Nexus 5 Calibration:
Welcome to this thread: This thread is all about colors and displays. Nexus 5 only though!
- “Easy part: Apps, profiles” is for those that just want to mess around with some of the user created profiles and then move on. You can find the frequently asked questions about the profiles here!
- “More technical part” is for those who are more interested in this topic. Reading this part is recommend before calibrating.
- “Calibration” is for those who want to create a profile themselves (requires colorimeter or spectrometer).
- “Testing without a colorimeter” is for those without a colorimeter, but are still anxious to mess around ^^
- “Current state of development” shows the questions we don’t know the answer to yet.
Click “Click to show content” to extend the information!
Easy part: Apps, profiles
How do I get a color calibration app?
Make sure you have a compatible kernel first, like Franco's
Either use:
Nexus Display Control (Free)
FKU (paid)
Faux123 Kernel Enhancement (paid)
Kcontrol (paid)
How do I get profiles?
They are pre-installed! Just tap:
FKU: Color Utils - Load a color profile - Import preloaded profiles
NDC: Load a color profile - Import preloaded profiles
Faux: No need to do anything!
KControl: Not available
Newest collection of profiles.
Link 1 (Be sure to give a thanks to @vomer)
Link 2 (Be sure to give a thanks to @The Gingerbread Man)
If you download a new profile, you have to put them in a specific location:
FKU: /franco.kernel_updater/color_profiles
NDC: /nexus_display_control/color_profiles
Faux: /com.teamkang.fauxdisplay/profiles
After this, you can select and apply the profile.
How do I apply a profile?
Nexus Display Control App or Franco Kernel Updater App:
1) Tap 'Load a color profile' (Under color utils in FKU)
2) Select your profile
3) Hit Apply
4) Turn screen off and on to view result*
FauxClock:
1) Color/Gamma – Gamma Profiles
2) Select your profile
3) Hit Apply
4) Turn screen off and on to view result*
KControl: Not available
* On some kernels not required
Which profile is the best?
There is no best profile unless you buy a colorimeter. Here is why:
Every display is different, so the profiles that are perfect for one display will probably not be as perfect on your display.
Everything is subjective: You might like a more blueish screen, you might want accurate colors. All depends on you what is perfect
Even if you have a seemingly perfect profile, you can't test it without a colorimeter
How do I test my profile?
This is a tricky question. I have tried to develop ways to test a profile without the use of a colorimeter and I failed. It's impossible. You will never know the exact gamma, color temperature, etc etc.
There are things you can test however! Move on to part: Testing without a colorimeter!
But if you do have a colorimeter, check out: Calibration (requires colorimeter)
I love this profile. How do I set it as standard?
Check the checkbox 'Set colors on boot' in the app. (It’s a slider in FauxClock)
Problems:
Help I screwed up! How do I revert?!
Rebooting the device resets the display to stock settings (unless you ticked ‘Set on Boot’)
Or load up the stock profile (in attachments below).
(If the previous don’t work, your issue is more severe. Reflashing kernel, rom should work. If not, you have a hardware issue. Google for more info or RMA)
I don't see any difference! Why?
1) Do you have root and is root applied to the app?
2) Did you turn your screen off and on?
3) Note that the differences can be small.
4) Clearing app data and cache can do magic.
If none of these solutions work, verify that colors do change with the profile "Test your settings" (Download below)
If the profile and app work, you should get a very blue screen. (Revert by rebooting or loading other profile)
If the profile doesn't work, please search thread first, then ask questions. Your question has most likely been answered already!
The app doesn't work! :crying::crying:
1) Verify you are using a compatible kernel! Franco/Faux/Elementalx are all compatible. There are certainly more compatible kernels. Just check in that kernel thread if the kernel is compatible.
2) Verify that you have root and that the app gets root.
Please search the thread before posting! Usually your question has already been answered 5 times.
If I want to load a profile, the app force quits. Help!
The profile is invalid. Redownload it or use another profile. If this doesn’t work, try clearing data and cache of the app.
More technical part: Gamma, color temperature and colorimeters
Definitions you must at least heard of
Luminance
Luminance is a photometric unit to describe the amount of light coming from the screen. It is usually measured in cd/m2 (also called nits). It is comparable to brightness, but brightness is the perceived luminance (so subjective luminance you could say). Example: A display with a luminance around 100 nits is not so bright in the sun, but very bright in the dark. The luminance in both examples is the same, while the perceived brightness is not.
Gamma
The eye has a non-linear response to light. To correct this, gamma correction is applied.Without doing this, images look too light. Increasing gamma, means increasing the saturation. More info
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Color temperature
Color temperature is basically a measure of the color hue of white light that is measured in Kelvin (K). When you increase the color temperature, the hue becomes more blueish, decreasing it will result in a more yellowish/reddish screen.
RGB
When you are looking at a digital image, you are looking at a lot of pixels that make up this image. Each of those pixels consists out of a three sets of RGB numbers. These numbers can range from 0 (black) to 255 (white). For example: 255,255,255 will produce white, whilst 255,0,0 will produce red. RGB values themselves do not say much. You have to tell in what colorspace there are. These different colorspaces have different gamuts. Webcontent and our display use sRGB.
Here is a RGB color mixer to get a grasp on RGB.
More info on gamuts
Saturation
The vividness of a color. This can range from black/white to neon like colors.
Contrast ratio
The contrast ratio is the ratio between the brightest color (white) and the darkest color (black) your display can produce. Our Nexus 5 displays usually have around 920 (based on various measurements I have seen).
Useful links for more information:
Wikipedia:
Luminance
Gamma
Color Temperature
RGB
Gamut
Saturation and more
Contrast Ratio
Cambridge in color
GammaFAQ by Charles Poynton (expert) (Might be a bit outdated as 1998)
ColorFAQ by Charles Poynton (expert) (Might be a bit outdated as 1998)
Some color math by Bruce Lindbloom
Saturation vs. Vibrancy (vid)
How LCD works (hardware)(vid)
What do the parameters mean?
In total there are 24 parameters (of which 23) are displayed. Each parameter controls the luminance of a part of the RGB range. All other aspects (gamma, color temperature, saturation, contrast ratio) are derived from that. As stated, each parameter controls a portion of the range. Shown in this image are the ranges:
Note that the ranges do overlap in certain values. This means that one RGB value can be controlled by two parameters. (But never three!)
