Can't calibrate new XDR MacBook Pro display - missing 'Color' button, calibration option.

[Sowelu]

Sowelu, so there's no customize option in that presets dropdown?

Yes, there is, but presets are not the same as color profiles. This is something new Apple introduced with the XDR displays. Also, when you attempt to customize a preset, it's not very intuitive and you're limited to only a couple of options (no color adjustment). And, based on what I and others in this thread have encountered, once you create or edit a preset, you can no longer adjust the display brightness.

So either this feature is riddled with bugs, or it's not yet known how to properly use it (or it's something I am just not getting or understanding). But either way, it doesn't replace the Display Calibration Assistant as it lacks most of the features you'd need to calibrate your display.

Hopefully Apple builds this out to include proper display calibration, or unhide the Display Calibration Assistant - they should be able to coexist. And if (for whatever reason) the new XDR displays must be limited to using presets only, then Apple needs to add proper color correction (and all other Display Calibration Assistant features) into preset editing.

Imagine buying a beautiful new LG or Samsung high-end TV and there are no color management options in the TV menu? I would not be happy having to live with factory calibrations or leaving that awful Motion Interpolation effect turned on. So I am hoping that this move by Apple is due to not having the proper calibration and display preferences fully baked in time for both the release of the new MacBook Pros, and Monterey.

 

[slyce49]

Yes, there is, but presets are not the same as color profiles. This is something new Apple introduced with the XDR displays. Also, when you attempt to customize a preset, it's not very intuitive and you're limited to only a couple of options (no color adjustment). And, based on what I and others in this thread have encountered, once you create or edit a preset, you can no longer adjust the display brightness.

So either this feature is riddled with bugs, or it's not yet known how to properly use it (or it's something I am just not getting or understanding). But either way, it doesn't replace the Display Calibration Assistant as it lacks most of the features you'd need to calibrate your display.

Hopefully Apple builds this out to include proper display calibration, or unhide the Display Calibration Assistant - they should be able to coexist. And if (for whatever reason) the new XDR displays must be limited to using presets only, then Apple needs to add proper color correction (and all other Display Calibration Assistant features) into preset editing.

Imagine buying a beautiful new LG or Samsung high-end TV and there are no color management options in the TV menu? I would not be happy having to live with factory calibrations or leaving that awful Motion Interpolation effect turned on. So I am hoping that this move by Apple is due to not having the proper calibration and display preferences fully baked in time for both the release of the new MacBook Pros, and Monterey.

Ah ok. Yea just figured I'd ask cuz I had a hard time finding it at first, looking for the old "Calibrate" button. That's really terrible on Apple's part to not allow for color calibration on such a high end product on which one of the main selling points is it's display. First the headphone jack, now calibration, soon you'll need an apple vaccine just to get an apple car!!

 

[brucele]

I'm able to make a profile but it whenever I restart or shutdown, it will go back to factory profile.

Can't figure out why it doesn't stick on a restart or shutdown.

Any ideas?

 

[Likeaboss7]

Apple also hid the screen manufacture info. Perhaps the color calibration too so ppl will not play the screen lottery and share color profiles making it look like some apples are better than others. Think the calibrator is just buggy at the moment and will be restored in a future update.

 

[Sowelu]

I'm able to make a profile but it whenever I restart or shutdown, it will go back to factory profile.

Can't figure out why it doesn't stick on a restart or shutdown.

Any ideas?

Are you applying the newly created profile using the ColorSync Utility app in the Utilities folder?

 

[souko]

I have used X-Rite i1 Display Pro and i1 Profiler app. I could not choose verifying profile or bigger sample size than 118 (small). After it created profile and saved into user-library... It changed colors but to mess. It was not calibrated but something yellow-green. HDR did not work too. I deleted the profile and restarted and I am back to normal... I hope it will be possible to calibrate the screen with next update to macOS and i1 Profiler app.

 

[dypeterc]

Nice workaround @Sowelu! Worked a charm. Not sure why Apple buried it. One thing I noticed, was that the change was very subtle. It was basically a change in contrast/white point/black point. In fact, I didn't have to adjust any of the RGB sliders. Just the lefthand ones. So I think the display calibration is pretty close out of the box. I'll have to remember to do this again a couple months in once the display "beds" in.

