Mitsubishi HC7900DW Projector Calibration and Settings
2/2/13 - Art Feierman
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Let's take a look at the numbers:
Mitsubishi HC7900DW Color Temperature
Before we provide our settings, lets see what we started out with: Pre calibration, these are the color temperatures over the grayscale range:
Color Temp over IRE Range, Best Mode:
A/V Memory 1 (or Cinema)
30 IRE – 6505
50 IRE – 6582
80 IRE – 6570
100 IRE – 6550
Lumen Output and Color Temp for various Picture modes at 100 IRE:
Cinema = 486 @ 6897
Video = 486 @ 6662
3D = 804 @ 7556
Game = 804 @ 7564
A/V Memory 1, 2 or 3 = 476 @ 6602
ISF Day = 761 @ 7458
ISF Night = 444 @ 6628
Mike's Notes: While it shouldn’t, the Contrast setting can nonetheless have a huge impact on lumen output. If you use the normal Contrast test pattern to set contrast, you end up with it set at 10 for each Picture mode. This results in an 11% increase in lumens. So, for example, the lumen output in Game mode goes from 962 to 1069 and a maximum of 1235 lumens with the High Bright color temp.
Mitsubishi HC7900DW Basic Settings
In addition to calibrating Red Green and Blue for a correct grayscale balance (6500K), there are a number of other settings that come into play. Typically Contrast and Brightness (white balance and black balance), need to be done first. Color saturation and gamma also need adjustment.
| Cinema | Video | 3D | Game | AV Mem1,2,3 | |
| Contrast (0) = | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brightness (0)= | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Color (0)= | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tint (0) = | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Color Temp = | (Medium) | (Medium) | (Medium) | (Medium) | (Medium) |
| Gamma = | (Cinema) | (2.1 Video) | (3D) | (3D) | (Cinema) |
All other settings at default (untouched). Iris setting has no effect on lumen output.
Mike's Notes: Grayscale Calibration
The HC7900 is pretty similar to the HC7800 previously reviewed. It’s marginally brighter than the 7800 and like that projector, turning Brilliant Color on increases lumen output, to the detriment of grayscale. Grayscale was very good after calibration, with Delta E under 1.0 from 20 to 90 IRE. There is a big bump at 100 IRE as the lamp runs out of Red, but the average Delta E is still 1.0 (under 3.0 is considered good).
Mitsubishi HC7900DW Post Calibration Grayscale: User Mode
Color Temp over IRE Range (Post calibration):
20 IRE - 6548
30 IRE - 6434
40 IRE - 6528
50 IRE - 6469
60 IRE - 6489
70 IRE - 6476
80 IRE - 6480
90 IRE - 6451
100 IRE 6760
Average Gamma: 2.17
Mike's Notes: None of the preset gammas gave you anything close to 2.2, so the custom gamma settings must be used if you want a gamma in the 2.2 to 2.3 range. The High Bright color temp cannot be selected as a reference color temp in the A/V Memories, so there no way to get a high brightness quick cal, but the High Bright color temp adds so much green, you wouldn’t want to use it anyway. The best bet is to use the Cinema mode with Brilliant Color turned on (which makes it pretty much the same as Game mode) if you need extra lumens for daytime sports. Another option is to turn Contrast up to 10, which gives you another 100 lumens in Cinema mode.
HC7900DW RGB Settings
Below are the adjustments Mike came up with calibrating this HC7900DW.
Calibration settings:
A/V Memory 1 mode with User Color temp (Medium color temp reference). Gamma on User 1 – Reference 2.2, set to All, and set at -4 from 20-90%, Lamp on Standard, Brilliant Color off, Iris on Auto 1
RGB settings (default is 0 for all)
User
Contrast R= 7
G = 0
B= 5
Brightness R= 2
G= 0
B= 0
Lumens at 100 IRE: 701 @ 6760
Average Gamma: 2.17
Calibration settings:
A/V Memory 1 mode with User Color temp (Medium color temp reference). Gamma on User 2.2, Lamp on Standard, Brilliant Color off, Iris On, All else at default
More of Mike's comments:
There are two color gamut settings (see the CIE charts), Wide and Normal, with the main difference between the two being an oversaturated Green on the Wide setting. As a result, colors don’t change much going from one gamut to the other.
Editor's note: Mike did a full calibration, including calibrating the individual colors.
Look for that additional information/settings, graphs, including CIE charts, and Mike's comments on calibrating the Color management system, in our new calibration pages to be found in our redesigned website come May 2013. This additional information (and much more) that we have never previously published will be reserved as extra value for our future subscribers. We hope you will become one. -art
NEXT: Recommended projector screens for the Mitsubishi HC7900DW Projector