Dark Images in PP4

[TomandPen]

We switched from Easy Worship on a PC to PP4 on a Mac about 6 months ago. Since the switch, the background images projected through PP are very dark. Especially the moving backgrounds. Most of them are unusable for anything other than a black background with some lighter areas where the color is supposed to be.

If we go into the properties setting for the images and pull the contrast down some, it will lighten up some of the backgrounds so that we can see more of the lighter areas, but nothing like what is on the screen of the Mac.

The real problem comes with showing video. We've been showing a video class in the sanctuary on weekends, and on the Mac there is a dark purple curtain behind the speaker and he is teaching an audience. On the projector screens, all you can really see is the speakers head and his white shirt. Assuming he is wearing a white shirt. If not, he becomes a floating head.

I've tried different color schemes on the Mac and just pulling down the contrast on some of the backgrounds. I've also tried adjusting the resolution of the output from PP. I don't know if the problem is with the resolution of the projectors when paired with a higher resolution Mac, or if there is something in the software that I can adjust to make the images lighten up to more than black backgrounds. Anyone else have this problem?

[petereit]

You need to set the color profile for your external display, separate from your Mac monitor.

Select "color" in the displays prefs and make a custom calibration. Start by bumping up the Gamma, then make fine adjustments from there.

[petereit]

Here are some instructions for using the Mac's Display Calibrator.

[cmchamp]

yup, what petereit said

[TomandPen]

Thanks for the input. I've set up a custom calibration for the display, but this only seems to affect the Mac display, not the projector display. I tried it again last night to be sure, and the changes I was making on the display settings made changes to the Mac display, but not the projector display. Is there a way to choose which display I want to calibrate?

[petereit]

From Apple Knowledge Base Article HT3712:

Projectors

Mac OS X v10.6 automatically generates a color profile for most projectors based on the capabilities of the device. If it is unable to generate a profile, selecting sRGB in the Displays pane in System Preferences is recommended.

You can also use the Display Calibrator Assistant to adjust for different room lighting.

To assign the sRGB Display profile to your projector, follow these steps:

1. Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu.
2. Choose Displays from the View menu.
3. Click the Color tab.
4. Deselect "Show profiles for this display only" if it is enabled.
5. From the Display profile list, choose sRGB IEC61966-2.1 to set your projector to the sRGB display profile.

To use the Display Calibrator Assistant to create a custom Display profile for your projector, follow these steps:

1. Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu.
2. Choose Displays from the View menu.
3. Click the "Calibrate..." button to open Display Calibrator Assistant.
4. Check the "Expert Mode" checkbox.
5. Complete the Display Calibrator Assistant steps to create the display profile.

[petereit]

And now I'm just going from memory, but I think the default behavior is for the Mac to display a separate video dialog box on each connected display. So you either need to be where you can see the dialog pop up on your projector's output, or you need to click a "Gather Windows" or "Gather Displays" button (not in front of my Mac, can't remember exactly) which will move all of the display dialog's to your main display. Then you need to make sure you're making the adjustment's in the right dialog that corresponds with the display you want to adjust.

(You do have the display that you want to change connected to your Mac, right?)

[TomandPen]

Thanks. Yes, it's connected. I'll give it another go before rehearsal tonight. I've got that video they want to show again next Wednesday and I'd like to have it corrected before then. I appreciate the help.