Blackmagic Forum

Samsung, Vizio, LG, and others are delivering new UHD LED TV monitors with the Filmmaker Mode (FMM) option. A recent question from a client asked if a TV monitor with the Filmmaker Mode option turn on can be used as a client reference monitor. I have no experience with FMM and therefore asking those who knows more on this subject matter and/or have experience using TV monitors with FMM as a viable and alternative reference monitor for clients to view our graded pictures. Thoughts?

It will be 'spcecial' mode which is closer to reference values, but no way it will be very accurate, so answer is NO.
You can't trust it at all only because it has such a name
You would need to measure and calibrate such a TV anyway.

the filmmaker mode has nothing to do with reference.

rather, this is a setting which reduces brightness and color
and does not stand at 100% as in standard mode.

this is also a good marketing strategy +g*

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My bad for the word "reference". It's more about using it as a client monitor to view the picture previously graded using a calibrated monitor like a Flanders, etc.? If the client is reviewing the picture and wanted to see what it should look like (or as intended to be), can a TV monitor with Filmmaker mode turned on be sufficient? This question was brought up in a conversation with a potential client who is remote and wanted to view the grading thereof but has limited budget and currently have the LG LEDs with FFM feature on it.

If anything such a mode should be better than any other in TV, but it won't be reference level for sure.

You still need around 1K$ to get something which client could treat as reference for HD SDR.
Best option is to get one of LG OLEDs+calibration, so then HDR is somehow also covered.

If you doing it on budget you could get some calibrated TV, go to client and eye match his TV to reference one as close as possible. Not much more you can really do.

To echo what's said above: the generally accepted opinion is you have to get a reasonable display, turn all the automatic controls (particularly auto-color, auto-brightness, noise reduction, sharpness, and motion compensation), and get it calibrated. And from Resolve, get a Blackmagic display adapter so you have a color-managed output, and feed that to the monitor. The "Filmmaker Mode" is good for everyday people at home, but it doesn't calibrate the set, and it won't work for people judging color in a color session.

one must never forget what a calibrated reference monitor has to do.
to display the defined colors, gamma, etc. so that the grading is as close as possible to the desired result.

It goes without saying that this result will look different on different devices.


but what happens if you now use any monitor for the determination?
this result will be much further apart on the different devices mentioned above!

what's more, every manufacturer has a different understanding of filmmaker mode anyway +g*

Filmmaker mode is more about motion cadence and noise filtering than color. Filmmaker mode would be used alongside a proper calibration, not in lieu of one.

Good Luck

It's about everything (to make movie look as intended) but atm. its more a gimmick than real thing.