Sharp XV-Z30000 Projector Calibration and Settings
We try to calibrate every home theater that we review. (OK, every over $1000 projector and an occasional one under that.) This Sharp XV-Z30000 is no exception. I viewed the XV-Z30000 for about 1 day using default modes, before passing it to Mike for calibration.
Our calibrations, including this Sharp XV-Z30000, are normally limited to a grayscale calibration, along with brightness, contrast, color saturation, tint (where applicable), etc. Only in very special circumstances will we calibrate the individual colors, in which case we discuss why.
8/17/12 - Art Feierman
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Let's take a look at the numbers. Someof these are repeats from the Brightness page:
Sharp XV-Z30000 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:
Sharp XV-Z30000 Color Temp over IRE Range, Best mode, (Movie 1):
30 IRE – 7464
50 IRE – 7458
80 IRE – 7147
100 IRE – 7198 .
XV-Z30000 Lumen Output and Color Temp at 100 IRE:
Standard= 847 @ 8231
Anime= 829 @ 8236
Dynamic= 1063 @ 8319
Movie 1= 531 @ 7198
Movie 2= 270 @ 7274 (w/ Eco+Quiet mode ON)
Game= 829 @ 8206
Monochrome= 270 @ 8699 (w/ Eco+Quiet mode ON)
Sports= 829 @ 8211
Stage= 1090 @ 8276
User 1&2= 838 @ 8192
Sharp XV-Z30000 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.
Settings for measurements (default values are in parenthesis):
| Standard | Anime | Dynamic | Movie 1 | Movie 2 | ||
| Contrast = | (0) 0 | (0) -1 | (0) -1 | (0) 0 | (0) -1 | |
| Brightness= | (0) 1 | (0) 4 | (0) 0 | (0) -1 | (0) -1 | |
| Color= | (0) 0 | (0) 0 | (0) 0 | (0) 0 | (0) -2 | |
| Tint = | (0) 0 | (0) 0 | (0) 0 | (0) 0 | (0) 2 | |
| Color Temp= | (0) 0 | (0) 0 | (0) 0 | (-1) | (-1) | |
| Eco+Quiet= | (Off) | (Off) | (Off) | (Off) | (On) | |
| Iris 1 (manual)= | (High Brite) | (High Brite) | (High Brite) | (High Cont.) | (High Cont.) | |
| Iris 2 (auto)= | (On) | (Off) | (Off) | (Off) | (On) | |
| Color Enhancement= | (3) | 0 | (3) | (3) | -3 | |
| Monochrome | Sports | Stage | User 1&2 | Game | ||
| Contrast = | (0) -1 | (0) -1 | (0) 0 | (0) 0 | (0) -1 | |
| Brightness= | (0) 3 | (0) 2 | (0) -1 | (0) 1 | (0) 2 | |
| Color= | NA | (0) 0 | (0) 0 | (0) 0 | (0) 0 | |
| Tint = | NA | (0) 0 | (0) 0 | (0) 0 | (0) 0 | |
| Color Temp= | (-1) | (0) 0 | (0) 0 | (0) 0 | (0) 0 | |
| Eco+Quiet= | (On) | (Off) | (Off) | (Off) | (Off) | |
| Iris 1 (manual)= | (High Cont.) | (High Brite) | (High Brite) | (High Brite) | (High Brite) | |
| Iris 2 (auto)= | (On) | (Off) | (On) | (On) | (Off) | |
| Color Enhancement= | (0) 0 | (0) 0 | (3) | (0) 0 | (NA) | |
Mike's Notes: Good looking picture overall. Blacks could be better (even with Iris 2 on). Odd that there’s only RGB gain controls, but they do affect the full range pretty evenly and the calibrated grayscale was very good. Don’t understand why there are so many picture modes that are similar (Standard, Anime, Game, Sports and both User modes). Movie 2 mode, in its default Eco mode, is too dim for anything but a smaller screen in a totally light-controlled room. Colors are a little off, particularly green and magenta (see CIE chart), but there are two CMS modes that could be used to improve the situation.
Post-Calibration color temps, 20 – 100 IRE:
XV-Z30000 Projector: Color Temp over IRE Range (Post calibration):
20 IRE - 6710
30 IRE - 6818
40 IRE - 6456
50 IRE - 6501
60 IRE - 6509
70 IRE - 6448
80 IRE - 6455
90 IRE - 6438
100 IRE – 6688
Average gamma = 2.27 (Using gamma=0 yields a 2.15 average gamma)
XV-Z30000 Post-Calibration:
Calibration settings: Gamma = -1, Iris 2 Off, Color = -2, Tint = 2
Movie 1 mode Quick Cal – Stage mode
Red Gain= 12 7
Blue Gain= 0 -3
Green Gain= 0 -5
Lumens at 100 IRE: 532 1018
In the case of this XV-Z30000, as Mike noted, the CIE chart is a little off. If you are having the projector fully calibrated, that would get adjusted. We do not do that, so the color is a touch off. Still, overall, color is very good. With our settings you should have color superior to almost all projectors "right out of the box" without adjustments, though probably not as good as some THX modes.
NEXT: Recommended projector screens for the Sharp XV-Z30000 Projector