Calibrating HDTV's?

[JoeyGee]

I found this article on Yahoo:

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/56309

I'm curious as to whether those calibrating DVD's are worth it. I would normally think no, but recently I noticed something. We have a 40" Sony Bravia, which we have always been happy with. It's about a year old.

Recently we replaced another TV with a 32" Visio. While watching football yesterday, the difference was striking. The much cheaper Visio was MUCH better than our Sony. I haven't gone into the settings too much, but it's hard to believe the Sony would be that "off".

[Jim Frye]

Sony Bravia...

I am convinced the calibration disks are no better than your eye, but that might just be my eye.

You might want to search the web for Sony Bravia problems. When I was researching what to buy to replace our ten year old Phillips direct view TV, I saw some issues with the Bravia's image. There was a lot of talk of "clouding" of the Bravias due to uneven back lighting. I read that Sony was well aware of the problem and instead of redesigning the back light system, they simply lowered the upper limit on the newer Bravia models' back lighting so the problem would not be so noticeable. This supposedly occurred about a year ago, so it may affect your set. Please don't think I am ridiculing your purchase of the Sony, I'm just pointing out what I read.

[cgallery]

Are you using the same source material for your comparisons between the Sony and the Visio?

[catta12]

You can also check the web for recommended settings from AV pros. I found setting tweaks for my Samsung on CNET.com that made my picture a lot better. You can start with their settings and then customize them to your liking. This usually turns out better than the factory settings.

[Ed62]

I agree that it's important to compare results from the same input. If it's bad quality coming in, it's not going to be great coming out.

I also have the Bravia, but I did not use the DVDs to calibrate it. As has been mentioned, you can find recommended settings on the web. You can use those settings, then tweak them to your liking. If you really want to split hairs on quality, you'll probably need to calibrate it properly, or have it professionally done (not cheap).

Ed

[JoeyGee]

Each TV has the same input--DirectTV HD receivers.

I need to sit down and go through the settings and tweak it. Then LOML will come along and change everything, anyway.

[warrenp]

I have used the adjustment DVDs and they can be helpful. One of their real values is they usually come with an overview of what correct settings might be. And they aren't always what we think...or at least what I thought.

For instance, one of the main settings that was a surprise was sharpness. I have a tendency to set that rather high. But they usually suggest turning it all the way down. It was surprising how much more the picture looked like movies.

Your mileage may vary, but it worked for me in setting up a projector and the surround sound. I actually purchased a decibel meter to set the sound levels.

And as suggested, you can probably find the same guildelines on the web and be almost there.

Warren

[kevinsa]

Star Wars

If you have, or know someone who has, any of the Star Wars movies on DVD the calibration section on them will get you close enough for most people. In the options section of the DVD you'll see the THX logo. You can select that and it will take you through both audio and video optimization. I found it very helpful.

[catta12]

If you have, or know someone who has, any of the Star Wars movies on DVD the calibration section on them will get you close enough for most people. In the options section of the DVD you'll see the THX logo. You can select that and it will take you through both audio and video optimization. I found it very helpful.

You could rent one of the movies as well for a cheap calibration. (And the movie isn't bad either )

[JoeyGee]

There is no shortage of SW movies in this house--from various VHS copies of the different versions, to all of the DVD incarnations of all 6.

I did run through the utilities (thanks for the great tip, Kevin) and it did help, but not as much as I would like.

I did realize DirectTV used component video and not HDMI. I am going to switch that to see if it makes any difference. DVD's via an upconverting DVD player and HDMI look better than satellite, so I am hopeful. My new Visio is using HDMI.