Let's take parameter 11 as an example: Parameter 11 has a range of 144 to 202. These RGB values can be altered by altered parameter 11. Most affected by parameter 11 is RGB(175). This RGB value will change the most when altering parameter 11. Respectively, RGB(144) and RGB(202) will change the least.
Negative and positive?
Also you might have noticed, there are two arrays for red, two for green and two for blue. Why? It’s for more precision:
These two arrays get combined to form one resulting figure. It’s not as simple as 10 and 20 become 15. Therefore I recommend keeping the difference between the parameters small in order to avoid confusion. Also the negative and positive are not equal. 10 & 20 do not produce the same outcome as 20 & 10.
Overall it’s best to keep the same when calibrating initially. But when you need a certain luminance you can’t achieve when they are the same, divert them. This method works the easiest and you don’t lose track of your changes so easily.
The White Point
The White Point is an odd setting. It does not control the color temperature in any way, form of shape. It’s also highly doubtable that the LG devs ment the white point in the curves adjustment tools of Photoshop. Currently the exact function of it is unknown, but what we know is the following:
Although the range can be 0 to 255, it actually ranges till 63. After that it loops. (0=64=128=192 and 63=127=191=255)
It’s main purpose is to allow more control over the RGB curve. Instead of controlling ranges of RGB curves, the White Point is an overall setting that adjusts every channel and every RGB value.
The recommend setting is between 29 and 33 and the middle value is 31
What would be the ideal settings?
When you capture an image with a camera, you want to see the same colors on your screen as the colors in real life right? Well, that is called an accurate screen.
Though, a lot of manufacturers don't provide accurate colors. Why not? Because the masses like punchy colors with a higher color temperature. The truth is that we have become accustomed to those colors. An accurate display seems a bit yellow nowadays. But there is a way out! Once you experience a true accurate profile, the other profiles seem really blue. Like all the things in life, we get accustomed to it.
An accurate profile would contain:
Banding: None
Color Temperature: 6500K
Gamma: 2.2 - 2.4
Properly saturated colors (Automatically achieved with calibrated gamma)
Contrast ratio: Higher is better, but above 930 is already pretty good for our LCD displays
How accurate is stock?
Actually, stock is quite accurate in comparison to other phones. There is certainly room for improvement, but they definitely tried to calibrate our screen correctly. The color temperature is around 6500K (+- 300K). Gamma is a bit too low (2.0), but in comparison to other phones it is quite good.
I like the punchy colors, can I keep them?
Of course! Your display, your rules. Having a higher color temperature isn't necessarily bad, though you must compensate a little bit. The changed settings would:
Color Temperature: 7500K
Gamma: 2.3 - 2.5
Note that for compensation for the higher color temperature, you increase the gamma a bit. This also works the same way around for lower color temperatures. Also, the same things like no banding still apply
Calibration (requires colorimeter)
Requirements for calibration
A colorimeter (Like Xrite i1 Display Pro (recommended by Display Expert Francois Simond))
HCFR
Faux Gamma App or any other app that can edit these parameters (Like Kcontrol or FKU)
Microsoft Excel or any other sheet program (Like Libre Office)
Nexus 5 with compatible kernel
Time
At which brightness should I use to test?
Unless you use autobrightness, I recommend using the brightness you use the most. But, you have to keep using that brightness for comparisons of profiles. So pick a brightness to your likings, but be consistent! (And no auto brightness!). I usually use 100%.
Let’s get started!
Step 1: Preparations
1) Set the screen timeout to 30 minutes or longer.
2) Keep your screen on for 30 minutes at the predetermined brightness. You can use you phone, just don't turn your screen off.
(Your display needs to stabilize by warming up. If you were to measure in the first minute you will see that the results are quite different than after 30 minutes. To ensure proper calibration, one must warm up the screen for at least 30 minutes)
3) Make sure you have all the requirements listed above. Also download “Shades of Grey” to your phone and “Display Calibration Nexus 5 by yorici.xlsx” to your pc.
4) Extract the images from the file explorer to a folder on your phone. There are multiple versions. I suggest reading further first, but if you can’t wait, extract “Shades of Grey (Recommended).zip”
5) Connect your colorimeter to your pc and open up HCFR.
6) In HCFR: Press 'new' - Select 'View images' - 'Next'
- Then under 'Select a sensor in this list': Your colorimeter (Can be any name). Do not use a meter correction file unless you know what you are doing. - 'Next'
- Display Type: 'LCD White LED IPS' - Reading Type: 'Display' - OK
7) In HCFR: Go to Free Measures and make sure you have set the mode in RGB
Test if it works by pressing F7. It should have measured once now and you get a table of data with one row. If you click on it, you will see more data in the left pane below.
8) If your screen hasn't warmed up for 30 minutes now, just play a game or do something else. It might be useful to get a charger as you will have your display constantly on for the rest of the steps.
Step 2: Set the goals
It is up to you what color temperature and gamma you want. I suggest you first read "More technical part: Gamma, color temperature and colorimeters" first before beginning with this. The accurate settings are there too. It's up to you how you want to calibrate though. These are my tips you should keep in mind:
Red is the limiting color in our display. Try to keep it maximised and play with blue and green
The blacks can be harder to calibrate. Try to aim for an accurate gamma though. Color temperature is less of importance because you won't see blue or red blacks as good as you would see blue whites or blue blacks.
Always turn screen off and on after editing parameters. No changes will occurs if you don't!
As you will have to turn off your screen a lot, it might be easier to temporarily disable your lockscreen. This can save some time.
Step 3: The first parameter
1) Open the Shades of Grey folder with a Gallery App (I prefer QuickPic)and just open the first image (begins with “a RGB(255,255,255)....”). These images are sorted in the right order, you will only need to swipe.
2) Do a 'Free Measure' by pressing F7. I do usually three times for more accuracy:
Those three results I combine in one value with less decimals (usually 1). You will always get three different results, so you can't use just one of them. You will need to average them out. This creates uncertainty and therefore you remove two decimals. (If you get three times the same result, please keep it to one decimal. It's very unlikely you will get three times the same results another time)
3) Note these values in max luminance in the spreadsheet
4) Measure the second image (black) and note these values in min luminance. When you edit them, you will see the other values change.
