Question on Computer Monitor sRGB Mode?

[D00M]

Hi, I have a general high level understanding of color space. But I don't understand sRGB mode on computer monitors. Most monitors I have used will not allow color temp adjustment in sRGB mode. Is sRGB mode only usable with calibration and ICC profile?

My main purpose of the monitor is media consumption, gaming, and web browsing. I do some photo editing, but this is quite limited. I don't have calibration tool. I adjust color temp to what I see as white, by looking at white paper in daylight. And I set the brightness to around 120 nits using light meter. I use the default ICC profile, but something I really don't care about because only selected apps (mostly photo editing apps) use ICC profile; many apps and games do not use it.

I assume if I use sRGB mode, then the monitor's color gamut is clamped to the sRGB color space. So that is great to know what to expect. But the issue is that these monitors' sRGB mode is not what I see as white. And there is no way to adjust color temperature in sRGB mode. Maybe it can be adjusted in ICC with calibration tool. But I see that as a huge limitation.

Here are the computer monitors I have used:

• Apple Thunderbolt Display. I used this forever. Couple years ago, I moved from Apple to PC, and sold this display. I don't believe there is any sRGB mode on this display, and everything worked great as-is.
• BenQ PD2710QC. This is around 6 years old. It came calibrated from the factory. I use Custom User mode and adjusted the R-G-B slightly to what I consider as white. Monitor does have sRGB mode, which is quite similar to Standard or User modes. sRGB is a bit darker and cooler. Only brightness and sharpness are adjustable in sRGB mode, but not the color temp.
• Gigabyte M27Q-P. I bought 2 of these monitors for my kid and myself. But then my unit burned out in 2 weeks. So I returned it, and currently looking for new monitor. It has sRGB mode. But in this mode, only brightness can be adjusted, and white balance looks quite off, and color temp is not adjustable in sRGB mode.
• MSI MAG2724QRF-QD. I was looking at this for online shopping and comparison. Many reviewers said the color is over-saturated. And it does not have saturation or vibrancy control. Some said using sRGB mode will look more normal. However, Rtings stated that once picture settings are changed in sRGB mode, monitor will not clamp the gamut to sRGB. Well, that defeats the purpose of sRGB mode. This detract me from this monitor, as I don't want to be restricted to use sRGB mode where I cannot make adjustments.

I don't quite get the point of sRGB mode on computer monitors. These sRGB mode is just single take-it-or-leave-it setting from the factory. If you don't like it, there is no adjustment possible on the monitor itself. I assume calibration can be done in ICC profile with calibration tool. But I don't have calibration tool. And many apps/games I care about don't use ICC profile.

Do you use sRGB mode on your computer monitor? And is there different method of dialing in the settings?

--
Blog https://jimmy1photo.wixsite.com/blog
Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimmyk-photo/

 

[New Wrycuda]

I have a general high level? understanding of color space. But I don't understand sRGB mode on computer monitors. Most monitors I have used will not allow color temp adjustment in sRGB mode. Is sRGB mode only usable with calibration and ICC profile?

My main purpose of the monitor is media consumption, gaming, and web browsing. I do some photo editing, but this is quite limited.

Your monitor requirements match mine quite closely, and I have never stressed about colour on my monitors apart from minor adjustments to the controls for brightness, contrast and colour.

I have some familiar scenes that I use as standards, and the daily desktop backgrounds, courtesy of MS, are also reassuringly consistent across my various monitors.

• Acer 4k 28”
• ASUS 2k 24”
• Dell 2k 27”

I can see all three from my desk in the office, and there’s barely detectable differences. I do have some el cheapo spare monitors with rather poor colour, so I do know the difference.

 

[Simon Garrett]

Hi, I have a general high level understanding of color space. But I don't understand sRGB mode on computer monitors. Most monitors I have used will not allow color temp adjustment in sRGB mode.

sRGB has a defined colour temperature of D65 (strictly, not a colour temperature, but near enough for these purposes) and therefore if you adjust the colour temp then it's not sRGB. That's probably why monitors don't allow you to alter colour temp in sRGB mode.

Is sRGB mode only usable with calibration and ICC profile?

I don't follow the question. Whatever the calibration of the monitor - sRGB or anything else - colours will be rendered correctly if used with colour-managed software using an appropriate ICC profile for the monitor (and for the image being rendered). Otherwise, the colours you get are a matter of luck (but may well be close enough for many purposes).

My main purpose of the monitor is media consumption, gaming, and web browsing. I do some photo editing, but this is quite limited. I don't have calibration tool. I adjust color temp to what I see as white, by looking at white paper in daylight.

That's a pretty fair approach. By the way, the colour of D65 is that of the average midday light in North and West Europe. That is how it was defined.

