Home audio & video: HDTV calibration?
HDTV calibration?
by eshahad - 2/10/08 5:40 PMBest Buy and Circuit City offer calibration service, both of which vary drastically in price. Best Buy is more expensive, so does that mean they do a better job? Or am i just paying for their name? Or is there another company I could go with. I want the best picture quality out of my JVC HDTV! Thanks people!
Cnet has a neat little
by dinox64 - 2/10/08 6:33 PM In reply to: HDTV calibration? by eshahadClip about calibration. It's for LCD but it can work on plasma as well. Just type in "calibration". Another thing to try is searching for your model number followed by calibration and see what comes up.
I've thought about buying a titorial disc but the comments/feedback on them is not very compulsive. What are the going rates for either C.C or Best Buy? You didn't mention them except that B.B is quite a bit more.
Calibration a no no!
by eshahad - 2/11/08 1:58 PM In reply to: Cnet has a neat little by dinox64For some reason I could have sworn that CC offered calibration, but in calling them they do not. Best Buy on the other hand offers the service for $300.00.
$300
by jostenmeat - 2/11/08 2:06 PM In reply to: Calibration a no no! by eshahadshould afford anyone you want for an in-home ISF + CEDIA cert'd TV cal. Doesn't even have to be a bigbox store. Get someone whos been doing it for a decade or two at the same price. Some people with projectors actually send them in to someone they trust, and often that is less, like $200. In-home add the $100.
Not sure
by gabereyes - 2/10/08 8:49 PM In reply to: HDTV calibration? by eshahadbut I have a guess BB calibration is a ISF calibration that need special training and special equipment, I am not sure if CC is doing a true ISF calibration or if it just a calibration done by eye.
As for trying to calibrate the TV your self, this will help.
But you cannot change some of the most important settings, like white balance and VSM, I have used every disc I could find like sound and vision, Avia, Digital video DVE disc. they will give you good direction on how to fix some problems with the TV, but not all you still need the right equipment and the TVs service menu to get it perfect.
So I would ask CC if it is a ISF calibrator, and what is his name.
you can look it up here http://www.imagingscience.com/isf-trained.cfm
good luck
gabe
what I have been reading
by jostenmeat - 2/10/08 10:10 PM In reply to: HDTV calibration? by eshahadis that its the skill/knowledge of any one individual that is paramount. More so than if they are ISF or CEDIA, etc, of course, that wouldn't hurt. Call me cynical, but I would be very surprised if any great proportion of BB or CC employees had a true know-how. Probably an unfair statement, and also, I am already assuming that there are a few that do know what they are doing.
Another factor is controlled lighting. Perhaps a skilled individual could adjust for a nice compromise between day and night. I don't know anything about this because Ive never had a calibration done. If it was me, Id set it optimally for very little ambient light, something more in the line of "cinematic viewing".
This is not an approved list, but a list nonetheless of custom installers. Worth calling the couple that might be nearby for a quote on a calibration.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=420992
Cnet
by bevillan - 2/11/08 8:59 AM In reply to: HDTV calibration? by eshahadIn some CNET HDTV reviews they give you a detailed account of exactly what picture settings they set the HDTV to for their ideal testing picture. Now these settings are done in a very dark room so if you watch TV with some ambient lighting, you will need to up the brightness. I used CNET's recommended settings and my picture looks great on my SXRD (after I bumped up the brightness).
BestBuy
by gretzkyv99 - 2/12/08 7:19 AM In reply to: Cnet by bevillanBestBuy does offer ISF certified calibrations. They work for GeekSquad install but are a different set of guys who are indeed certified by ISF and only do calibrations. It is $300, unless purchased with a new tv, which drops the cost to $200. Only other store I know for sure that offers this service is Tweeter (ChicagoLand Area), but I'm sure most high end stores have it.
I am almost positive...
by stuntman_mike - 2/12/08 10:00 AM In reply to: HDTV calibration? by eshahadthat Best Buy uses outside contractors to do the calibrations. Just like when you need servicing, they don't have full time employees that only fix electronics. They send them out to people that they have formed a joint partnership with. It is the same with the calibrations.
You could go with them or you could do the same thing that BB did and find someone to do it for you.
The risk is that you don't find someone as good as the people that BB uses. The reward is you find someone better than the people that BB uses and possibly cheaper.
I would first try a calibration disc. You won't get the same results as you would get as if a professional went into your service menu and used equipment, but maybe you get close enough that you are happy with it and wouldn't know the difference. And it would only cost you $30 instead of $300. Try the disc first. If you are not satisfied you can always find someone to do the professional calibration later.
Good luck.
thanks!
by eshahad - 2/12/08 12:18 PM In reply to: I am almost positive... by stuntman_mikeThanks for you advice!
ISF
by theoncomingstorm - 2/12/08 12:19 PM In reply to: I am almost positive... by stuntman_mikeHaving dealt with BB's technicians in home, they are 100% certified to do in-home ISF calibrations and good at their job. They are all BB employees who have been trained properly by ISF master calibrators. This is not third party. Circuit loves calling their "basic setup" a calibration, when it is in fact not.
Yes
by gabereyes - 2/12/08 12:41 PM In reply to: ISF by theoncomingstormBB also pays the installers and Calibrators very well, to me when it comes to quality of work, it doesnt matter what company you work for its how much they pay, a lot of BB installers are from other high end companys like ultimate electornics and independent delears, and its very rare to see a BB sells person that doesnt know much get a installer spot.
gabe
isf bb calibration
by jay412 - 2/12/08 4:24 PM In reply to: Yes by gabereyeshow true is this?? i'm not sure if this is a gimmick to try to get me to use the BB calibration, but i was looking at the pioneer pdp-5080hd and the BB guy said you don't want to try to calibrate this tv yourself.....it is in a hidden menu and that you can actually damage the tv by calibrating it yourself.....so you might want to be careful doing it yourself if this is true for other tv's as well???
jay412
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