The above screen shots are are test images of intended to give only a rough idea of the color accuracy for each of the picture mode. When a projector like the PT-MZ16KL is viewed in person the color accuracy will generally look better than what is shown in these photos.
There is a total of seven factory color presets. The following observations were generally made with the projector using its factory default picture settings. To my eye, the most accurate modes out of the box were Cinema, Natural, and REC709 modes.
- Standard Picture Mode: Color temperature that was just a little higher than ideal, but the colors are fairly accurate.
- Cinema Picture Mode: Designed for playback of movie content. It delivers an accurate picture, but image is slightly warmer than REC709 mode.
- Natural Picture Mode: Designed for displaying images in a dark room but image is slightly cooler than REC709 mode.
- REC709: Designed for broadcast video content, this mode delivered the most accurate colors out of the box.
- DICOM Sim: Designed to replicate the DICOM Part 14 Grayscale Standard for viewing of medical images like MRI photos.
- Dynamic Picture Mode:This is the brightest mode. This mode would be most appropriate for displaying presentation materials where color accuracy was not of great concern.
- Graphic Mode: Designed to make computer graphics easier to read so contrast is a little boosted.
For those who want to further fine tune the PT-MZ16KL color reproduction, there are additional advanced color adjustments including color temperature and 2-point RGB white balance.
The PT-MZ16KL delivered outstanding picture quality from several of its picture modes. In terms of absolute color accuracy, I preferred the Rec709 and Cinema mode. For the screen shots below, the factory default settings were used for Rec709 mode. The screenshots are of a variety of videos and photos in 4K and HD resolution. Like all our photos, they remain unadjusted for color, so they do not look as good as what the projector produced.
Since the PT-MZ16KL includes user adjustments for white balance, gamma, and color temperature, I am sure it could be adjusted to produce an even more accurate picture.
Although the PT-MZ16KL is designed for business and educational applications, it delivered a high-quality image that would normally be found on a home theater projector. The PT-MZ16KL should be considered for spaces where a lot of video content is viewed for example a museum or large lecture hall where documentaries are being viewed.