5) It will probably the case that the first two values aren't resulting in your desired goals. Now you must correct this by editing the parameters. Open up Faux Gamma App (or any other app that can edit the parameters like FKU or Kcontrol)
6) Let's say I want to achieve 6500K. For that to happen, every color channel needs to result in the same value. Lred=Lgreen=Lblue.
In my previous result: Blue and green were higher than red. Red was maxed out, so I need to decrease blue and green
In Faux Gamma App (and Kcontrol) the first 12 parameters are reversed: Increasing parameters will decrease colors
In FKU this annoyance is removed: If you increase any parameter, the corresponding color will always increase
To decrease blue and green for the first value, I need to increase the first parameter in Faux Gamma App and decrease in FKU. Pay attention to which parameter you are editing. The 13th to 23th parameters are normal.
How much you should adjust is not determined. The only thing you know is that when you have a difference of 5 in luminance (Desired vs. irl), the adjustment in the parameters should be less than when the difference is 50.
7) In general this applies: The more accurate each parameter was calibrated in relation to the next parameter, the better the gamma.
The more accurate each color channel (Red, green and blue) was calibrated in relation to another, the better the color temperature.
Step 4: The rest of the parameters
1) When you are done calibrating the first parameter, continue to the next parameter. I usually start by calibrating all red, then green and finally blue.
2) In the Gallery, swipe to "c - p(2) - RGB(254,254,254)". This means parameter 2 (the c is for the right order in gallery apps). Measure this three times and take average.
3) Swipe to "ca - RGB(255,255,255)". Measure it three times and take average. This is max luminance again.
4) (Optional for parameters 1 – 14) Swipe to "cb - RGB(0,0,0)". Measure it three times and take average. This is min luminance again.
5) In the spreadsheet: Fill in max and min luminance. Then compare the first average of p(2) with the suggested value of parameter 2 in the spreadsheet.
6) Adjust accordingly in Faux Gamma App, Kcontrol or FKU. Screen off/on! And repeat substeps 2 to 5 until desired value = p(2) value.
7 - 99) Repeat for every other parameter.
PRO TIP: Save your work every 6 parameters! Just save it as a profile. When you reboot, you might lose your progress as the default profile is stock.
Temporarily get rid of your lockscreen. Unless you use Faux Kernel, you will need to turn your screen off and on a lot. Removing the lockscreen will ease that a bit and save you time!.
NOTE: If you want to save some time, you can skip measuring blacks (cb - RGB(0)..) every time. Just measure it fifty times with F8 mode while moving the colorimeter over the screen. Take average of those and keep it at those. You should get “Shades of Grey (No blacks).zip” then. It is better to measure black for 15 to 23 though!
Step 5: Review the results
1) Get Voodoo Screen Test Patterns App (free)
2) Open the app and set the amount of measurement points in the settings. [More=better, but more difficult]
3) Set the equal amount of measurement points in HCFR: (I use at least 25, b/c 24 parameters)
HCFR – Measures – Parameters – Number of Grayscale levels
4) Press “GO” and it will show images on your PC. You have to press next on your phone to keep up with the images.
NOTES: It’s a bit wonky and you should take multiple attempts at this for more accuracy
If calibration is done correctly, the color temperature should be around 6500K (+- 75K). The average gamma should be very close to your setting. The gamma line itself can be a bit squigglier, but keep it around the gamma you have chosen earlier.
Step 6: Share and contribute!
Please share you final product of hard work!
1) Save your profile using the Nexus Display Control app (FKU has this functionality too).
2) With a file explorer navigate to nexus_display_control/color_profiles and locate your profile.
3) Gather results from HCFR (right-click - save): gamma and color temperature (with saturation, luminance, near white, near black you are even better ;P)
4) Claim your glory and post the profile, HCFR images and you goals (which gamma and color temperature were you going for?) in this thread as a reply!
If you are really satisfied with the result, please consider buying me a beer I have done a lot of research to get to these results and they have all been done in spare time.
Testing without a colorimeter
Most of the users don’t have a colorimeter and you might not either. What can you test?
Banding: Less accurate, but still possible, you can check banding! By using gradient you can review the smoothness of the gradient. I have included gradients that are capable of doing this! You are looking for sudden interuptions in the gradient. If it is good, the gradient will appear smooth without any distortions.
Color Temperature: Though, incredible inaccurate and very biased, you can check color temperature subjectively. I do not recommend relying on it, but you can see the differences in hue and adjust the parameters. Though there is no way to measure it. I have included gray images that you can use!
You just swipe through the pictures and you will notice the different hues. Though it subjective to judge which one is incorrect…
Gamma: Short answer: No, not really.
Long answer (involves Display Tester App):
Although Display Tester App (and more apps alike) claim to test gamma, their results are biased . The principle the Display Tester App relies on is the following:
You create a background with a grid. The grid is composed of RGB (255,255,255) and RGB (0,0,0). This is the same as 0% and 100% gray. Because the eye can’t see individual pixels, the grid blends to a half tone: 50% gray. If you place a 50% gray block on the background, they should match. Up till this part, everything is correct.
There is one problem: The Display Tester App only tests 50% gray. 50% gray results in RGB (186,186,186). So basically, you are only testing only one RGB value out of 256.
To make this even more fun: The Display Tester App also messed up the background… While it should be a perfect grid of 0 and 255, it actually goes from 0 to 8 and 247 to 255. No, this is not better, it only is more biased. You can’t rely on RGB (1 to 254) as they are not calibrated yet.
If you have used the app, you may have noticed that changing the viewing angle, changes the outcome. The outcome is also dependent on ambient lighting, if the screen has been warmed up for 30 minutes, your eyes, brightness.
With so many variables you can’t believe this app will produce any reliable result… Even if it did, it would only count for RGB (186).
My advice: Do not rely on the Display Tester App or any other app that claims to be able to measure your gamma!
Notes:
- 50% gray = 0.5^(1/2.2) * 255 = 186 (It’s not 127/128 due to gamma correction)
- You can see for yourself that the app is biased: Change parameter 9 (any color) to 255. Open the app: no real difference right? The 2.2 box will remain the same and the background too, while if you look at photographs there is noticeable something wrong! This can’t be right, can it?
