Monitor Calibration - Brightness, Contrast and Gamma

[SharpeXB]

Having the best picture possible on your monitor is an obvious help in this sim with regard to spotting or visibility. The most important components of picture quality are brightness and contrast. These form most of the image we see and they’re also the easiest to set yourself. Color correction is more difficult requiring filters or devices. But brightness and contrast can be set with simple test patterns. Note you need these from a high quality source such as a disc etc. The images I’m pasting here are only for reference.

I use this for the test patterns

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Video-Essentials-Basics-Blu-ray/dp/B00ADJG56Q/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1M7RVI6TNAOY4&dchild=1&keywords=digital+video+essentials+hd+basics&qid=1591189948&sprefix=Digital+video+esse%2Caps%2C171&sr=8-4

 

“Brightness” controls the black level and “Contrast” controls the white or the entire range up from black depending on how it functions.

Brightness moves the signal up and down the range.

Contrast adjusts the range between black and white
These settings are the ones in the graphics card control panel and probably not the monitor unless it’s a high quality HDTV. I have not had a PC monitor which adjusted this correctly, you should see the adjustment actually change the test images, not just change the backlight. I am using Nvidia Control Panel for this.

(You do need to check a box Nvidia Control Panel under Display / Adjust desktop color settings / Use NVIDIA settings, in order for the GPU to control the picture.)

 

On the PLUGE pattern the background represents video black. The outer bars (you should see 3 unless the signal is clipped) represent +2% +4% and the outer one is below black. Adjust brightness to make the outer bar disappear or just be faintly visible.

I prefer the outer bars to be very faint but visible so I know I haven’t clipped them. If your signal clips off the outer bar then the inner one should be barely visible. 
 

Adjust Contrast with the grey ramp pattern

Contrast works in one of two ways:

- It adjusts the white level only leaving black where it was set with Brightness (my Sony TV works like this)

- I adjusts the entire range outward from the center, changing both black and white levels. This is harder to deal with because you'll need to go back and for the between the two patterns (Nvidia uses this method)

On the grey ramp pattern you should see every step from barely below black to just above white without clipping or bleaching out the white
 

The display is set correctly when you can barely see below black and see just above white with no washing out. 
 

Gamma is frequently suggested, probably because it’s the only in-game setting which seems to control brightness. In truth gamma (assuming the game control is actually a genuine gamma setting) has no effect on either brightness or contrast. Gamma adjusts the curve of change between black and white but it doesn’t alter those values. If you have brightness and contrast set correctly IMO you should leave gamma alone or adjust it very little. 

 

Edited June 4, 2020 by SharpeXB

[PreyStalker]

I've always found the display's native sharpness level has a big impact on spotting distant contacts.

 

Too blurry - no distant contacts

Too sharp - ugly game !

 

It's a compromise and the standard levels vary a lot from one display to another so it's always worth checking the sharpness level.

[SharpeXB]

56 minutes ago, PreyStalker said:

I've always found the display's native sharpness level has a big impact on spotting distant contacts.

 

Too blurry - no distant contacts

Too sharp - ugly game !

 

It's a compromise and the standard levels vary a lot from one display to another so it's always worth checking the sharpness level.

Certainly if there is any artificial “sharpness” setting on a monitor that can result in this edge enhancement effect that wouldn’t look good. 
I think sharpness was a setting from CRTs that doesn’t have a good use today. 
 

This

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/turn-down-your-tv-sharpness-control/

Edited June 3, 2020 by SharpeXB

[Bilbo_Baggins]

15 hours ago, SharpeXB said:

Certainly if there is any artificial “sharpness” setting on a monitor that can result in this edge enhancement effect that wouldn’t look good. 
I think sharpness was a setting from CRTs that doesn’t have a good use today. 
 

This

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/turn-down-your-tv-sharpness-control/

 

Thanks for that. Read the article, turned down TV sharpness to 0 and it gives a pleasing change. What about Nvidia FXAA? I have it on in addition to the in-game 4xMSAA as I find some of the jaggies in the game such as the aerial antenna wire and distance roads unacceptable. Is this going to have negative effects compiling it like that?

 

RGDS

Edited June 4, 2020 by Bilbo_Baggins