Best Practices - Remote Color Approvals on iPad Pro

Color Settings on iPad Pro

Introduction

In the realm of professional film and video production, maintaining color accuracy is paramount. The iPad Pro, with its exceptional display capabilities, has become a valuable tool for remote color approvals. However, to ensure optimal results, it's essential to configure your iPad Pro correctly. This guide consolidates information from various sources to provide comprehensive instructions for achieving color accuracy on your iPad Pro during remote sessions.

iPad Pro (5th Generation and Newer)

Display Settings

  1. Reference Mode: Turn ON

    • This automatically sets optimal color settings and locks them

    • Exception: Disable for Dolby Vision content review

  2. Additional Settings (Automatically Set by Reference Mode):

    • Brightness: True Tone OFF

    • Night Shift: OFF

    • Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Auto-Brightness: OFF

  3. Fine-Tune Calibration:

    • Recommended if you have a measurement device (like a spectroradiometer)

    • Measure a 100-nit gray patch and use the values in the Fine Tune Calibration menu

Brightness

  1. Reference Mode:

    • Brightness slider is disabled

    • HDR: Peak brightness at approx. 800 nits

    • SDR: Peak brightness at approx. 100 nits

  2. Dolby Vision Content:

    • Disable Reference Mode

    • Set brightness slider to 38%

    • Ensure other settings match what Reference Mode would set

  3. Colorist Calibration (if applicable):

    • Colorist compares iPad Pro to reference monitor to fine-tune brightness

  4. Shortcuts App:

    • Can be used to:

      • Determine the current brightness percentage

      • Create Siri shortcuts to set specific brightness levels

iPad Pro (2nd to 4th Generation)

Display Settings

  1. Appearance:

    • Dark Appearance: ON

    • Automatic Appearance: OFF

  2. Other Settings:

    • True Tone: OFF

    • Night Shift: OFF

    • Accessibility > Display & Brightness > Auto-Brightness: OFF

    • Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Reduce White Point: OFF

Brightness

  1. Colorist Calibration (Recommended):

    • Colorist compares iPad Pro to reference monitor to determine base brightness setting

  2. General Recommendations (If colorist comparison isn't possible):

    • SDR: Brightness slider at 50%

    • HDR:

      • Dark room: Brightness slider at 50%

      • Bright room: Brightness slider at 100%

Additional Notes for ClearView (Applicable to All Generations)

  • Streaming Apps: Download the required Sohonet ClearView 'Flex' app beforehand

  • Session IDs: Obtain necessary session IDs or an invite from myself or Paul ahead of the session by email.

Remember that these are guidelines, and some adjustments might be needed based on specific project requirements or for newer iPad models.

Let me know if you have any other questions or need further assistance!

Happy Grading,

JD