Saturation: Forget it.
Contrast: Very complicated process with another camera perhaps. Google is your friend. (It will be quite inaccurate: the camera alters the picture too (white balance))
Color checker cards
You could buy color checker cards and use those to calibrate. It's a bit cheaper.
Disadvantages:
Less accurate than a colorimeter due to inaccuracy of the eye and ambient lighting
Only one calibration possible: 6500K, gamma 2.2
If you are going to spend more than 40 on it, I suggest you buy a cheap colorimeter instead.
Should I use the RGB sliders?
Short answer: No, only for very specific purposes.
Long answer:
The RGB sliders shouldn’t be used if you want to improve your screen. If you want to make your screen all red, the sliders are perfect.
What the sliders to is limit the RGB range. If you set the red slider at 240, RGB(255) will become what normally was RGB(240). Every RGB value gets relocated from there between RGB(0) and RGB(240). You are basically limiting the amount of colors you can display. Not that awesome right? (Unless you want to do this)
Current state of development
Not everything has been uncovered yet:
Can be predicted how much one should increase a parameter to get a certain luminance?
My idea: Let’s assume that an increase of parameter Y with amount X always increases Luminance(Y) with the same amount. Let’s call the screen’s calibration when every parameter is set at 0, the base calibration. That base calibration is different for each display and define the characteristics. When measured correctly, one could calculate how much each parameter should be increased to get the desired luminance.
Explanation needed for the strange behavior of the first 8 parameters when all set to 0.
What is the mathematical connection of the white point in relation to the parameters?
The so called ‘white point’ is the only parameter that can adjust the entire RGB range. What is the mathematical connection between each individual parameter and the white point?
Changelog and credits:
Changelog:
26-5-14: Initial post placed
27-5-14: Fixed link, added color checker cards (Thx Tzfardaya), added white point measurements in post #2
1-6-14: Fixed type, thx @nihil0
16-6-14: Added profile: Yorici_Calibrated_Punch (see second post)
20-6-14: Added more info in FAQ under "How to get profiles?"
Immense thanks to:
@supercurio, @myfluxi, @faux123, @franciscofranco, @mag01, @rajendra82, @gpvecchi, @Tzfardaya, @granets, @tkoreaper, @ChazzMatt, @neriamarillo, @vomer, @The Gingerbread Man and everyone that helped with this!
If you still have any questions that weren’t explained (clearly enough), feel free to ask in this thread. I will keep adding questions which I think are useful!
NEW! Gamma Corrected Brightness (GCB)
Let's do a little experiment shall we? Set your screen's brightness at 0%, 50% and 100% consecutively. Notice something odd? That's right! The 50% doesn't seem like 50%. Why you ask? Well you are not a robot, but a fabulous human that perceives brightness different (i.e:non linear). Well how do you fix this?
We are introducing Gamma Corrected Brightness! This will solve that nasty issue we talked about. Best thing yet, this baby comes with multiple modes and works for every brightness level! And this will save you battery too! With GCB you will have a greater tendency to set a lower brightness than you normally would and that saves battery life!
Four modes are:
- Stock
- Gamma 2.0 (Stubborn) – A little bit more stubborn than the natural one for those who need that
- Gamma 2.2 (Natural)– The natural one that seems normal like it should be!
- Gamma 3.0 (Nightmode) – This one is for night times ^^
How to use:
1) Download and install Furnace Kernel
2) Open terminal
3) Enter for:
Stock: echo “0” > /sys/module/lm3630_bl/parameters/gamma_correction
Stubborn: echo “1” > /sys/module/lm3630_bl/parameters/gamma_correction
Natural: echo “2” > /sys/module/lm3630_bl/parameters/gamma_correction
Nighttime: echo “3” > /sys/module/lm3630_bl/parameters/gamma_correction
4) Done!
If you love Gamma Corrected Brightness, please consider to buy @savoca and @yorici a drink!
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Profile:
Yorici_Calibrated_Punch:
Goal: Maximum brightness possible with 2.35 gamma
Result:
Average gamma: 2.36
Contrast ratio: 1:1017
Color temperature: Around 8800K
Higher saturation due to higher gamma
Maximum brightness of 500 nits vs 440 nits on stock
So brighter, more saturated and higher color temperature: what is usually called punchy!
Advanced graphs:
The color temperature might appear to be really bad, but there is a reason for this:
On full black I get these luminances: R:0,4 G:0,4 B:1,2. The color temperature of this is > 12.000K. To preserve maximum brightness I had to keep these values. This difference of 0,8 slims down when luminance gets higher. And you can see that from 25% gray and on the color temperature remains more stable.
You will also notice that gamma gets a bit more wobbly at the end. That is because the measured values change more dramatically than at the beginning of the curve. I might try to decrease the wobblyness more in the future.
See attachments for profile!
Yorici_Calibrated_Accurate
Still in the works.. (Harder to make)
_____________________________
White point:
I have taken 16 measurements of the entire RGB curve and made gifs out of them:
Luminance:
RGB levels:
Color Temperature:
The slight bumps some times are due to mistakes, vibrations (got a text), etc. Ignore them.
What can we learn from this about the white point?
The white point seems to have the most effect on red (as seen in Luminance)
Extremer white point (towards 0 and 63) tend to increase the differences between the colors
That diversion gets bigger 50% - 100% gray with white point 31 - 63
That diversion gets bigger 0% - 50% gray with white point 0 - 31
White points 0 to 10 and 53 to 63 are more unstable and lead to unpredictable results.
A white point around 31 seems the best
Anything else?
Nice thread ...
great post buddy :good:
everyone: be sure to tag me if you make new profiles and want them added to my server
There is a way to do a very basic calibration without a colourimeter... but it requires a set of digital colour cards...
Basically a sheet printed with specific squares of colour you take a picture of said card, and then compare the colour displayed on screen with the colour of the card.... With a proper calibration, the two will match. (after correcting white balance)
Tzfardaya said:
There is a way to do a very basic calibration without a colourimeter... but it requires a set of digital colour cards...
