Mitsubishi HC8000D Projector Calibration and Settings
2/2/13 - Art Feierman
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Let's take a look at the numbers:
Mitsubishi HC8000D 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 Video)
30 IRE – 6551
50 IRE – 6634
80 IRE – 6576
100 IRE – 6582
The Mitsubishi does impress, right out of the box. Grayscale is more accurate than the HC7900DW's right out of the box.
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
Mitsubishi HC8000D 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 | Video | Game | |
| 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) |
| Iris 1= Auto 1 all modes | (Auto 1) | (Auto 1) | (Auto 1) | (Auto 1) | |
| Iris 2= | (High Contrast) | (High Contrast) | (High Bright) | (High Bright) | (High Contrast) |
| Brilliant Color= | (Off) | (Off) | (On) | (On) | (Off) |
Mike's Notes: Grayscale Calibration
The HC8000 calibrated extremely well, doing much better than the HC7900 recently reviewed. It’s slightly less bright than the HC7900 and like that projector, turning Brilliant Color on increases lumen output, to the detriment of grayscale. If you look at the grayscale chart, you’ll see near perfect grayscale tracking, with Delta E under 1.0 throughout the entire measured IRE range, with an average of 0.5. This is one of the best results I’ve seen on a projector to date.
Mitsubishi HC8000D Post Calibration Grayscale: User Mode
Color Temp over IRE Range (Post calibration):
20 IRE - 6402
30 IRE - 6550
40 IRE - 6496
50 IRE - 6527
60 IRE - 6485
70 IRE - 6486
80 IRE - 6541
90 IRE - 6510
100 IRE – 6527
Average Gamma: 2.18
Mike's Notes: Unlike the HC7900, the preset gamma was so good there was no reason to use the custom gamma (unless you desire a level not available in one of the preset levels). Using the 2.2 setting resulted in an average gamma of 2.18, but what’s more impressive is that the gamma chart is flat throughout the IRE range (see chart). Likewise, luminance tracks the curve perfectly as well.
There are two color gamut settings (see the CIE charts in the future subscriber area), Wide and Normal, but there’s not a lot of difference between them. Both have an expanded Green gamut. Overall, colors look pretty good in either gamut.
HC8000D RGB Settings
Below are the adjustments Mike came up with calibrating this HC8000D.
A/V Memory 1 mode with User Color temp (Medium color temp reference). Gamma on 2.2, Lamp on Standard, Brilliant Color off
RGB settings (default is 0 for all)
A/V Memory 1 A/V Memory 2
Contrast R= -4 0
G = 0 -5
B= -3 -13
Brightness R= 0 0
G= 0 0
B= 0 0
Lumens at 100 IRE: 465 @ 6527 751 @ 6863
Average Gamma: 2.18
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 1 on Auto 1, Iris 2 on High Contrast. All else at default
A/V Memory 2 with User color temp (Medium reference), Gamma on 3D, Lamp on Standard, Brilliant Color on, Iris 1 on Auto 1, Iris 2 on High Brightness. All else on default.
More of Mike's comments:
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 maximum brightness quick cal, but the High Bright color temp adds so much green, you wouldn’t want to use it anyway. To do a bright Quick Cal, I used the A/V Memory 2 mode with Brilliant Color turned on and Iris 2 set to High Brightness (which makes it pretty much the same as Game mode), then cut back on the blue and green to improve the grayscale, while still ending up with 751 lumens. Another option (as mentioned earlier in the report) is to turn Contrast up to 11, which gives you another 127 lumens in Cinema mode.
Editor's note: Mike did a full calibration, including calibrating the individual colors.
Look for additional information, charts, including CIE charts, and Mike's comments on calibrating the Color management system, look to the calibration section in the new website come May 2013. This additional information will be extra value for our subscribers. -art
NEXT: Recommended projector screens for the Mitsubishi HC8000D Projector