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TV
Color Temperature
Televisions create the images we see using two basic bits of information
-- brightness (luminance) and color (chrominance). Video signals
are encoded to let televisions know how much color and how much
brightness to display. The code that expresses the level of brightness
is what is called “color temperature.”
Straight
out of the box, many televisions may not look exactly as you wish.
They often ship from the factory with a very high color temperature
to emphasize the brightness of the set. However, end users are able
to adjust color temperature to create the image that is most pleasing
to them.
Many
televisions come with factory presets or recommended settings for
various types of viewing. Common presets include warm or cool which
are a reference to the color temperature. Cool settings are brighter
(like what you see in midday light) and warm settings are softer
(like what you see in a softly lit indoor environment).
As
a general rule, warm settings are preferred for viewing movies,
or in darkened environments. Cooler settings are better for daylight
viewing like sporting events because it enhances brightness.
Color
Temperatures and TVs At-A-Glance
- Televisions
allow end-users to adjust color temperature settings to suit their
viewing preferences.
- Warmer
color temperature settings are preferred when viewing movies or
in darkened environments.
- Cool
temperature settings are better for daylight viewing, such as
sporting events, because it enhances the brightness of the image.
Color Temperature Defined Photographers and cinematographers think
about color temperature every time they create an image. Behind
the action in a photo or film, color temperature helps to set
the look and mood of what we watch.
Technically
speaking, color temperature expresses the color of light sources.
Specifically it means the temperature at which a “black body”
emits enough radiant energy to give off a color equivalent to produce
light which matches a similar color in the spectrum.
Color
temperature is measured in degrees Kelvin (k). Higher color temperatures
correspond to cooler, blue light and lower temperatures correspond
to warmer, yellow light. The color temperature of mid-daylight is
around 5500° k.
Color
Temperature Similar To
1500° k candlelight
2680° k 40 W incandescent lamp
3000° k 200 W incandescent lamp
3200° k sunrise and sunset
3400° k tungsten lamp
4500-5000° k xenon lamp/light arc
5500° k electronic photo flash
6500-7500° k overcast sky
9000-12000° k bright blue sky
NOTE
-- 6500° Kelvin is the standard used on monitors when
a film is made. If a TV set is properly calibrated to 6500°
Kelvin, it should look exactly the same as intended by the filmmmaker.
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