Basically a sheet printed with specific squares of colour you take a picture of said card, and then compare the colour displayed on screen with the colour of the card.... With a proper calibration, the two will match. (after correcting white balance)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But again dependent on your eyes, ambient lighting, etc. ;/
Not ideal, but I can't disagree that it is indeed a method.
yorici said:
But again dependent on your eyes, ambient lighting, etc. ;/
Not ideal, but I can't disagree that it is indeed a method.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More reliant on your eyes than ambient lighting, since you should look at the picture under the same light. but yeah, it's a very rough way... Slow, tedious, and usually used more to check the calibration and white balance/colour correct photographs than actually calibrating the screen....
Tzfardaya said:
More reliant on your eyes than ambient lighting, since you should look at the picture under the same light. but yeah, it's a very rough way... Slow, tedious, and usually used more to check the calibration and white balance/colour correct photographs than actually calibrating the screen....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I assume you would buy a white tile that is 6500K? I could mention it in my thread though
yorici said:
I assume you would buy a white tile that is 6500K? I could mention it in my thread though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Heh, the white card is based on srgb, and is what a "properly calibrated and full srgb gamut" display should show at 255/255/255, same with the black card (0/0/0).
I also have an 18% grey card...
Makes white balancing a photograph extremely simple....
But can also be used (with great difficulty) to help calibrate a display (or check the displays calibration)
My man, I am subscribed! I'll update the required posts and threads by me when I'm feeling fresher (sober) in the AM
Edit
Nice to see this got stickied nice one!
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
nice thread, but the link to vomer's screen profile is broken because you add (" ") between the link
The Gingerbread Man said:
My man, I am subscribed! I'll update the required posts and threads by me when I'm feeling fresher (sober) in the AM
Edit
Nice to see this got stickied nice one!
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm happy with the sticky as well
gravityy said:
nice thread, but the link to vomer's screen profile is broken because you add (" ") between the link
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good catch
Color temp is pretty good stock. For me its the gamma that drives me nuts. I've been waiting for your results to start with mine. As you noted Franco fixed his interface.
Thanks a ton. Spent my donation/app fund this week on Peek. You're up next.
Subscribed! Awesome work and lots of good info. Thanks @yorici
Are you able to share with us your profile @yorici? Will definitely be referencing this thread when I buy my own colorimeter in the coming month!
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
blackt5 said:
Color temp is pretty good stock. For me its the gamma that drives me nuts. I've been waiting for your results to start with mine. As you noted Franco fixed his interface.
Thanks a ton. Spent my donation/app fund this week on Peek. You're up next.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha great dude! Yeah it's more gamma that needs some attention, but color temp can be improved too. Also, if you have the money and you are willing to spend it, I would suggest buying a xRite i1 Display Pro. You would want this one for the speed. It very quick in measuring. (I got it recommended by Francois Simond. He has been calibrating the displays of the One Plus One) If you are completely crazy about colors, you should buy a spectrophotometer. But that is > €1000...
Bobtehblob said:
Are you able to share with us your profile @yorici? Will definitely be referencing this thread when I buy my own colorimeter in the coming month!
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I must confess Everytime I start calibrating I discover something I don't know yet and I begin investigating it further Yesterday I took 16 measurements of the white point of which I will posts gifs of (So you can see the change). I just get intrigued and stop calibrating So I have some half baked profiles I need to continue.
In my opinion n5 display looks better than any other smartphone display I came across. It's just so easy on the eyes, I get a headache when I look other oversaturated panels. I'm not a gamma expect but I know how people faces are supposed to look so I pay a lot of attention to the skin tones when I look at the images on my phone, and any custom made profile can't be compared in the terms of color accuracy to the stock one. After all, can we calibrate the screen better than Google?
Bright Red Nexus 5
Updated post 2 with gifs about the white point! Please comment if you feel I missed something or concluded wrongly
defffizz said:
In my opinion n5 display looks better than any other smartphone display I came across. It's just so easy on the eyes, I get a headache when I look other oversaturated panels. I'm not a gamma expect but I know how people faces are supposed to look so I pay a lot of attention to the skin tones when I look at the images on my phone, and any custom made profile can't be compared in the terms of color accuracy to the stock one. After all, can we calibrate the screen better than Google?
Bright Red Nexus 5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 'look at the faces' is indeed a good test to see if the display is a bit oversatured. Can we calibrate better? Yes, definitely.
The reason for this is that Google didn't do the calibration LG did. And LG had to build a profile that was an good average on all displays. No display can be exactly the same and especially when you have millions of units. The calibration is therefore not optimized on a per display basis and you can improve it
@yorici,
I have a eye one pro
Hi, I'm the developer of the Always-On family of apps. The apps display information like speed, pace, and heart rate while keeping the device awake. They all have features that minimize power consumption and prevent screen burn-in. Although I use the apps regularly myself and patch bugs as soon as I find them, many features and improvements have been implemented based on user feedback and feature requests, so I'm hoping I will get even more feedback on this forum. The posts to follow will contain app descriptions and screenshots. All the apps except Always-On Speed Pro have demo versions.
Note: the iOS version of Galaxy Store does not have paid apps. Unfortunately, there is only one way to install paid apps and it requires an Android phone and a couple of full resets of the watch. It should take around 10 minutes to get the paid apps you want running on your Samsung smartwatch paired with your iPhone:
0. Back up your smartwatch: on your phone, open the Galaxy Wearable app → About Gear → Back Up and Restore → Back Up Data.
1. Pair your watch with an Android phone (borrow one from a friend/family) instead of your iPhone. Note: this will cause a full reset of the smartwatch.
2. On the Android phone, sign into Galaxy Store using your Samsung account (the same one you used on your iPhone).
3. Purchase the apps you need in Galaxy Store on the Android phone, install them just in case. Make sure to check out my other apps not available on the iPhone, like Always-On Speed Pro or White Light Pro.
3.1 (optional). Rate the app.
4. Pair the watch with your iPhone again (this will cause another reset).
5. Restore your smartwatch to the previous state: on your phone, open the Galaxy Wearable app → About Gear → Back Up and Restore → Restore Data.
6. On your iPhone, go to Galaxy Store → Menu (three dots in the search bar, top-right corner) → select "My page" → "All". You should now see the apps you purchased and be able to reinstall them on your Galaxy watch paired with your iPhone.
