Portrait Displays, the TV calibration software specialist, has announced the availability of a new colorimeter device that it says will help to automate the process of calibrating the brightest new TVs on the market.
The new device is called the C6 HDR5000 colorimeter, and it’s said to offer a guaranteed luminance measurement range of up to 5,000 cd/m², without any compromise on performance when used in low-luminance calibrations. What’s more, it’s said to be compatible with all of the latest new consumer TV displays, including Quantum-Dot, QD-OLED, WRGB OLED, LCD LED and Mini-LED screens.
Just as noteworthy is the way the C6 HDR5000 colorimeter has been future-proofed. According to Portrait Displays, when it’s connected to its Calman software, it will automatically update, enabling it to handle whatever new display technologies emerge in future. As such, the company promises it’s the ideal tool for both professionals and enthusiasts seeking extremely precise calibration for any kind of content, including SDR, HDR, P3 and Dolby Vision pictures.
Its support for increasingly brighter televisions is a key development because, well, modern televisions are becoming increasingly brighter almost by the day. For instance, this year’s new OLED TVs, such as the LG G4 and C4, and Samsung’s new S95D OLED TV based on QD-OLED technology, are much brighter than the previous generation models that debuted last year.
As an example, the LG C4, which was recently reviewed by HDTVTest’s Vincent Teoh, hits an average brightness of around 1,400 nits when displaying HDR content, but can achieve a maximum of 3,000 nits in some situations. Samsung’s S95D is capable of hitting similarly eye-searing levels of brightness.
When speaking of Mini-LED technology, displays are getting even brighter, with models like the 98-inch Hisense 98UX said to be able to hit a peak brightness of 5,000 nits – far higher than the numbers any commercially available TV was able to achieve just a couple of years ago. So that explains the need for a new and improved calibration tool that can handle these much higher levels of brightness .
Portrait Display’s technical product manager Jonathan Ahlberg hailed the C6 HDR5000 as a “game-changer”, particularly due to its enhanced calibration automation features. “With the new ‘Auto-Standard’ mode, low- and high-light measurements are automatically optimized for ease of use, speed, and accuracy to deliver a value only Portrait Displays can offer,” he said.
The company said the C6 HDR5000 should also be longer lasting than its earlier hardware, because it has been equipped with advanced light and colour dichroic glass filters that improve spectral accuracy, environmental stability and enhance the durability of its sensors.
The tool can even be used to calibrate projectors, the company said, thanks to the inclusion of a tripod mount for front projection. It’s exclusively compatible with Portrait Display’s Calman software, from version 5.15.6 or higher, and it supports easy installation as it’s configured as a Windows HID device.
The C6 HDR5000 colorimeter is priced at $795 on the company’s website, but the company is offering a discount to those who are also willing to trade in an older calibration device, such as the X-Rite, Spyder, Calibrite, or C6 HDR2000 colorimeter. Doing so will entitle you to a 50% rebate on the price of the C6 HDR5000, the company said, but buyers will have to move fast as it’s a limited time offer.
In addition, the company said it’s also offering a limited time discount on the price of its consumer-focused calibration software. It’s inviting users to use the code “BUMBLEBEE” at checkout to obtain a license for the latest version of Calman Studio for just $1,199, a pretty hefty discount on the usual price of $1,995.