And I set the brightness to around 120 nits using light meter. I use the default ICC profile, but something I really don't care about because only selected apps (mostly photo editing apps) use ICC profile; many apps and games do not use it.

That's my experience too. Photo apps are concerned with accurate colour rendition, but for most other purposes including games, "pleasing" colour is more important that "accurate" colour.

I assume if I use sRGB mode, then the monitor's color gamut is clamped to the sRGB color space. So that is great to know what to expect. But the issue is that these monitors' sRGB mode is not what I see as white. And there is no way to adjust color temperature in sRGB mode. Maybe it can be adjusted in ICC with calibration tool. But I see that as a huge limitation.

Here are the computer monitors I have used:

• Apple Thunderbolt Display. I used this forever. Couple years ago, I moved from Apple to PC, and sold this display. I don't believe there is any sRGB mode on this display, and everything worked great as-is.
• BenQ PD2710QC. This is around 6 years old. It came calibrated from the factory. I use Custom User mode and adjusted the R-G-B slightly to what I consider as white. Monitor does have sRGB mode, which is quite similar to Standard or User modes. sRGB is a bit darker and cooler. Only brightness and sharpness are adjustable in sRGB mode, but not the color temp.
• Gigabyte M27Q-P. I bought 2 of these monitors for my kid and myself. But then my unit burned out in 2 weeks. So I returned it, and currently looking for new monitor. It has sRGB mode. But in this mode, only brightness can be adjusted, and white balance looks quite off, and color temp is not adjustable in sRGB mode.
• MSI MAG2724QRF-QD. I was looking at this for online shopping and comparison. Many reviewers said the color is over-saturated. And it does not have saturation or vibrancy control. Some said using sRGB mode will look more normal. However, Rtings stated that once picture settings are changed in sRGB mode, monitor will not clamp the gamut to sRGB. Well, that defeats the purpose of sRGB mode. This detract me from this monitor, as I don't want to be restricted to use sRGB mode where I cannot make adjustments.

I don't quite get the point of sRGB mode on computer monitors. These sRGB mode is just single take-it-or-leave-it setting from the factory. If you don't like it, there is no adjustment possible on the monitor itself. I assume calibration can be done in ICC profile with calibration tool. But I don't have calibration tool. And many apps/games I care about don't use ICC profile.

As I say, you wouldn't expect any adjustment of sRGB mode except perhaps brightness, or it won't be sRGB any more.

Do you use sRGB mode on your computer monitor? And is there different method of dialing in the settings?

It's a matter of semantics. On most monitors you can adjust brightness, contrast, white point (including colour temp) etc to what you want. But it's sRGB only if the white point is illuminant D65.

However, if I've completely misunderstood your point, please accept my apologies!

--
Simon

 

[Austinian]

Do you use sRGB mode on your computer monitor? And is there different method of dialing in the settings?

I never use sRGB mode on the monitor. I use 'custom' mode, adjust the monitor controls for white point (D65) and brightness (80 cd/m2 for me) settings with a colorimeter and DisplayCAL, profile the monitor, and rely on the editing software to do the color management.

 

[bmoag]

I calibrate my monitors up the yin yang, sRGB and wider gamut, and I always leave the monitor in its widest potential gamut settings. If you perceive a difference with the "sRGB mode" then don't use it. Your sRGB monitor can't ever display a wider than sRGB gamut but can be set to display a smaller gamut.

Whenever you tweak monitor settings then, more likely than not, you are shifting its color balance and may be restricting its potential gamut. What you correct by eye is only accidentally, if at all, related to objectively accurate color. What you are doing works because we live in a de facto sRGB world.

It has been my experience when calibrating the same monitor at different brightness levels the calibrator sees a different RGB value at different brightness levels. I don't see it but the calibrator sees it. I don't view calibration as correcting monitor color so much as translating monitor color to a color managed program. As such it can be irrelevant that the monitor does not have user adjustable RGB controls.

If not tied to a color managed printing workflow that only seems to work at that 120 brightness level you are not losing anything by setting the monitor to a brighter than 120 setting, however you do that with a light meter. I calibrate my wide gamut monitor to a setting of 200 (monitor brightness does not have to be a problem for print brightness) because at that setting I find my particular eyeballs perceive a wider color gamut than at 120 and I want to think I see as much color as I can in my wide gamut raw file masterpieces.

 

[D00M]

sRGB has a defined colour temperature of D65 (strictly, not a colour temperature, but near enough for these purposes) and therefore if you adjust the colour temp then it's not sRGB. That's probably why monitors don't allow you to alter colour temp in sRGB mode.

Thank you for explaining this. This explains why many (or most) monitors do not allow color temp adjustment in sRGB mode.

Then it depends on how accurate each monitor's sRGB mode is calibrated to D65.

And if I want to customize the white balance to what I believe or observe as white, then I should use User or Custom mode.