Always-On Speed [Current Version: 5.2.0; Size: 266 KB; Price: $1; free demo version is available]
The application shows the following metrics while keeping the device awake:
• Speed in km/h, m/s, miles/h, or knots.
• Average and maximum speed for the last 60 seconds.
• Direction of movement (heading) in cardinal points and degrees (shown only when moving).
• Current time in hours and minutes.
Please read the following information before using the app:
• Swipe left to open Settings. Here you can change the unit of speed, speed limit, time format, font color and thickness, and screen orientation.
• Speed limit shortcut: tap the speed indicator once and use the bezel to set the speed limit.
• You will receive visual, audio, and tactile warnings when you exceed the speed limit. You can adjust the alert volume and vibration in Settings.
• Swipe up to change the font color to white and increase the font thickness for maximum readability under direct sunlight. Expect a higher power consumption.
• Press the Back button once to check the power consumption.
• The accuracy depends on cloud cover and your speed. The accuracy is very high when the sky is clear and your speed exceeds 20 km/h or 12 mph.
• The values are updated more frequently (every second instead of two seconds) if you use an activity tracking application on your phone (e.g., Strava or Google Maps).
• Numbers move up and down the screen once a minute to prevent screen burn-in.
• The display stays on until you quit the app.
• The app does not log your activity and does not connect to the Internet.
• This app has a Pro version and a free demo version.
Troubleshooting:
• If you cannot close the app using the Back button, press the Home button two times to get to the list of apps → Recent apps → Close all. Email the developer if this happens every time.
• Disable Samsung Health workout detection for the best, uninterrupted experience. Samsung Health → Settings → Workout detection.
• Make sure that GPS is enabled before starting the app. The app cannot enable GPS on your phone automatically. Note: do not use any power saving modes/apps on your phone because they interfere with GPS.
• If your watch has a built-in GPS, the app can use it but only if you disconnect the watch from your smartphone (for example, by disabling Bluetooth on your phone). Expect a much higher power consumption.
• Please contact the developer if you encounter a bug or if the app does not function as advertised. Feature requests are more than welcome!
There are several features that reduce power consumption:
• The rotating bezel on the Gear S2 and newer smartwatches can be used to adjust the screen brightness. Note: in bright sunlight the brightness level locks at 100% and cannot be adjusted.
• Green font uses half as many sub-pixels as white font, resulting in lower power consumption.
• If you stop moving, the device will start vibrating once a minute so that you don't forget to close the app after finishing your ride.
• Power consumption: < 10%/h. Depends on the watch model and ambient temperature.
• Disabling Bixby wake-up command may further improve battery life.
Always-On Speed Pro - speedometer, heart rate monitor, altimeter, gradient, and compass (heading) [Current Version: 5.3.0; Size: 275 KB; Price: $2.75]
The application shows the following metrics while keeping the device awake:
• Speed in km/h, m/s, miles/h, or knots.
• Average and maximum speed for the last 60 seconds.
• Distance traveled in kilometers, miles, or nautical miles.
• Duration of travel in minutes and seconds. Measured only when the speed exceeds 4 km/h or 2.5 mph.
• Current time in hours and minutes.
• Height above sea level (altitude) in meters or feet. Accuracy (clear sky): ±10m (±30ft) when using GPS (indicated by a dot, e.g. 953m.) and ±1m (±3ft) when using the Altimeter (no dot, e.g. 953m).
• Heart rate in beats per minute. Accuracy: normally very good; restart the sensor if way off. You can check the accuracy yourself before buying using the Always-On Heart Rate (Demo) app.
• Slope gradient (%), averaged over the last 5 or 10 seconds. Note: the accuracy depends on the speed and whether you use GPS or Altimeter to estimate altitude; very low at speeds below 10 km/h when using GPS.
• Battery percentage. Press the Back button once to check the power consumption (% or %/hour).
• Direction of movement (heading) in cardinal points and degrees. Shown only when the speed exceeds 4 km/h or 2.5 mph.
Please read the following information before using the app:
• Swipe left to open Settings. Tap to change the unit of speed or set a speed and heart rate (HRMax) limit.
• Swipe again to open the History tab, which shows the maximum and average values for the whole ride and one-minute intervals (current ride only).
• When riding a flat-bar bicycle, set the 'Screen Rotate' setting to 'left' or 'right' to align the main screen with your eyes.
• Swipe up to change the font color to white and increase the font thickness for maximum readability under direct sunlight. Expect a higher power consumption.
• Tap the speed indicator to zoom in on speed. Tap again to zoom out.
• Switch between heart rate and slope gradient by tapping the heart rate indicator.
• You will receive visual, audio, and tactile warnings when you exceed the speed limit or HRMax. You can adjust the alert volume in the settings.
• The accuracy of GPS-based metrics depends on your speed: the faster you go, the higher the accuracy. The accuracy of all metrics except altitude and gradient is very high at speeds above 20 km/h or 12 mph.
• The values are updated more frequently (every second instead of two seconds) if you use an activity tracking application on your phone (e.g., Strava or Google Maps).
• Numbers move up and down the screen at the start of every minute (e.g., 11:05:00, then at 11:06:00, etc.) to prevent screen burn-in.
• The display stays on until you quit the app.
• The app does not store your activity data and never connects to the Internet.
Two ways to calibrate the Altimeter (do this every time you launch the app or when the weather changes):
• Find out the actual altitude at the location where you start your rides (you can use the topographic/contour maps in MAPS.ME or Osmand on your phone or the pre-installed Alti-Barometer on your watch). Adjust the Pressure at Sea Level (SL) setting in Always-On Speed Pro until the estimated temperature matches the actual air temperature at your location. OR:
• Open Samsung's Alti-Barometer on your watch, tap ↺, then go to Settings → Manual Calibration. Do not enable manual calibrate, just copy the values you see there to Always-On Speed Pro.
Troubleshooting:
• Disable Samsung Health workout detection for the best, uninterrupted experience. Samsung Health → Settings → Workout detection.
• Make sure that GPS is enabled before starting the app. The app cannot enable GPS on your phone automatically. Note: do not use any power saving modes/apps on your phone because they interfere with GPS.
