OT - HDTV Calibration | Syracusefan.com

OT - HDTV Calibration

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  • yes

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • don't tell me what to do

    Votes: 3 100.0%

  • Total voters
    3

Dadarules

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Asking here 'cuz there are a number of TV viewing connoisseurs with tech knowledge. I had my Samsung TV calibrated by Best Buy when I first bought it but then needed to move it. All settings went away.

Does anyone know a site I can use to do this myself.

Thanks.
 
I can ask my Geek Squad buddy. Probably won't talk to him until tomorrow, though.
 
If you buy a THX certified DVD, it often comes with a calibration tool. I believe Cars is one such movie.
 
go to avsforum and enter in your tv model. why did the settings go away just by moving it?
 
No idea why the settings changed. I had to disconnect everything and move the TV and everything out to have the floors refinished. When I put everything back together with the sound system, cable etc it was dark in general. Watching some of movies like a Harry Potter are so dark you can't see very much at all.

Thanks for all the help!!!
 
I have one thing to say: Use HDMI cables.

They DO make a difference. I had been using component with a 58" plasma set... For some reason, when i first bought the tv, i couldn't get the HDMI cables to work, and i 'temporarily' used component. It still looked fantastic, and then i forgot about it. Until recently. Big jump in performance. I don't believe you have to pay a lot for HDMI cables, but DO use them.

As far as calibration goes, i'm in the camp of 'do it yourself.' Let your own eyes be the judge, but be sure to use quality source media for reference. BluRay DVD is preferable to cable. Fios is preferable to cable...
 
Here's a little info - hopefully some of it helps.

First off (too late, I know), Best Buy calibration and most Geek Squad things in general are horrible values. There are true audio/video professionals out there, and I can guarantee you the kids at the local Best Buy are almost never one of them. They have some training and equipment and that's about it. Also, don't buy any cables or equipment there. Monster cable is so overhyped and therefore overpriced. Go to monoprice.com and order your HDMI cables or other random accessories. HUGE difference.

As someone above mentioned, the AVS forums are a great place to look for information regarding your television. There is a neverending stream of knowledge there and it's an amazing community.

Back to the question at hand, there should be no reason to lose any calibrated settings due to unplugging and/or moving your television. Most likely, if they calibrated it, the settings would be stored under an "Expert" video setting (other settings being things like "Vivid" "Standard" "Sports", etc). Perhaps it went back to "Vivid" or "Movie" or some other setting and you simply need to change it back to the one they used. If everything is dark, it most likely isn't on "Vivid".

When I bought my plasma, I found a calibrator through the AVS forums. He came down from Canada to my house and spent about 4 hours working on it. Explained everything he was doing, showing how the changes he was making were affecting the picture, etc... Gave me a printout of all the exact settings he ended up using.

Calibrating yourself can be a tricky thing. Usually instruments are involved that require a little knowledge to use. There are DVDs out there to get a general calibration done, and I've heard some good things about them. Those will most likely do just fine for you. Hopefully you get your set back in tip top shape.
 
For proper calibration (e.g. true home theater settings) you should hire someone certified by the Imaging Science Foundation. This is a lengthy setup process (3-5 hours) and involves your display's service menus, etc.. Go to the Dealers page at that site and search. When I was a bit more serious about this stuff, the number of certified dealers was rather limited. I'm literally shocked to see the large number of dealers listed today... including every Best Buy / Geek Squad location. This would concern me a bit. Either the tools have gotten so good & affordable that a trained monkey can do it, or they're more lenient in who they certify. It's possible that things have gotten easier with the change in display technologies from rear project to plasma & LCD. It's probably best to get some referrals from true enthusiasts. AVSFORUM may have some local recommendations for you. If you get your display recalibrated you may want to write down all of the settings so that you have a chance of restoring those settings in case they get lost again.

I see that the ISF now also publishes a calibration DVD. I own a competing disc. These will help you adjust the display the way you like, using consumer settings. They will not make use of service menus to obtain the most accurate tweaking tools... probably a good thing since these can let you damage your display. The Monster/ISF disc has received lousy reviews... probably not worth the investment.

I have "The AVIA Guide to Home Theater" and thought it did a pretty good job. I just realized that I hadn't used it yet with my latest display. There is a newer version available. Amazon has it, for example. It too has mixed reviews. Probably best to read reviews of these discs.
 
Ahh my life is so much simplier now...back in my 20s I thought it cool to have a 500W Carver Receiver, Polk Audio speakers with Monster Cable.
Now I have a 42" Vizio and a DVD player
My movie experience it fine...watching rented Red boxes. I listen to music over the internets or Sirius.
 

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