One thing I have noticed is that the new MBP14 screen has a warmer TrueTone than last year's MBP13.

 

[Sowelu]

Nice workaround @Sowelu! Worked a charm. Not sure why Apple buried it. One thing I noticed, was that the change was very subtle. It was basically a change in contrast/white point/black point. In fact, I didn't have to adjust any of the RGB sliders. Just the lefthand ones. So I think the display calibration is pretty close out of the box. I'll have to remember to do this again a couple months in once the display "beds" in.

One thing I have noticed is that the new MBP14 screen has a warmer TrueTone than last year's MBP13.

I agree, TrueTone is a bit more aggressive on the MBP14 (it's like having NightShift on during the day) - I wonder if this will also be true on my 16" that is currently in transit.

I personally find all of Apple's displays (from iPhone to Macs) have a dingy green hue out of the box, and my eyes are very sensitive to this. I use color filters on my iPhone and iPads to bring in some blue/magenta to make the whites pop, and to remove the green hue while TrueTone helps keep a nice and subtle warm (not yellow/green/dingy) tone.

On my Macs, I calibrate all the displays using the built in Display Calibration Assistant to remove some of the green/yellow for a bit more red/blue, then reduce the white point down a bit to a nicer warmer level which even things out. This just looks natural and vibrant and to my eyes. This is why I prefer to calibrate using my eyes versus a physical calibrator, but I'd still like to try one.

 

[Sowelu]

Apple also hid the screen manufacture info. Perhaps the color calibration too so ppl will not play the screen lottery and share color profiles making it look like some apples are better than others. Think the calibrator is just buggy at the moment and will be restored in a future update.

You can still see some display manufacturer info if you open up a display profile via ColorSync utility:

...and if memory serves, manufacturer '610' was always rumored to be Samsung, but I am not sure if that is still the case (or if it was ever true).

 

[5425642]

I’m tired but apple has made it more simple you download pattern from apple. Measure them then fil out the difference and it correct the profile for you macrulmra did a article about it

 

[5425642]

Can you calibrate an external monitor?

Yes it work like before this is only for the built in

 

[David Abrams]

Hi All,

We calibrated a MacBook Pro XDR today and put some of the results on the thread over here. I would be hesitant to use the Display Calibrator Assistant as many things have to be just right in order for it to apply to all of the color spaces that macOS utilizes. As mentioned in the other thread, calibration is really about getting the system dialed in so that all of the different color spaces, both SDR and HDR, will optimize properly and on the new MacBook Pro XDR displays that is best accomplished via the Fine-Tune Calibration implementation as it applies to both SDR and HDR formats.

Best,

David

 

[dypeterc]

Hi All,

We calibrated a MacBook Pro XDR today and put some of the results on the thread over here. I would be hesitant to use the Display Calibrator Assistant as many things have to be just right in order for it to apply to all of the color spaces that macOS utilizes. As mentioned in the other thread, calibration is really about getting the system dialed in so that all of the different color spaces, both SDR and HDR, will optimize properly and on the new MacBook Pro XDR displays that is best accomplished via the Fine-Tune Calibration implementation as it applies to both SDR and HDR formats.

Best,

David

These MBP14 displays might actually be better than the Pro XDR. They use the same tech LCD with oxide TFT and the MBP14 has better local dimming zone control ("Thousands of mini-LEDs are grouped into individually controlled local dimming zones" according to Apple PR compared to 576 zones for the Pro XDR)

 

[badlydrawnboy]

Hi all,

I followed the thread but am still not sure if it is possible to Calibrate a new Macbook Pro with an external hardware device like my Calibrite ColorChecker iDisplay Pro and third-party software like DisplayCal? I use this combination to calibrate my iMac Pro 5k retina display.

Can I just run the calibration like I normally would, then follow @Sowelu 's advice for how to install the ColorSync profile?

 

[jefish]

Anyone else notice that after following @Sowelu's steps, and applying a new calibration profile, that HDR no longer locks in? With a profile applied, all highlights in HDR content are completely blown out. Reset color profile to factory, HDR renders properly.

