Sony Z9F Calibration Settings

These are the settings we used to calibrate our Sony 65" Z9F (XBR65Z9F), and we expect them to be valid for the 75" (XBR75Z9F). The following settings are good for any content, from movies to TV shows and gaming. For Gaming, some minor adjustments need to be made to get the best input lag and they are listed in the gaming section.

The first thing we did was to disable Auto picture mode and the Light sensor, as we don't want the TV to change any of the picture mode settings during calibration. For movies and TV shows, we selected the 'Custom' Picture mode, as it is the closest result to our calibration goal.

To achieve our target luminance of 100cd/m² in our totally dark room we set the Brightness to '2'. A setting of '10' delivers 200 cd/m², which is good for a medium lit room. You should adjust this setting depending on your room conditions, it does not have any impact on the picture quality. We set the Contrast to '90' to have a better range of contrast and also because it helped us to complete our calibration. The Gamma to was set to '0', and the Black level to '50'. The Black adjust and Adv. contrast enhancer were left turned off, since we did not want to add any image processing.

Update 03/18/2019: We initially recommended a Gamma setting of '2'. Upon further testing, we found that a setting of '0' delivered results closer to our calibration target of 2.2.

For most of our calibration, we left Auto local dimming and X-tended Dynamic Range off, but in general we recommend leaving both of these on 'High'.

In the Color tab, we left at the default value the Color (50) and for Hue (0). We chose 'Expert 1' for the Color temperature as this was closest to our calibration target of 6500K. If you find the color temperature to be too warm (reddish or yellowish) you can set it to a colder temperature. Live Color was also left turned off, once again because we do not want to add extra image processing and aim to display the content as close as possible to what the content creator intended. For the first time in a Sony TV, there is a Color Management System that allows you to fully customize each color. Sony's system is very similar to the one found on LG TVs. Find out more in the White Balance section below.

In the Clarity tab, we left Sharpness untouched at 50 (there is no added sharpness at 50). Reality Creation was also left turned off, but it could be turned on when watching older, low-resolution content as it can improve image quality. You can adjust the Resolution slider depending how much effect you want to be added. Random noise reduction is helpful when watching film content. Digital noise reduction can be helpful when watching lower resolution digital content. Finally, Smooth gradation can help gradients appear smoother will any type of content. We left all of these off, as they can result in a loss of fine details.

In the Motion tab setting, we left the Motionflow and CineMotion turned off for the calibration process, but if you like motion interpolation (also named the soap opera effect), you can adjust the Motionflow setting to 'Custom' and increase the Smoothness slider. The Clearness option controls the black frame insertion feature of this TV and it can help to clear up fast moving objects. If you are watching a movie via 60p/60i sources (cable or satellite feeds) and notice some judder, simply set Motionflow to 'custom', set Smoothness to 'Min', and set CineMotion to 'auto'.

In the Video options tab, just verify that HDR mode, HDMI video range and Color space are set to 'Auto', and then the TV will change automatically to the correct settings to match the type of content you are watching.

In HDR, it is recommended to set Brightness and Contrast to 'Max', and leave Gamma and Black Level at the same values as SDR.

When gaming with a video game console or PC (in SDR or HDR), first choose the 'Game' Picture mode, and copy the settings previously mentioned for the General settings. Note that the TV will keep in memory the changes made in each Picture mode, so you must set them one time for each, but after you won't have to reset them every time. 

If you connect a device that needs to use the full HDMI bandwidth, like a video game console or a PC set to output at 4k@60p 4:2:0 10 bit, 4:4:4 or 4:2:2, you'll need to set the HDMI signal format to 'Enhanced format', via the External inputs setting pages. Unlike previous Sony TVs, it is not necessary to use HDMI ports 2 or 3.

For use as a PC monitor, simply choose the 'Game' or 'Graphics' Picture Mode. Doing so will ensure that the Z9F displays chroma 4:4:4 or RGB content correctly.

Most of the settings for Dolby Vision are the same. The picture modes are slightly different, we recommend either 'Dolby Vision Bright', or 'Dolby Vision Dark', depending on your room.

There is a new Netflix Enhanced Mode that is only available in the native Netflix app. When enabled, some of the settings change automatically. It is not recommended to change these settings, beyond adjusting the brightness to your viewing conditions.