Prior to using your LG OLED TV as an HDR grading monitor, you’ll probably want to calibrate it. LG recommends a burn in time of 100 hours of HDR content for the most consistent pixel response. In order to calibrate using a Mac, you’ll need VMware Fusion 12 Player, Windows 10, a colorimeter, a USB drive and Calman software. VMware Fusion Player allows you to run Windows 10 on your Mac as a virtual machine. It’s free, easy to install, and a joy to use. Here are instructions for installing VMware Fusion 12 on your Mac.
Update 18.11.2022: VMWare Fusion has announced that Fusion 13 now supports both Intel and Apple silicon Macs, allowing users to access Windows 11 virtual machines. As of this writing, Intel Macs offer full support for Windows 11 while Fusion 13 on Apple Silicon is only the first round of features with more to come in future updates. Apple Silicon Macs must run the Arm variant of Windows 11 and it doesn’t support the x86/Intel version of Windows.
And here are instructions for installing Windows 10 on MacOS using VMware Fusion.
You can purchase Calman Home for LG from the Portrait Displays website.
Before calibrating your LG OLED, you’ll want to disable any settings with the word ‘dynamic’ in them, along with any power saving features.
Allow the TV and colorimeter to warm up 30 minutes prior to calibrating. Do not place the colorimeter on the display until you are ready to begin, as prolonged exposure to heat is detrimental to the device. Tyler Pruitt’s tutorial is the one to watch.
Among all manufacturers in 2022, only LG Electronics provides full 3D LUT calibration and HDR tone curve adjustment capabilities, which is the main reason why LG OLEDs are the most popular consumer televisions used as client reference monitors in grading suites and are indeed the only ones recommended by Dolby in the Dolby Vision best practices guide.
– Vincent Teoh
The factory calibrated picture of our 55CX was already excellent, with no inaccuracies exceeding the humanly perceptible threshold of Delta 3, but calibration perceptibly improved near black shadow detail, so we’d say it was definitely worthwhile. While consumer TVs are not approved by Dolby Vision for color grading/mastering, calibrated LG CX, C9, C8 and C7 series OLEDs are the only displays recommended by Dolby Vision for use as consumer reference monitors and Calman is the preferred calibration software. No other consumer brand approaches the level of calibration made possible by the partnership of LG and Calman.
The Daejeon Chronicles 
Well done.
It’s always important to calibrate.
I wanted to advise you to try a Windows VM but was not sure if the devices would be easily detected.
Thanks, Val. It was a little rocky at first, but installing and using Windows VM was a breeze!
Cool 🙂
The calibration results show that your average delta was good before calibration but what after calibration the delta of each color is under 2 (which was not the case before). Well done!
Is it the same process for SDR calibration (or this HDR calibration also has effects when you display a SDR image)?
Yes, you’ve got to do calibrations for each of the different picture modes as well as separate readings for HDR and SDR. I don’t plan on doing any more calibrations for now. The only SDR videos I could see making in the near future are (1) to try out S-Cinetone whenever it’s available for the a7s III and (2) when Paul releases Leeming LUT Pro III for Sony Alpha, I’ll be sharing my experiences for sure! And for both situations, I’d just be monitoring with the calibrated display on my MacBook Pro.
Ok, I understand.
The LG 55CX seems really interesting. I’m thinking….
Hm, Calman made a specific video for SDR Rec709.
Did you follow the two processes or only the HDR one?
In order to calibrate for HDR, it’s recommended to watch the SDR video first, since it contains important information not included in the HDR tutorial. Tyler Pruitt’s videos are the only ones those interested in calibrating with Calman Home for LG should be following.
Do you have a picture of your whole installation when grading (with computer, GUI screen, Blackmagic box and TV)?
It may give me an idea if it’s conceivable for me to move my computer, GUI screen, etc in the living room when grading…
My current setup is nice and compact. I will try to take a photo and share it on the blog!
Ok, thanks Jon.
Here you go!
https://daejeonchronicles.com/2021/02/13/hdr-reference-white/
Thanks Jon, it gives an idea.
I try to find a “mobile” solution with a good WAF but not easy!
Apple will be releasing two redesigned MacBook Pros with Apple Silicon and mini LED in 2021.
Price of 48” CX should come down as LG is ramping up production of panels. They’ll be releasing a 20% brighter EVO OLED (the G1) in the spring, but it’s wall mount only.
The new model is better each year.
However, since the B/C/G-1 models will be released in Spring, it may be the right time to get a CX at a good price.
No easy solution for me to keep the living room and room not to “messy”. If a good 4K 24″ or 27″ existed, I could put the two screens on my desktop.
Then a 55CX to replace my 4K Panasonic in the living room and that’s all.
A new 27″ 4K Benq will be released soon but in general, they are not as accurate as the Eizo (eg: CG279X or CG319X).
Of course, none of them is ready for HDR because of too limited brightness but I don’t see HDR to be ready at decent price before 3 years finally (micro LED / mini LED coming to resolve OLED problems, that’s what is said…).
Hi Jon,
The 55CX just replaced my previous TV 🙂
It seems good but I would like to calibrate it to get the best from it.
I chose the Cinema mode and disabled the options you listed in the text (not the screenshots, I’m right?).
Before calibration, I don’t know if the cinema mode is the best to choose other the isf expert ones…
90 hours of use are needed before making calibration, isn’t it?
(Can’t find where I read/heard that).
Thanks
Congratulations! Yes, disable the features listed in the captions, play 100 hours of HDR content prior to calibration and I recommend using Cinema mode.
This website has screenshots of the color accuracy of different picture modes. https://www.flatpanelshd.com/review.php?subaction=showfull&id=1585020920
Thanks for your answers Jon.
Consequently, I will stay on the cinema mode until I calibrate it.
After calibration, you said you had an improvement in the shadows.
Do you mean more details in the shadows?
There may have been a slight improvement in near black shadow detail.