 

[Matck06]

Anyone else notice that after following @Sowelu's steps, and applying a new calibration profile, that HDR no longer locks in? With a profile applied, all highlights in HDR content are completely blown out. Reset color profile to factory, HDR renders properly.

Hello, how did you manage to put back the hdr, what is the manipulation? thank

edit:you have to click on the "set to factory" surrounde in red ?

 

[Sowelu]

Yes, it looks like creating and applying a color profile using the Color Calibration Assistant bypasses the XDR preset and the settings/features within.

I knew that Apple wouldn't have arbitrarily hid the Color Calibration Assistant in the new MacBook Pro's with HDR displays for no reason, but I was hoping that it was due to the Color Calibration Assistant needing an update for these new displays and Monterey.

Based on recent posts in this thread, and elsewhere on the forum, it looks like these new HDR displays have brought a layer of complexity to the display and color calibration options in macOS, and this is why Apple hid the 'old way' of calibrating and went the (limiting and half baked) 'presets' route.

This is what I feared and surmised early on and I was (and remain) hopeful that Apple will add the ability to color correct within these customizable presets. We should be able to color correct our displays without expensive or time consuming 3rd party options/hardware. As of now, this limitation is unacceptable on these 'pro' machines - especially when they have that signature factory calibration with a green dingy hue (to my eyes).

Personally, I am going to continue to use the workaround I outlined above and forgo the XDR features until Apple adds color correction to the display presets (and makes it easier to change other preset settings). I'd rather have a color profile that's pleasing to (my) eyes than brighter HD video content. The display is already plenty bright for me.

All that aside, I still can't figure out how to (at least) change the white point using customized presets without it locking the brightness to 100% which also prevents the user from changing the brightness level. If this is not a bug, then I am not sure what I am doing wrong.

 

[David Abrams]

Yes, it looks like creating and applying a color profile using the Color Calibration Assistant bypasses the XDR preset and the settings/features within.

I knew that Apple wouldn't have arbitrarily hid the Color Calibration Assistant in the new MacBook Pro's with HDR displays for no reason, but I was hoping that it was due to the Color Calibration Assistant needing an update for these new displays and Monterey.

Based on recent posts in this thread, and elsewhere on the forum, it looks like these new HDR displays have brought a layer of complexity to the display and color calibration options in macOS, and this is why Apple hid the 'old way' of calibrating and went the (limiting and half baked) 'presets' route.

This is what I feared and surmised early on and I was (and remain) hopeful that Apple will add the ability to color correct within these customizable presets. We should be able to color correct our displays without expensive or time consuming 3rd party options/hardware. As of now, this limitation is unacceptable on these 'pro' machines - especially when they have that signature factory calibration with a green dingy hue (to my eyes).

Personally, I am going to continue to use the workaround I outlined above and forgo the XDR features until Apple adds color correction to the display presets (and makes it easier to change other preset settings). I'd rather have a color profile that's pleasing to (my) eyes than brighter HD video content. The display is already plenty bright for me.

All that aside, I still can't figure out how to (at least) change the white point using customized presets without it locking the brightness to 100% which also prevents the user from changing the brightness level. If this is not a bug, then I am not sure what I am doing wrong.

Is the only acceptable solution one that doesn't require any additional hardware or software outside of what is 'MacBook Pro XDR' and 'macOS'? Or would an acceptable solution include the need for a low cost colorimeter such as the i1 Display Pro or Spyder?

Since my profession is display calibration and optimization, I have a different perspective on the process and solution, but I would like to get a sense of what your ideal solution may be in an effort to either assist in achieving that goal or perhaps finding a better solution down the line. We're always thinking about ways we can evolve the 'Patterns Test Generator' to hit a wider audience.

 

[badlydrawnboy]

Is the only acceptable solution one that doesn't require any additional hardware or software outside of what is 'MacBook Pro XDR' and 'macOS'? Or would an acceptable solution include the need for a low cost colorimeter such as the i1 Display Pro or Spyder?

Since my profession is display calibration and optimization, I have a different perspective on the process and solution, but I would like to get a sense of what your ideal solution may be in an effort to either assist in achieving that goal or perhaps finding a better solution down the line. We're always thinking about ways we can evolve the 'Patterns Test Generator' to hit a wider audience.