• If your watch has a built-in GPS, the app can use it but only if you disconnect the watch from your smartphone (for example, by disabling Bluetooth on your phone). Expect a much higher power consumption.
• Please contact the developer if you encounter a bug or if the app does not function as advertised. Feature requests are more than welcome!
There are several features that reduce power consumption (12%/h with HRM on and 9%/h with HRM off, as measured on a Galaxy Watch Active 2 44mm):
• The rotating bezel on the Gear S2 and newer smartwatches can be used to adjust the screen brightness. Note: in bright sunlight the brightness level locks at 100% and cannot be adjusted.
• Green font uses half as many sub-pixels as white font, resulting in lower power consumption.
• If you stop moving, the device will vibrate once a minute so that you don't forget to close the app after finishing your ride.
• Note: power consumption varies greatly depending on the ambient temperature.
• Disabling Bixby wake-up command may further improve battery life.
Always-On Heart Rate [Current Version: 5.2.0; Size: 271 KB; Price: $1.5; free demo version is available]
The application shows the following metrics while keeping the device awake:
• Heart rate in beats per minute.
• Time in hours and minutes.
• Duration in minutes and seconds.
• Average and maximum heart rate for the last 60 seconds.
• Battery percentage. Press the Back button once to check the power consumption (% or %/hour).
• History tab shows stats for the current workout: maximum and average heart rate for 1-minute intervals and for the whole workout.
Please read the following information before using the app:
• The app has a free demo version.
• Disable S Health workout detection for the best, uninterrupted experience.
• Wait (usually 5 - 10 seconds) until the app starts showing your heart rate. Do not start your workout before that to ensure accurate readings.
• Restart or pause/resume the app if it shows double the actual heart rate.
• Swipe left to open Settings. Swipe left again to open the History tab.
• Optimize your workout by setting your HRmax and HRmin. The app will produce visual, audio, and tactile warnings every 2 seconds when your heart rate exceeds the HRmax limit (or drops below HRmin). Google "HRmax" to find out how to determine your maximum heart rate.
• Set HRmin to 95% of your resting HR and the app will wake you up when you fall asleep.
• Tap the heart rate indicator to zoom in.
• Swipe up to change the font color and thickness. Note: the app consumes 10 - 20% more power when using the white font.
• All values are updated once a second, except for battery percentage and time (once a minute).
• The display stays on until you quit the app.
• If you have a complaint about the accuracy of the heart rate monitor, please direct it to Samsung. The app simply displays the values provided by the operating system.
• Numbers move up or down the screen in the first second of every minute (e.g., 11:05:00, then 11:06:00, etc.) to prevent screen burn-in.
• No internet connection or GPS is required.
• Power consumption: 8%/hour (measured on a Galaxy Watch Active 2 44mm).
There are several features that reduce power consumption:
• The rotating bezel on the Gear S2 and newer smartwatches can be used to adjust the screen brightness. Note: in bright sunlight the brightness level locks at 100% and cannot be adjusted.
• Only green subpixels are used, resulting in much lower power consumption compared to white font.
• The watch will vibrate if your heart rate does not go above 100 bpm for 5 consecutive minutes, in case the app was launched accidentally or you forgot to close it.
Always-On Pace [Current Version: 2.4.0; Size: 127 KB; Price: $1; free demo version is available]
The application shows the following metrics while keeping the device awake:
• Pace in minutes per kilometer or minutes per mile; calculated based on your speed of movement in the last three seconds.
• Current time in hours and minutes.
• Average pace for the last 60 seconds (wait one minute for the first correct value).
Please read the following information before using the app:
• Tap the pace indicator three times at an interval of at least one second to change the unit of speed (min/km → min/mi). The app will remember your choice next time you launch it.
• Change the time format between 12h and 24h by tapping the time indicator.
• Swipe up to change the font color to white and increase the font thickness for maximum readability under direct sunlight. Expect a higher power consumption.
• The display stays on until you quit the app.
• "Move" means you are not moving fast enough.
• The app does not log your activity.
• Make sure that GPS is enabled before starting the app. The app cannot enable GPS on your phone or watch automatically.
• If your watch has a built-in GPS, the app can use it but only if you disconnect the watch from your smartphone (e.g., by disabling Bluetooth on your phone). This inconvenience is caused by a bug in the operating system and not in the app itself.
• Numbers move up and down the screen once a minute to prevent screen burn-in.
• No internet connection is required.
There are several features that reduce power consumption:
• The rotating bezel on the Gear S2 and S3 can be used to adjust the screen brightness. Note: in bright sunlight the brightness level locks at 100% and cannot be adjusted.
• Only green subpixels are used, resulting in three times lower power consumption compared to white font.
• If you stop moving, the device will start vibrating every 60 seconds so that you don't forget to close the app after finishing your run.
Updated app descriptions
Always-On Speed Pro v4.0 is out:
• Swipe left to open Settings.
• Tap the speed indicator to zoom in.
• Something folks riding flat-bar bicycles will appreciate: rotate the main screen left (90° clockwise) or right (90° counterclockwise) to align it with your eyes.
• Change font color and thickness to improve screen readability under direct sunlight.
See the updated description and screenshots for more info.
Always-On Speed Pro v4.2 is out:
• New gesture: swipe up to quickly change the font color and thickness for maximum readability under direct sunlight.
• New units: speed in knots and distance in nautical miles.
• Bug fixes.
All apps will be 50% off (or less in some countries due to store restrictions) from Black Friday (2018-11-23) to Cyber Monday (2018-11-26) :laugh:
Because a lot of iPhone users ask me why they only see the demo versions in the Galaxy Apps store, I added a quick guide on how to install paid apps in the first post
New updates:
Always-On Speed and Always-On Speed Pro (Version 4.4.0):
• Samsung Galaxy Watch Active support: it is now possible to adjust speed limit, HRMax (Pro only), and volume on watches with no rotating bezel.
• US-friendly speed limit adjustment: no more fractions!
• Other UX improvements and bug fixes.
Always-On Hear Rate (Version 4.0.0):
• Always-On UX 3.0: gesture navigation and settings screen (swipe left to open Settings).
• New feature: swipe up to change font color and thickness. Note: white font consumes more power.
• New feature: one-minute average.
