once we update the PDF for the new disc. (and the actual text for the page)

[Stacey Spears]

Originally Posted by p5browne

So, what have you done re your HDR Mode, versus everyone else? (PS. I like yours better without the glare.)

Also, my system seems to play even up to the 10000 Nits. Only it appears a tad sharper looking from 4000 to the 10000.(Noise?)

As far as I know, we have not done anything. Perhaps it was something David M did during authoring.

If you play the Butterfly version and pause on the Ferris Wheel, you will see just how much sharper HDR looks over SDR. The LEDs in the center look fuzzy in SDR. The SDR side is just as sharp at the pixel level as the HDR. Same 8K master, same conversion to UHD and same high bitrate encode. That same effect also applies to brighter HDR over dimmer HDR. The improved contrast results in perceived sharpness increase.

[Scenic Labs]

There are blue narrowband filters that can cost as much as a spectrophotometer. And it doesn't sound like any of them would work since it would vary by the display and it might add a few hundred dollars to the cost of the disc!

The disc also has patterns for the Sync-One2, and we don't include that either, although we do now have it listed for sale on the site.

Originally Posted by sapiendut

I personally don’t use that (I have my instruments), I only thought the blue filter works just for a guick and dirty check. If you say it doesn’t work, then f-it Cheers.

[sapiendut]

LOL! So true!

And yeah, why didn’t you include the SyncOne2?

[Scenic Labs]

I should list a bundle.

Originally Posted by sapiendut

LOL! So true!

And yeah, why didn’t you include the SyncOne2?

[sapiendut]

With a K10, Calman, and a pet hamster.

[Stacey Spears]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

LOL! So true!

And yeah, why didn’t you include the SyncOne2?

We felt that $538.95 might have been a little too much for most people.

We should have removed the text or changed it to blue only mode. It is one of those things that you see so often, your brain filters (pun intended) it out.

[HDMan72]

Received my disc today and did SDR settings as prescribed in the guide. Got very familiar with contrast and clipping patterns. I did not know about leaving the contrast control alone in HDR. I’ve been using the same pic mode for SDR & HDR. I’m starting to now use two different modes to maximize performance of SDR & HDR. Is this what is preferred over sharing one mode and making a compromise with say the contrast setting? I’ll be moving on to the color space evaluations next. Really enjoying exploring into this disc.

[sapiendut]

Admittedly my brain just shut off when I start thinking about “free stuff”. It’s the Chinese Indonesian Dutch mix in me.

[Scenic Labs]

Don't tempt me. Scenic Labs got its start bundling aquarium blu-ray discs with Spears & Munsil in the early days.

That said, I want to do an 8K HDR Aquarium now!

Originally Posted by sapiendut

With a K10, Calman, and a pet hamster.

[Kris Deering]

Originally Posted by sapiendut

I use a JVC projector, most of my clients either use JVC NX7/9/4500 or Sony 665. I see benefits in using 350 nits projector setting. The rest of the clients use 1080p projectors, so I can’t tell first hand whether SDR2020 is a better choice. But for JVC and a handful Sony 665, I still prefer the look of 350 nits over SDR2020

I still find this interesting since both are based on a 350 nit curve. The only difference is the base. For HDR you are doubling the tone map and hoping it works well, for SDR you are calibrating to a known baseline so Panasonic gets exactly what they want (similar to DV). One note though. Panasonic uses the above white area of the signal with SDR2020. So you may get a bit more highlight info using Super White with the JVC if you try SDR2020. They don’t with HDR2020.

[DJR662]

Originally Posted by Kris Deering

I still find this interesting since both are based on a 350 nit curve. The only difference is the base. For HDR you are doubling the tone map and hoping it works well, for SDR you are calibrating to a known baseline so Panasonic gets exactly what they want (similar to DV). One note though. Panasonic uses the above white area of the signal with SDR2020. So you may get a bit more highlight info using Super White with the JVC if you try SDR2020. They don’t with HDR2020.

I was actually hoping you would chime in since you were so vocal on using SDR2020 with the 820 in conjunction with projectors.

[Kris Deering]

Originally Posted by DJR662

I was actually hoping you would chime in since you were so vocal on using SDR2020 with the 820 in conjunction with projectors.

That applies more to just about any projector other than the new JVC models. Their tone mapping works well enough that I can go either way honestly. Plus the HDR mode makes it easier overall since it allows the projector to auto switch to proper picture mode.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by Kris Deering

I still find this interesting since both are based on a 350 nit curve. The only difference is the base. For HDR you are doubling the tone map and hoping it works well, for SDR you are calibrating to a known baseline so Panasonic gets exactly what they want (similar to DV). One note though. Panasonic uses the above white area of the signal with SDR2020. So you may get a bit more highlight info using Super White with the JVC if you try SDR2020. They don’t with HDR2020.

Kris this is very interesting. Thanks.

Chad B calibrated my RS440 and for whatever reason, my grey uniformity is virtually perfect with Super White (better than it being off for some reason - we both noted this before the cal as at 80 IRE and above there is a yellowish tint on the very bottom 1/4 of image but is gone with Super White even at a higher IRE). I am very sensitive to uniformity issues so I preferred Super White. I'm also using the 820 with SDR 2020. The small light output loss I think it worth it here. I really, really like the image I'm getting with a calibrated 2.4 gamma. I have yet to see any kind of odd, strange, or obvious clipping as I would encounter with Arve curves at times depending on the disc. Never any darkness issues either.