4K TV Reviews

Settings

Unit-to-unit sample variations, the viewing environment, and the source might render these recommendations less than optimum. They are only provided as a potentially useful starting place. The settings here that are most likely to translate reliably from one sample to another are those involving specific features with only a few selections, such as Gamma and Noise Reduction. The ones most likely to be subject to sample variations are video controls offering a wide range of adjustment, such as white balance or grayscale (Adv.color tempeature on the Sony) and color management (Per color adjust on the Sony). Even relatively small differences in the common control settings, such as Contrast, Black level, and Gamma, can shift the white balance, though the resulting visible change may be minor or undetectable.

We strongly recommend that you find the optimum basic video settings for your sample by using one of the many available display setup discs, such as DVE HD Basics (Blu-ray) or the Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark (for 4K/HDR). These will help you to set the basic controls, Black level, Contrast, Sharpness, and sometimes Color and Tint, correctly. Experimenting with the more complex color calibration and other controls in the user menus will do no harm; the changes may be easily reset.

But adjusting these controls by eye is unlikely to produce an even close to accurate result and is no substitute for a full calibration. The latter is best left to a trained and properly equipped technician such as those certified by the Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) or THX. While premium sets are arriving reasonably well adjusted out of three these days, based on our recent experience both here and elsewhere, we can't discount unit-to-unit variations

	HD/SDR	UHD/HDR
Picture mode	Cinema	Cinema
Auto picture mode	Off	Off
Light sensor	Off	Off
Brightness
Brightness	Max	Max
Contrast	70*	95*
Gamma	0	0
HDR tone mapping	---	Gradation preferred
Black level	50	50
Black adjust	Off	Off
Adv. contrast enhancer	Off	Off
Peak luminance	Medium	High
Color
Color	50	50
Hue	0	0
Color temperature	Expert 1	Expert 1
Live Color	Off	Off
Clarity
Sharpness	50	50
Reality Creation
Reality Creation	Off	Off
Random noise reduction	Off	Off
Digital noise reduction	Off	Off
Smooth gradation	Off	Off
Motion
Motionflow	Off	Off
Cinemotion	Off	Off
Video
HDR mode	Auto	Auto
HDMI video range	Auto	Auto
Color space	Auto	Auro

*These must be set manually with each change from SDR to HDR and back unless both are set the same.

Adv. color adjustment (SDR)
The Adv. color temperature and Per color temperature controls are set in the initial HD/SDR calibration. The Sony then adjusts these settings using internal look-up tables to provide an optimum result for Ultra HD and all forms of HDR. Do not attempt to alter these controls manually for UHD/HDR. Nothing will be harmed by doing so, but your changes will reflect back onto the SDR settings, degrading the HD/SDR calibration.

Adv color temperature: Basic

Gain	Bias
Red	-2	4
Green	-1	-1
Blue	-2	-1

Adv. color temperature: Multi point (not used: see text)

Per color adjustment

	Red	Green	Blue	Cyan	Magenta	Yellow
Hue	0	5	2	0	9	5
Saturation	-1	-8	-2	0	-3	-6
Lightness	2	0	-2	0	-1	-1