@asctim
I went with getting the color calibrator, because I didn't know how to prove to myself that my reference would be correct. Everything looks great for sure now, though.
My stereo is my reference compared to anything else I hear, but its not really very expensive, so I'm going to try a more expensive power cable, next. No, I should try a better IC first.
If you're Apple box looks the same as your TV's Apple app, you're probably just not bothering to be discriminating enough. When I buy a new video card for the same pc setup, the calibration of all colors goes off to a point where it says it should be noticeable by now. So, each different device also digitally outputs different levels, regardless of what the software is telling it to. It's just not really to a great extent, the calibration software's number just reads off by a beginning to be noticeable amount.
I know this is an audio forum, but in a 'do cables matter' discussion, an independent measuring device showing a difference counts. There are probably people who will argue that it would be even more noticeable in audio than video. I can't really find too many videophile forums, outside of setting up the 9.1 Atmos part. Don't really want to, either. I don't want to hear about how much better people's $10k 42" screens look compared to mine. It was already 3x as much as usual, for the good one with extended color range. On the bright side, there were only a couple of 42" monitors that costed more, and the one that was 2x as much as this, was the same model, except with better HDR accuracy, however both of their HDR modes destroyed the picture, otherwise. HDR screenis are still in their infancy, though it's encoded in the available movies at a per-pixel level, so no worries there.
Anyways, I would recommend a color meter if you care about the intended reference, however, it could lead to you being just as picky about what you're getting as you probably are with your audio, since you're here. Have you tried a better power cable on your screen, yet? 😈
