HDTV calibration
 

Hello,
I have read that recalibrating the factory setting on HDTV's usually
improved the picture. Is it helpful to buy one of the calibration discs -
Monster Cable and Digital Video Essentials are the top two apparently.
Also, is it necessary to have a HD DVD to use these discs? ( I am waiting
on the HD DVD player purchase until a clear winner of the competing
technologies is declared). Any input would be appreciated.

HDTV calibration
 

On 2007-02-11, stevev wrote:
Hello,
I have read that recalibrating the factory setting on HDTV's usually
improved the picture. Is it helpful to buy one of the calibration discs -
Monster Cable and Digital Video Essentials are the top two apparently.
Also, is it necessary to have a HD DVD to use these discs? ( I am waiting
on the HD DVD player purchase until a clear winner of the competing
technologies is declared). Any input would be appreciated.

No, these are SD-DVD discs. The HD-DVD and Blu-Ray versions require (coming
soon, they say) require a different color standard.

You should definitely use a calibration disc if you want the most out of your
DVDs. Other signal sources should be calibrated with their own test patterns
(if they have any) but the DVD is probably better than nothing for those also.

The easiest way to start is with the THX Optimzer, which can be found in the
setup section of THX Certified disks (there's a logo on the disk case, or see
the entire list he http://thx.com/mod/products/dvd/dvdFind.html). When
adjusting color it is handy to have the blue filter glasses available for $1 +
shipping from http://thx.com/home/dvd/blueglasses.html.

There are more advanced calibration disks. I use GetGray from
http://www.calibrate.tv/. You have to download it and burn your own DVD, and
you need the filter glasses mentioned above. Easy to use, no nonsense.

Avia and Digital Video Esstentials are popular. I have them, but find the
navigation clumsy and have not spent much time with them yet. They are loaded
with tutorial and informercial material, and are available from Amazon.

I have not seen the Monster/ISF disk, but have heard that it uses video clips
instead of test patterns. It might be best for a non-technical user.

There is a calibration forum:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=139

-Bill
--
Sattre Press Pagan Papers
http://sattre-press.com/ by Kenneth Grahame
http://sattre-press.com/pp.html

HDTV calibration
 

Very helpful...much obliged!



"Bill McClain" wrote in message
...
On 2007-02-11, stevev wrote:
Hello,
I have read that recalibrating the factory setting on HDTV's usually
improved the picture. Is it helpful to buy one of the calibration
discs -
Monster Cable and Digital Video Essentials are the top two apparently.
Also, is it necessary to have a HD DVD to use these discs? ( I am
waiting
on the HD DVD player purchase until a clear winner of the competing
technologies is declared). Any input would be appreciated.

No, these are SD-DVD discs. The HD-DVD and Blu-Ray versions require
(coming
soon, they say) require a different color standard.

You should definitely use a calibration disc if you want the most out of
your
DVDs. Other signal sources should be calibrated with their own test
patterns
(if they have any) but the DVD is probably better than nothing for those
also.

The easiest way to start is with the THX Optimzer, which can be found in
the
setup section of THX Certified disks (there's a logo on the disk case, or
see
the entire list he http://thx.com/mod/products/dvd/dvdFind.html). When
adjusting color it is handy to have the blue filter glasses available for
$1 +
shipping from http://thx.com/home/dvd/blueglasses.html.

There are more advanced calibration disks. I use GetGray from
http://www.calibrate.tv/. You have to download it and burn your own DVD,
and
you need the filter glasses mentioned above. Easy to use, no nonsense.

Avia and Digital Video Esstentials are popular. I have them, but find the
navigation clumsy and have not spent much time with them yet. They are
loaded
with tutorial and informercial material, and are available from Amazon.

I have not seen the Monster/ISF disk, but have heard that it uses video
clips
instead of test patterns. It might be best for a non-technical user.

There is a calibration forum:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=139

-Bill
--
Sattre Press Pagan Papers
http://sattre-press.com/ by Kenneth Grahame
http://sattre-press.com/pp.html

HDTV calibration
 

Do not confuse a service menu professional calibration with a user
adjustment menu non-professional "calibration." The latter is not a
calibration at all. It is merely a user adjustment of user settings. You
do not possess the equipment, knowledge and training to perform a
calibration. (Neither do I, by the way.)


"stevev" wrote in message
t...
Hello,
I have read that recalibrating the factory setting on HDTV's usually
improved the picture. Is it helpful to buy one of the calibration discs -
Monster Cable and Digital Video Essentials are the top two apparently.
Also, is it necessary to have a HD DVD to use these discs? ( I am waiting
on the HD DVD player purchase until a clear winner of the competing
technologies is declared). Any input would be appreciated.