Television setup DVD

[mcneguy]

I fully expect 4 different answers to this question but what is the definitive setup DVD?  I have Video Essentials but it has got to be dated by now, I looked up Avia but that was made in 1999.  Is there anything new or are these two still the gold standard?

[Paul S.]

Test patterns are test patterns. Either DVE or Avia will suffice.

[borghe]

DVE (Video Essentials only mastered digitally) and Avia are really the only two, but at the end of the day they calibrate all of your equipment to the same SMPTE levels. Go with whichever one you prefer. If you don't know, then go with whichever one is cheaper.

BTW, you copy of Video Essentials will pretty much already do the same thing..

[digdugm]

I've got Digitial Video Essentials, Home Theater Optimizer, Video Essentials, and have used Avia. I'd asy I like the DVE disk is the most user friendly and lagerest number of test patterns. Plus it was the chepest one of the bunch.

[Andrew Grall]

Is there enough reason to pick up DVE or Avia if I already have the original VE?  I am going to be purchasing a new DLP TV in the next month.  (I hope...)

[digdugm]

Yes it was made for the new displays. Its $20 not the $50 (I payed for VE).

[borghe]

honestly, not really...

here is the thing. DVE was made for DVHS. That is why it was made. It was mastered in high definition and basically meant to be used to calibrate high definition inputs. To this day aside from a signal generator there still really isn't any other way to calibrate HD inputs.

They replaced VE with DVE because well, it simply doesn't make sense to have two products around that do the exact same thing. Not to mention by putting DVE to disc they could sell second copies to everyone who bought VE and wants the second one.

Like I said earlier, DVE will take your set to the exact same levels that VE and Avia take it to. The reason to buy DVE is if you don't already have a calibration disc or just bought a DVHS deck and want to calibrate your HD inputs. If you already have a cal disc, your set will simply end up at the same levels decided on by SMPTE. One disc will not get it to those levels better than another.