Every projector you buy from us is calibrated on the bench before it leaves, at no charge. You get an accurate picture from the first frame, with the reports to prove it.
This is not a new service. We have offered free pre-calibration for over 10 years, and Ricky has been calibrating displays for over 20.
Why factory settings fall short
Out of the box, projectors are tuned for bright showrooms and mass appeal. The usual result is a blue-leaning white point, clipped shadow detail and oversaturated skin tones. It looks punchy in a shop. It is not what the film-makers intended.
We fix that before the projector reaches you.
Calibrated to the standards the film was graded to
Colourists grade to reference standards: Rec709 for SDR, and DCI-P3 and/or BT.2020 gamuts with HDR10 and HLG for HDR. We calibrate to the same targets, so you see the picture as it was approved.
This is work we do for people who check it professionally. Kalibrate’s Ricky Jennings has calibrated displays for (Hollywood) directors, matching them to the reference monitors used in production, as well as projectors for Premier League footballers, pop artists and many more. Ricky is THX certified, a CEDIA member and formally qualified in calibration. Every projector we sell gets the same method.
The equipment
- Jeti Specbos spectroradiometer: our reference instrument. It measures the full light spectrum, so it stays accurate on laser and multi-segment LED sources, where light is concentrated in narrow bands.
- Colorimetry Research colorimeter: fast and precise for day-to-day measurement, and profiled against the Jeti for accuracy.
- Murideo 7G 8K pattern generator: clean, accurate test signals up to 8K.
Why the reference matters: standard consumer meters use filters that misread narrow-band light sources. The error shows up as incorrect colour and unreliable black levels, and it gets built into the calibration. A spectroradiometer reference removes that error at the source.
What happens on the bench
Testing is carried out in Kalibrate’s own dedicated demo room, not a workshop corner.
- Warm-up. We run each projector for around 30 minutes before taking baseline readings. Lasers, lamps and phosphor engines drift as they heat up, and measuring cold gives false results.
- Quality and panel check. Test patterns confirm lens uniformity, focus tracking, convergence and optical clarity, and we check for dead or stuck pixels. Problems are found here, not in your home.
- Reference calibration across formats.
- SDR709: D65 white point, correct gamma tracking, reference colour.
- HDR10 and HLG: EOTF tuned to preserve highlight and shadow detail.
- Wide colour gamut (BT.2020 and DCI-P3): wide-gamut filters aligned where the projector supports them.
- Reports and profiles. You receive after readouts, delta-E graphs, gamut maps and a summary of the profiles to use. The calibrated profiles are saved in the projector’s picture memories.
Each unit typically takes three to five hours, sometimes longer, and very rarely less. We do not rush it.
Pre-calibration and onsite calibration: the final refinement
Bench calibration gives you an excellent, accurate baseline on day one. Onsite calibration is the final refinement, and the next level up.
At your home we calibrate for the things the bench cannot know: your screen material, ambient light, throw distance and the colour of your walls and decor, since light reflected from dark or light surfaces tints the image differently. The result is a picture tuned to your room, not just to the projector.
If you want the best your system can deliver, book it.
FAQs
Does pre-calibration affect my manufacturer warranty?
No. Nothing we do invalidates the manufacturer warranty. We only use the standard, user-accessible calibration menus.
What if I reset my settings?
Your profiles are stored in the projector’s picture memories, and the settings are printed in the report in the box. You can restore everything in minutes.
Do I still need onsite calibration?
Think of the bench work as building a race-spec engine. It is excellent and ready to perform. Onsite calibration is fine-tuning the suspension for your particular track. The engine is the foundation, but the final gains come from setting it up for where it will actually run.
Can I opt out and have the projector factory sealed?
Yes. If you are an experienced calibrator, or you plan to have onsite calibration on installation day, tell us at checkout and we will ship it untouched.
Next steps
Plug it in, mount it, switch on, and enjoy an accurate picture from the first minute.
Can’t see the projector you want on our site? We can supply projectors that aren’t listed yet, and every one gets the same free pre-calibration. Just ask.