So I had an idea as I was looking for different screens that would be suitable to grade for various color spaces... mostly Rec709 and DCI P3. This came off the back of me getting some work that will likely require a DCP in the future, I advised grading for 709 and then either leaving it up to the DCP tech or applying a LUT, based on some of the excellent advice given here.
Then I stumbled across an article, http://www.dvinfo.net/article/optical-science/is-p3-the-new-4k.html here. That got me thinking. I wonder if there are any cheap OLED screens out there? Then I realized that Samsung Galaxy S Tab which comes in 8 and 10-inch screens has an AMOLED screen with, well, seemingly very wide color representation. See http://www.displaymate.com/OLED_Tablet_ShootOut_1.htm here. Suggests 90% of Adobe RGB colors can be outputted, which, could be an effective although not perfect way to display P3.
Now, if you were to take say, a Galaxy S5 or S Tab (the 10 inch screen might be suitable as a reference monitor on an extreme budget), or even the S5 with its 1080p screen, and put them in a darkened room, calibrate them using a Spyder4 PRO or something similar (which calibrates Android displays), connected them via--and this is where I lose it slightly.
I believe the Galaxy S5 has an MHL port which I... think can send 10 bit 4:4:4 the same as Micro HDMI can. If this is the case, through an Intensity or a Decklink it should be possible somehow to use any Android device as a monitor, calibrated to DCI P3 color space.
Any thoughts or ideas, android applications or hacks that might make this a possibility, if even in a pinch? I realize, 100%, that it's not going to be as good as a projector in a dark room but, you know. Worth a go, right?
No, not "worth a go." You should really go back and read the article you referenced all the way through. Towards the end, Art wisely explains that P3 is a color space that is designed for large displays (primarily projectors, as it was essentially created directly from the visual characteristics of the original TI DLP Cinema projectors) in dark environments, such as a theater. Any other variation - namely, smaller displays or environments with reasonable amounts of ambient light - is inappropriate for the P3 specification. Human interpretation of color is not based solely on the source, it is very reliant on the size of the display and the environment. Accuracy of the display, as evidenced by a non-human meter, is not an accurate indication of how the human eye and brain will interpret that display when the size of the image is increased or when the viewing conditions are different. You cannot properly gauge what an image will look like on a digital cinema projector in a theater by looking at it on a 12 inch OLED monitor in a room with the lights on (or off, for that matter), regardless of the alleged "accuracy."
I did read the whole article. Thing is, how many of us are going to be able to afford a digital cinema projector?
I guess the most reasonable solution is to grade on a good Rec709 monitor in a neutral space and then LUT it after.
>>Thing is, how many of us are going to be able to afford a digital cinema projector?
Hence the reason for not trying to fake one. If your monitoring environment is set up for Rec709 displays - which most "proper" environments are - then use that and rely on the DCP supplier (or software, if you're doing it yourself) to make a proper conversion. The conversion won't be perfect, but it will be a lot better than trying to simulate P3 in anything but a "proper" digital cinema environment.
as precise as it can be with grade one 24 inch display for example and get some experience on it.
After some features you have pretty clear understanding what is what.
and the results i get on big screen like that.
and not for the cool tech.
[Conrad Hughes] "Thing is, how many of us are going to be able to afford a digital cinema projector?"
You either accept the consequences, or you find a way to overcome the problem. There's plenty of DCI-compliant D-Cinema projectors out there for rent, and it's just a question of figuring out a way to use the rooms for your specific project. But you don't necessarily have to buy a projector.
Believe me, you have a completely different sense of balance, contrast, and color on a big projection screen than you do on (say) a 50" monitor. It's a whole different thing. I'd also argue it's hard to color-correct on a big-screen for a home video project, because there are things that work better in Rec709 space on a small screen.
That's actually very true. There are plenty of cinema screens that aren't too expensive to rent for a few hours come to think of it. I'll be in Phnom Penh soon so if anything that becomes more of a realistic proposition.
This is exactly what we do here.
We do grade home and will go to actual cinema to see them.
Revisit after adjustment if needed.
That not only sounds very practical and efficient but also rather fun. I've colored TV before but am coming up to do my first feature, hence the question. Thanks all for the replies.