@David Abrams Would you be willing to summarize the steps for using a hardware calibration device like the iDisplay Pro to calibrate these new Macbook Pros? I know how to use the device with DisplayCal software to generate the profile (as long as I can adjust brightness manually during that step in the calibration process). But I'm uncertain of how to install the profile that gets created with these new machines. Thanks.

 

[paalb]

Is the only acceptable solution one that doesn't require any additional hardware or software outside of what is 'MacBook Pro XDR' and 'macOS'? Or would an acceptable solution include the need for a low cost colorimeter such as the i1 Display Pro or Spyder?

Since my profession is display calibration and optimization, I have a different perspective on the process and solution, but I would like to get a sense of what your ideal solution may be in an effort to either assist in achieving that goal or perhaps finding a better solution down the line. We're always thinking about ways we can evolve the 'Patterns Test Generator' to hit a wider audience.

There are two groups, those who use i1Display Pro or Spyder and those who use the manual solution. Both groups represented in this thread. Both groups hoping for a solution.

 

[paalb]

Have a look at this

I think you can fix your white point manually playing around with changing the x and y values slightly. Look at video "22:20 Target Value X=0.3127 Y=0.329" It will be a exercise for the patient! I have a i1Pro so I will use that.

 

[fabiopili]

Hello everyone.

I'm following this issue and also corresponding with other users in order to understand the color management changes introduced by Apple with those new machines. ArtIsRight's video linked by paalb is an excellent summary, but I still have some questions unanswered. Unfortunately those new machines will take a while to be available where I live, so I won't be able to test it first hand.

My main question right now is if anyone has been able to generate a custom profile for those displays that represents the full DCI-P3 gamut of the panels. If you see the video, Art was able to profile the display without any problems, but the resulting profile is close to sRGB in gamut no matter the preset selected.

Has anyone tried DisplayCAL yet?

If anyone has access to both an i1 device and a spectrophotometer, generating a custom CCSS correction matrix and comparing it with the White LED and PFS Phosphor corrections provided by X-Rite for those devices would indicate if the new Mini LED screens on those devices will require an updated correction for the colorimeters to work properly.

I can analyze the resulting profiles here, if it's helpful. Just share the file or send it by DM and I'd be happy to do it.

 

[UncleGuido]

I'm a bit unclear about when to use some of the presets in the Monitors preference panel. Most of these presets enable standardized settings used in certain professional workflows and media. So, if I am viewing a 4K HDR video on YouTube, I probably want to choose the HDR preset. When I am editing photos in Capture One, and intending to print to a wide-gamut inkjet, I probably want the Photography preset. Etc.

But some of the other presets are puzzling. The Internet & Web (sRGB) preset locks brightness at a very low level. Why is this? Does the sRGB standard include a luminance spec?

If I am running a movie from my Macbook Pro to our TV (Sony A1E OLED), using an HDMI cable, which preset is appropriate? HDTV video? Digital Cinema? Or are these presets only useful for getting the correct output on the Macbook Pro itself?

Since I am not working professionally in any of these trades, I am free to set my screens to taste. But I am also curious about how this stuff works.

 

[Matck06]

Hello everyone.

I'm following this issue and also corresponding with other users in order to understand the color management changes introduced by Apple with those new machines. ArtIsRight's video linked by paalb is an excellent summary, but I still have some questions unanswered. Unfortunately those new machines will take a while to be available where I live, so I won't be able to test it first hand.

My main question right now is if anyone has been able to generate a custom profile for those displays that represents the full DCI-P3 gamut of the panels. If you see the video, Art was able to profile the display without any problems, but the resulting profile is close to sRGB in gamut no matter the preset selected.

Has anyone tried DisplayCAL yet?

If anyone has access to both an i1 device and a spectrophotometer, generating a custom CCSS correction matrix and comparing it with the White LED and PFS Phosphor corrections provided by X-Rite for those devices would indicate if the new Mini LED screens on those devices will require an updated correction for the colorimeters to work properly.

I can analyze the resulting profiles here, if it's helpful. Just share the file or send it by DM and I'd be happy to do it.

Here are my results using video and displaycal

 

[badlydrawnboy]

Why is display brightness not adjustable with the "Photography (P3-D65)" preset?