markdotpeters5 MacOS still dithers on external displays even with Betterydisplay/still color. It's torture for me to look at. If I'm wrong please show me the thread you're referring to, but it's 100% built in dithering, I can tell by the way it makes me feel.
Can you test with a Carson Microflip and slow motion camera to see if you can actually detect dithering on the monitor? Capture card in theory should also suffice, as outlined in the Stillcolor thread. It also matters what monitor you are using, what Mac you are using, what version it MacOS, the hardwire connection (USB-C, HDMI, display port, etc.). All this can impact the signal.
Donux Gamut coverage is not a measure to assess the extent of dithering IMO. Only Generic RGB, does something interesting to the whole pipeline, - i.e. significant reduction in dithering.
Generic RGB definitely produces a marked change to the naked eye in terms of saturation of colors on the internal screen of my 13” MBP M2…but the limited data I have found relating to the color coverage of these profiles seems to indicate sRGB is more clamped. I may do additional testing akin to what notebookcheck does so I’m not guessing.
Donux Also GPU on older intel macbooks is worse than apple silicon when using external monitor, all the way from rendering performance, quality, to the strain
I found this to be untrue. It is dependent on the OS. I found Mojave and Catalina to be much more crisp and less chaotic on both the internal screen of a MBP and iMac and external monitors. Big Sur is when they completely changed things and resolution is worse on external displays not at 4K or 5K.
markdotpeters5 the ICC profile doesn't make any difference on Macs to the OS level dithering, just like it doesn't on Windows 11, there's nothing you can do to turn it off. All those options do is reduce/turn off GPU level ditheirng.
Windows 10 for example doesn't dither if you align an 8-bit output with an 8-bit display (ie it has no need to).
I intend to prove or disprove this with MacOS by testing with an Eizo CS2740 and an Apple Pro Display XDR, both of which are confirmed by Eizo and Apple to be true 10-bit.
Donux Well it could be that I feel like this due to actual color changes, as well as gamma changes that comes with ICC. But so far, Generic RGB always reduces strain. Also achieving the same gamma using accessibility contrast control with sRGB does not give the same affect. So, I do not know for sure what is happening, but it does help.
markdotpeters5 Oh I agree it does, I usually use an SRGB ICC profile. I just assumed it was because the gamut isn't as wide, but unfortunately isn't anything like enough to mitigate the effects of OS level dithering
Can you guys both please do some testing under Microscope and/or Capture card if you have somewhat tolerable setups? I plan to do testing the next 2 weeks with several monitors, but I get severe reactions so it usually takes me longer because if I’m exposed to a bad setup, I have to wait several days before trying again. Im waiting on an Apple Thunderbolt Display from 2011 to be delivered, and I’m also going to test different versions of MacOS and different firmware.
It would be really helpful if one or both or you could actually confirm the existence of what you’re saying as it relates to whether the OS is actually dithering even with GPU dithering disabled and if color profiles do or don’t have an impact. This stuff should be visible under microscope or capture card unless 240 fps is insufficient. I do see pixel blurring particularly on the blue pixel under microscope on my 13” MBP but I can’t tell whether that’s normal or if it’s flickering and I need 960 fps slow motion.