• Samsung Galaxy Watch Active support: it is now possible to set HRmax and alert volume on smartwatches with no rotating bezel.
Not so new updates:
Always-On Hear Rate (Version 4.2.0):
• New feature: tap the HR indicator to zoom in.
• Triple tap returns! Tap the duration indicator three times to reset the counter.
• New option in Settings: turn inactivity warning on or off.
• New feature: set a minimum heart rate to maintain your target heart rate between HR Min and HR Max.
Always-On Pace (Version 2.4.0):
• New feature: swipe up to change the font color and thickness for increased visibility under direct sunlight.
• Bug fixes.
New features coming to Always-On Heart Rate and Always-On Speed Pro in 2020:
• Workout history.
• More customization options.
By the way, all the apps are on sale (up to 50% off, depending on the lowest price allowed for each particular country) till January 1st.
After almost a year, I finally got time to work on the apps! Big updates are coming soon!
In the meantime, all the apps will be 60% off (or less in some countries due to store restrictions) from Black Friday (2020-11-27) to Cyber Monday (2020-11-30)!
Always-On Heart Rate, Always-On Speed, and Always-On Speed Pro have all been updated to Version 5.2.0. To celebrate this, all of them will be on sale from Oct 2 to Oct 8 (up to 50% off, depending on the country).
Please note that these apps are not yet compatible with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and other Wear OS smartwatches. I need to rewrite them in a different programming language, and that will take a while.
A new update is out for Always-On Speed Pro (v5.3.0). This update brings a major new feature that makes the app massively more useful for cyclists: altimeter. Altimeter shows barometer-based altitude (±1m if properly calibrated) and gradient, which are way more accurate than GPS-based altitude (±10m) and gradient. Please read the updated app description and screenshots on how to enable and calibrate the altimeter. I'd greatly appreciate any feedback.
If you want to try new features weeks before everyone else, please email me to register as a beta tester.
Always-On Speed is finally available on the Galaxy Watch 4 and other Wear OS (including Wear OS 2.0) smartwatches. See this thread for more detail: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/...and-compass-that-keeps-the-screen-on.4431331/
BUYER BEWARE: I don't know how Samsung handles burn-in. I created an overlay for WatchMaker that effectively turns off every pixel for a minute or two each hour (similar to what pixel shift does).
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I lucked into exploiting a bug/glitch that somehow tricks or circumvents the 15% OPR limitation in dim mode. What I end-up with is considerably brighter, and much more useable/readable.
Using WatchMaker and Tasker, create a task to run every 5 minutes throughout the day. Every 5 minutes (or 10 or whatever you choose, just needs to be higher than watch's screen off time), re-send the currently selected WatchMaker face to your Watch. It might take a cycle or two to sync, but you'll end-up with the default WatchMaker brightness (which doesn't appear to be adjustable) in dim mode.
My blue/orange/red watchfaces (some with @ 45% OPR) are now readable in dim mode. Uses maybe 1-1.5% extra battery per hour (I have brightness set to 4 out of 10). App "I'm Alive" works great to keep your watch always on (and active), but is a huge battery drain in the 8-10% per hour range in my tests. The Tasker trick above actually allows your watch to go into inactive/dim mode.
NOT A GUARANTEE AGAINST BURN-IN!!!
Here are the overlays I use in WatchMaker. It would be the top/last two layers in your design. The first I set the X coordinate to {dm}, which shifts the image 1 pixel right each minute. The second I set the Y coordinate to {dm}, which shifts the image 1 pixel down each minute.
I really can't see these pixels, although they may show on large white parts of your watch.
The images are a 630x630 square at 364 DPI (for the 1.4" 45mm Galaxy Watch 3). Each row has 1 pure black pixel every 60 pixels, and I alternated so to maximize the space between pixels to not be noticeable. The second image is rotated 180 degrees so you can use both in order to "turn-off" each pixel for 2 minutes each hour.
One more layer of protection would be to lengthen your minute hand all the way to the edge and it will then, presumably, change the color of every pixel for a few minutes each hour as it rotates around.
The images are below (they're just mostly transparent!). Hover around with the cursor to find GWBurnIn1.png and GWBurnIn2.png
More tips:
Rotate watch faces at least every 12 hours to reduce chance of burn-in (GW3 WatchMaker max is 3 hours, FYI, but you need to control this from Tasker, anyway, to select different watches at different times on different days)
Alternate between light/colored faces and dark/black faces. Even better, use paint.net (free download for PC) to create the inverted color version of the watch face. But in most cases the inverted face will probably be ugly as sin.
A couple battery drain tips: Don't use WatchMaker default rotation commands for the minute-hand, use {dm}*6. In dim mode, the hand only moves every minute, anyway, but the default rotation is adjusted for seconds which could cause it to constantly engage cpu to calculate. Similarly, you might not want to use the continuous second-hand {drss} rotation.
Note: The second-hand does not disappear in dim mode even if set to bright only. Use the below code for the Opacity of the second-hand. This makes the second hand invisible after the watch has been active for 15 seconds. It will come back, for 15 seconds (or whatever you choose) when you interact with your watch again.
{c_elapsed} >=15 and 0 or 100
How do you write the Tasker task to change the watch face in watchmaker? Thanks for help
Would like to know this as well...
mib1800 said:
How do you write the Tasker task to change the watch face in watchmaker? Thanks for help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are two steps. First, a "sub-task" to set a Tasker variable. In the below scenario, I'm rotating 25 watchfaces for the week. It's iterating the variable +1 every 8 hours, until 25 then back to 0.
with trigger/event set from 12AM every 8 hours
1) Variable set.....Name "%WMwatch" and To 0 and "If %WMwatch" eq 25
2) Variable add....Name "%WMwatch" and Value 1 and Wrap Around 0
Second step. Set the watchface. You need to use the Tasker Watchmaker plugin. The action is "WM Change Watch". The trigger event you want to set to every 5 minutes (or 2, or 10 minutes or whatever). I use 5 minutes and the battery drain is completely negligible.
1) Configuration: choose your watchface...and use the IF function %WMwatch EQ 1 (and then a different watchface for 2, and 3, and so on).
That's it. Kind of hard to explain, but if you guys are familiar with Tasker you should be able to figure it out. This hack is still working for me, and I love it.