After a few weeks of calibrations with Pgenerator, LG’s generator and using MadVR, I thought I would throw up some comparisons on the same frame from near the beginning of the final episode of The Rings of Power. These iPhone shots are of course not ideal, but I think they will convey what I think
Dolby Vision file processed though Vertex2 and MadVR and output in SDR BT2020 on Pgen calibrated Expert Dark, Iris 3
To me, this is balanced and as perfect as I think it should be. The SDR calibration was very accurate with Greyscale dE under 1 and dE for colorspace around 1.
Dolby Vision file processed through Vertex 2 with DV string at 4,000 nits. Pgen calibrated HDR Cinema mode, Iris 5, DTM On
This is quite good and overall its pretty good HDR dynamic tone mapping by LG. I find this more saturated than the MadVR version, but it is oversaturated and more inaccurate color wise. With Pgen, I can verify Calman’s HDR calibration and it is definitely worse than the SDR calibration, which IMHO, leads to the over saturation and mildly inaccurate colors.
Uncalibrated HDR Filmmaker mode on the LG at Iris of 5
I find this a bit darker overall with less shadow detail and less colorful despite being LG’s supposedly most accurate mode. Definitely shows that the LG should be calibrated as the out of the box modes are not accurate.
HDR Game mode Calman calibrated according to Bryan’s instructions last year at an Iris of 8 with the built in LG Pattern Generator.
I find this a significant improvement over the uncalibrated LG Filmmaker mode, but overall I prefer the MadVR processed SDR BT2020 image in Expert Dark, as well as the HDR Cinema mode Pgenerator calibration.
One clear advantage I see in using HDR tone mapped to SDR BT2020 is the ability to utilize more accurate calibrations than can be done in HDR mode because we can perform a thorough 17pt 3D LUT calibration that is very accurate. The HDR calibration is limited to a quick Matrix LUT and is quite OK, but clearly not as accurate when doing a Pre/Post using PGenerator. It wasn’t clear to me before Pgenerator, because the internal LG pattern generator cannot do a Pre/Post.
The other thing I have found is that the black floor seems to be lowest in SDR Expert Dark mode, especially with an Iris setting of 3, that I tested to also give me the best greyscale in Calman. Because of the relatively bright picture at a low Iris of 3, you get better blacks and overall the most contrast. When I compare in a very dark room in the dead of night, all the other modes seem to have a light haze over the picture compared to SDR Expert Dark.
Other’s results may be different, but after a few weeks of calibrating and testing, I think I have managed to squeeze everything I can out of the HU810 and the results are very satisfying to me.
I’ve been thinking for years of buying a JVC at many times the price, but what I will definitely lose with all but the brightest JVCs’ is the HU810’s superb bright Standard mode that makes this projector look like a giant TV when you don’t have 100% light control during daytime. There is no doubt that a JVC would produce better blacks and greater dimensionality for movies, but mine is not a strict movie projector in a batcave and I enjoy watching regular TV too. The HU810 excels as a big TV with ambient light. So no upgrades for awhile until a 3,000+ nit laser JVC become much cheaper.
