In addition to SDR, the M2 Pro supports HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision, and it also includes a Filmmaker mode in both SDR and HDR listings. In my tests, it automatically switched to the appropriate picture mode menu for each type of input I used, with separate menu lists for SDR, HDR10, and Dolby Vision. Hessens says the M2 Pro doesn’t list a separate picture mode for HLG.
In my initial tests, the default selections for SDR and HDR10 picture modes produced vibrant colors, but not always accurately. It’s actually not a bad choice for a room with bright ambient light, which tends to wash out colors to eliminate excessive warmth. For my formal testing in a dark room, however, I opted for Filmmaker mode, which offered more accurate colors and good contrast with the default settings.
The only changes I made were to adjust the brightness level so that it was properly set for a dark room and to adjust the frame interpolation – which was added as ultra-smooth motion in the menu. Frame interpolation can improve the look of live or recorded video, but the default setting makes filmed content look like live video. I changed the film setting, which smoothed out the motion a bit without adding that “digital video” effect. After these adjustments, the M2 Pro scored well across the board, with color accuracy, including skin tones, as well as spot-on contrast and shadow detail.
(Credit: M. David Stone)
For my official HDR tests, I watched HDR10 versions of the same scenes on disc as the SDR tests. I chose the HDR standard picture mode as having the best balance of overall brightness, color accuracy and contrast. The only setting I changed for HDR was frame interpolation, set to film here as well.
Image quality for HDR was generally the same as for the SDR tests, except that some colors were a touch overexposed. However, I am very familiar with my test clips and can spot small differences. Most people probably won’t notice the excess dirt, and those who do probably won’t think it’s a problem. I didn’t see any noticeable improvement in shadow detail in the HDR version, but that’s not exactly meant as a criticism in this case. Not that it didn’t hold up well to HDR. It’s that with SDR it held up surprisingly well with little room for improvement. Informal tests with streaming material, including Dolby Vision input, delivered essentially the same picture quality as my formal tests.
The only real issue I noticed in my testing was that the rainbow artifacts (red/green/blue flashes) were more frequent and more pronounced in darkroom viewing than with most DLP projectors today, which could be a potential problem for those who see them easily like I do. I didn’t see any speckling, which can also be a problem for triple laser models, but I don’t try to spot speckling easily. As always, we recommend buying from a dealer that allows easy, free returns so you can decide both of these issues for yourself.
(Credit: M. David Stone)
The spec sheet for the M2 Pro also lists 3D support. However, it is limited to supporting top-down, left-right, and frame-packing formats. I was able to verify that it worked with DLP-link glasses, using a left-right-format YouTube clip. Although Hessens said it should work with Blu-ray players, it didn’t work with ours, so I wasn’t able to run my usual tests for crosstalk and 3D motion artifacts. I haven’t seen either with the material I’ve seen, but without clips that cause these problems, it’s not a meaningful test.
The M2 Pro test unit wouldn’t sync with my Bodnar 4K log tester at any resolution or refresh rate I tried, so I wasn’t able to get an input lag measurement. Hisense claims an input lag of less than 20 milliseconds (ms) at 4K/60Hz, less than 12ms at 1080p/120Hz, and less than 6ms at 1080p/240Hz.
For a dark room using the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) recommendations, a rated 1,300 ANSI lumens of brightness will be sufficient to fill a roughly 140 by 190-inch, 1.0 gain screen. In my tests, using my preferred settings, the image was comfortably bright for both SDR and HDR on my 90-inch-optional screen. On an overcast day in the family room, I switched to one of the bright picture modes and settled on the 75-inch-optional picture for a reasonably bright picture. The image was still viewable, albeit a little more washed out, when the sun broke through the clouds and lit up the room.
