Projector has too much contrast?

[gpke]

This is going to sound like an odd one, but I think my projector has too much contrast!

I have a JVC X5000 set up in a partial batcave with a cheap white screen (no idea about gain etc.) The image looks amazing, almost unbelievable for a projector, but, quite honestly, sometimes the bright bits blind me! Certain scenes in a film might have, for example, a bright light in the scene and looking at that light will put those funny shapes in my vision. Some scenes with bright flashes like lightning can be blinding!

What I find particularly amazing is this isn't even HDR. What would that be like?!

Is this something people have experienced? Is it something to do with my screen or something else? I'm pretty sure it's not my eyes as I can't recall experiencing it in a commercial cinema (and I've been recently).

 

[alebonau]

projectors are not plug of play, have you done any basic setup with it at all ?

quite simply buy a affordable light meter. use a white screen from youtube and set it for 12FC (assume gain of 1 with the cheap screen) for SDR and 30FC for HDR. this is really easy to do and will get in thereabouts (even with a cheap meter) if what you have in the commercial movie theatres...

note you will need to do this by checking the lamp power... (start with low) then cranking down the iris by turning from auto to manual. set the output and then turn back to auto again. the manual explains this well. (adjusting iris and lamp power)

what is your screen size and throw... remember an x5000 only has one iris, not dual like x7000 so the x5000 can only close down the iris so much . if running a small screen and short throw... even closed down and now lamp it might still be too bright for SDR ... hopefully not the case...

re contrast / brightness..even the most rudimentary setup disc let you do this easily and simply and talk through process

colour can set by eye for what looks like natural skin tones...

these are kind of basics anyone can and should do as a minimum... can leave any thing else to a calibrator which i would suggest for a projector like this to get best from

also while using a cheap screen. screens are essential... its literally where image comes to form... the canvas on which portrayed.. so do spend a bit on that if possible beyond budget basics cheapies.. even something affordable like a Grandview are excellent for this kind of thing ... great value vs picture quality

 

[gpke]

I already have the iris right down to -15, low lamp and I've done the basic brightness/contrast calibration using test files.

Screen size is 120" (16:9) and throw is about 4.6m.

 

[alebonau]

I already have the iris right down to -15, low lamp and I've done the basic brightness/contrast calibration using test files.

Screen size is 120" (16:9) and throw is about 4.6m.

have you checked light output with a meter and white screen for SDR and HDR as suggested ? otherwise there is no reference to compare with ... and what think as bright might not be it could be as it should be.

 

[Luminated67]

This has to be a first, a projector with too much contrast. Any chance you are suffering crushing black level where a lot of the shadow detail has disappeared?

 

[Stridsvognen]

Sounds like your X5000 suffers from the typical gamma drop, which will make the average image way to bright, i think your use of the term contrast might be a bit misplaced.

 

[gpke]

Yeah, it probably is gamma. I never fully understood the difference. For me it's the difference between darkest and brightest which seems too high. Can I correct the gamma by calibrating it with a spyder device?

 

[Stridsvognen]

Ill recomend the i1display pro. And the dll hack for jvc autocal

 

[rccarguy2]

Yeah, it probably is gamma. I never fully understood the difference. For me it's the difference between darkest and brightest which seems too high. Can I correct the gamma by calibrating it with a spyder device?

Too high gamma will make it look too washed out (a bit like brightness/black level being too high)

 

[gpke]

Hmm... That's not it then. The picture isn't washed out. It looks great. I just feel like occasionally in some scenes the contrast is so high between dark and light. Maybe it's just my eyes? I'm the type of person who finds car headlights too bright when I drive at night.

 

[Stridsvognen]

Too high gamma will make it look too washed out (a bit like brightness/black level being too high)

The other way around, to low gamma, looks washed out, high gamma looks more dynamic.

Anyway, it doesn't make sense to argue a subjective experience, get a meter on it, see the fl on screen and the gamma and color gamut.

 

[iamsludge]

Perhaps you have a high gain screen. Maybe a 1.0 gain or even a grey screen would be better?

 

[gpke]

I was wondering if screen gain would cause this effect. I can't find the original ebay listing for the cheap screen but I found another that I think is the same product and it says it is 1.3 gain. The screen is a bit shiny, not completely matt.

I might get a Spyder at some point and try the calibration anyway as it sounds like if the gamma has changed over time I should recalibrate it. The i1Display Pro is too expensive for me.

I'm putting off getting a new screen because I'm not ready to install one yet.