BenQ Monitor Suddenly Failing Calibration?
Read about how to remedy a recent Windows update that breaks colour management and can result in failed calibrations with BenQ monitors.
Introduction
Microsoft has recently introduced a update to windows that affects the way colour management is implemented in a couple of ways.
That means we are seeing a sudden spike in failed calibrations (eg. temperature result way off from target, and high ΔE results) and various other errors relating to calibration.
Issue 1 - ACM
Windows Auto Color Management (ACM) was recently introduced by Microsoft into Windows in an update. It is designed to be an automated colour management feature that is supposed to give more consistent colour performance. However, ACM forces displays to compress their colour gamut to sRGB - which is totally antithetical to the purpose of a wide gamut monitor!
Microsoft suggests selecting "Use legacy display ICC color management" in order to bypass AMC - but this functionality is currently broken, and results in improper application of ICC profiles and ICCsync failures in BenQ’s software.
If you are experiencing calibration failure, calibration errors, or high ΔE results, please disable ACM, but do not select "Use legacy display ICC color management".
The process for the steps required to do this correctly are covered with screenshots in BenQ’s article below:
https://www.benq.com/en-us/support/downloads-faq/faq/product/application/monitor-faq-kn-00088.html
Microsoft's have a relevant article also, but please follow BenQ's guide above:
Issue 2 - HDR
The second issue is two fold: a Microsoft tweak to the way HDR mode works in Windows, and the way BenQ monitors handle HDR input signals and mode switching.
When a HDR capable monitor (eg. most new BenQ PD and SW models) receives a HDR signal from Windows it automatically switches into a special calibration-limited HDR mode that overrides your calibration slot settings and prevents correct and accurate calibration (as this mode has it’s own set of standardised calibration settings).
If you are experiencing calibration failure, calibration errors, or high ΔE results, please disable HDR mode in your system settings (Settings > System > Display > HDR).
BenQ Article:
Microsoft Article:
