Vivitek H9080FD Projector Calibration and Settings

Posted on August 19, 2009 by Art Feierman

We calibrate each home theater that is reviewed. As is our normal method, when calibrating the Vivitek H9080FD projector, we do contrast, brightness, and a full grayscale color temperature adjustment. We do not do an individual calibration of each color, which most professional calibrators will also do as part of their service, as part of a calibration of a projector in this price range, and quality. Still, our settings should provide you with an easily, visibly improved picture, with better color accuracy, than running the H9080FD with the default settings right out of the box.

Vivitek H9080FD Color Temperature

One thing worthy of note before you look at "the numbers". With traditional home theater projectors, there are variations in color balance from one unit to the next, due to slight variations in each lamp's performance. Since the H9080FD uses an LED light source, however, I believe that the results should be more consistent from unit to unit. In that case, our settings therefore should be even more useful and accurate, with the Vivitek, than with other projectors we've reviewed.

These are the measurements, taken "right out of the box."

Film gamma, Standard color temp (we'll refer to this as its best mode).
30 IRE (dark gray)	6956K
50 IRE (medium gray)	7186K
80 IRE (light gray)	7166K
100 IRE (white)	7334K

That is definitely shifted away from red, towards blue, but not a great deal. Still, while the image is definitely very watchable, it can easily be improved.

For those interested, here are the color temperature measurement for white (100 IRE),

for each of the preset (in this case, gamma) modes:
Film	407@ 7334K
Cinema	407 @ 7341K
Bright	409 @ 7343
Graphics	409 @ 7319
CRT	409 @ 7308

Note that the color temp barely changes at all (it's the way the color temp is set up on the Vivitek as they are using the same "Standard" color temp). While this method is not typical, Vivitek is not alone, Mitsubishi sets up their controls the same way, on their home theater projectors.

Vivitek H9080FD 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 may need adjustment. Here are our settings (and defaults) for the

"basic settings" for the Vivitek H9080FD:

Film

Cinema

Bright

Graphics

CRT

Contrast (100)

98

72

99

Brightness (100)

106