Calibration

[mnr929rr]

is this something that only needs to be done on mitsubishi tvs?I own a toshiba and have had it about 1 1/2 yrs and the picture is still really clear,w/ hd just perfect,how can i get it better than perfect?

[Greg Oman]

My 2 cents is that if you think it's perfect, leave it!  After all, you probably spend the most time viewing it.  Most of the calibration tweaks are intended to help get your picture closer to what the director wants you to see-- if we speak about movies for example.  What looks good to one may not to another, kind of like the similar discussion of speakers and how they sound to each of us.

Being one that has played with some of the menu options and service menu options, I will say that my room needs to be quite a bit darker to have the same wow factor.

At a very basic level, Mits sets typically enhance red (aka red push) by design to look good to people (something about studies, and people buying sets, etc., etc).  Just doing a simple convergence (aligning the red and blue CRT's using green as reference) makes a noticeable difference.  If you'd like to take it one step further, without a lot of drama, I'd suggest picking up the Avia or the Video Essentials dvd.  Both of these are relatively inclusive programs, with lots of helpful advice.  Sound and Vision has a dvd out as well, and I've seen this at Best Buy for example for about $18.  Not all the features of the other 2, but half the price.  I thought at one point Blockbuster also had these titles for rent-- better still!

At the most complex level, there are some out there that take the calibration to the extreme.  CraigM is one (referenced in another thread) that only does Mits.  While it may seem excessive to spend 1/4~1/3 of the set cost to have it calibrated, it goes to show what attention to detail can achieve.

One of the reasons I didn't get in on the tour last year was, what if I didn't like the results?  Why am I doing it this year then?  I've played with both of the dvd's above, and have convinced myself that they can make a difference.

Hope this helps!

[mnr929rr]

Going to get to the bottom of this yet,but anyone interested in isf calibration check this out.http://www.imagingscience.com/isf_search.cfm?State=WI&Country=none&dlr_status=CAL

[Greg Oman]

This may help you too:

http://www.hometheaterspot.com/htsthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB21&Number=343270&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

Greg O.

[Matt Heebner]

A calibration is basically getting the maximum performance that just isn't possible out of the box. A good analogy is a sports car...say a Corvette. A corvette direct off the factory floor is nice looking, goes fast, has decent performace, etc. A calibration is like having a specialty company, like Hammerstien or Calloway modify that same corvette for MAXIMUM performance....a completely tumed engine, exhaust, suspension as well as ground effects, etc.  The result is even though it's still a corvette, it is completely a different car than the factory spec'ed one.
For me a calibratiuon was completely worth what I paid. I thought it was going to be subtle, the differences, but in fact it was quite dramatic. I immediatly saw the improvement . I would suggest to anyone with any TV to get a calibration, even if you can only do 1 or 2 inputs (like the 1080i and 480p inputs). The end result is maximum performance.

Matt

[BrettD]

What would be a reasonable price to pay for 1080i and 480p calibration? Do you feel that it went "far enough" in terms of satisfying your desire for a stunning HD picture? Just wondering!:confused:

[borghe]

I agree with Matt (and it's not just because I am organizing the CraigM stop here in Milwaukee). But first let me say this:

Anything you do with home theater is only worth what you feel it's worth. If you are happy with your picture, you will probably never be unhappy with it. That's not to say proper calibration won't make it better, it is just saying that ignorance is bliss. What you don't know will never disappoint you. And I don't mean that in a bad way.

That being said, I do notice small little stuff on my TV constantly. Geometry slightly off. Some clamping artifacts here and there. The need to 100% fix geometry before convergence will be balls on dead accurate. And of course, that 25% red push. Now does this mean I have a crappy set? No. On the contrary my friends and family (and even wife) think that I am crazy for wanting to spend the money to calibrate it when I have a picture that is "amazing" (verbatim).

So the question is, what's it worth to you. Do you have a picture that you are completely happy with and can't possibly imagine it looking any better? Then maybe you don't need to worry about getting it calibrated. However, if you have all sorts of little "things" that bug you, or you just want to see what all of the fuss is about, maybe you should think about calling out an ISF tech. It just depends how much it's worth to you. It's worth the $750 to me, but hey... I'm also getting a Pioneer Elite DVD-Audio/SACD player just so I can listen to Dark Side of the Moon in 5.1 SACD audio in 5 weeks.

[mnr929rr]

video essentials is suppose to come out with a program like their dvd but instead in d-theatre(DVHS) which is working with component video outputs,does that sound like the same calibration stuff,i really dont know.tell me what you get out of this
http://www.videoessentials.com/dve.htm