Calibrating your display with Windows features?

[Stridulent]

I asked this question in the plasma calibration thread but wanted to see what you guys over here thought as well:

How does the calibration software that comes with Windows Media Center and Windows 7 compare to the discs you pay for like Disney's WOW, etc?

[DVD Phreak]

You mean Windows Control Panel, Display, Calibrate Color? That is way too basic, only good for calibrating Windows desktop, and definitely not enough for calibrating video. Disney WOW, like Digital Video Essentials, is a full-featured calibration disc, with basic and advanced test patterns, plus tutorials. I personally use freely downloadable test patterns such as AVS HD 709.

[Stridulent]

No, in Windows Media Center.

http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/e...ia-center.aspx

[DVD Phreak]

That's still too basic -- no hue, saturation, or sharpness tests, and no way to fine tune the settings. My experience is that changing even one notch on any setting could make a big difference. So you really need REAL test patterns to fine tune the settings.

[Stridulent]

Originally Posted by DVD Phreak

That's still too basic -- no hue, saturation, or sharpness tests, and no way to fine tune the settings. My experience is that changing even one notch on any setting could make a big difference. So you really need REAL test patterns to fine tune the settings.

Thank you for the response. I guess I'm really just looking for a recommended calibration guide free online with images/material to help calibrate it.

[bobbydrugar]

I am sure that you can find some online test patterns (Mayby check out the Spears and munsil thread on this forum for some suggestions on test patterns to search for Stacey Spears actually responds over there sometimes). However the Disney WOW blu-ray is pretty hard to beat and does a fantastic job with both the Video and Audio as well as explaining in a tutorial manner how and why certain patterns are used. If you are just looking for something then there is always the old THX calibration tool that was an easter egg on all THX certified DVD's. I think pixar disks also have a calibration tool on them as well and I think sony Disks also had one included.

Hope that Helps
Thanks,
T

[Stridulent]

Originally Posted by bobbydrugar

I am sure that you can find some online test patterns (Mayby check out the Spears and munsil thread on this forum for some suggestions on test patterns to search for Stacey Spears actually responds over there sometimes). However the Disney WOW blu-ray is pretty hard to beat and does a fantastic job with both the Video and Audio as well as explaining in a tutorial manner how and why certain patterns are used. If you are just looking for something then there is always the old THX calibration tool that was an easter egg on all THX certified DVD's. I think pixar disks also have a calibration tool on them as well and I think sony Disks also had one included.

Hope that Helps
Thanks,
T

I do have The Incredibles, which is suppose to include some THX calibration tools. But I don't think it covers everything. Won't know until I get home.

[bobbydrugar]

It doesn't cover everything but its a good starting point. I believe it will get you the brightness and contrast. I can't remember if it also covers the sharpness (which on most modern HD tv's should be set to 0 yes zero according to Joe Kane of DVE a professional calibrator) So really the difficult one will be getting the gradients and color scales right but you will need special colored filters to get the colors correct (included with Disney WOW by the way) and more advanced hardware to really get the gray scale and color temp of white correct. So it really is a complex system of steps some of it requires additional equipment with names like ???spectrometer and such but for basic color correction, black level, contrast, sharpness, and aspect ratio that can be done without any special equipment (the color correction does require the 3 color filters which are just tinted clear plastic or a TV that has built in color filter usually blue is the one that is included and makes all colors blue on the screen).

Hope that helps
T

[Stridulent]

I broke down and bought the Disney WOW blu-ray. I have a new plasma coming in and I want it looking near perfect

[bobbydrugar]

I Think you made a wise choice. It really is a reusable resource. I run it probably 2 times a year to make sure that as parts breakin and as weather changes I can keep my Screen looking good. I think with a plasma that will be even more important as the plasma breaks in and the image shifts over time. To be fair like i said i do run it a couple times a year on my LED just to keep it looking great.

Also the audio calibration tools on there are fantastic as well including a rattle and shake test to help you figure out if low bass is causing stuff in the room to vibrate and make distracting noise .

Congrats on your purchase of both WOW and the new TV

Thanks,
T

[Majoran]

If you are looking for free than either one of the THX discs as already mentioned or the AV709 disc from AVS (it also comes with a guide)...I normally try not to point to a different forum, but in this case hopefully an acception can be made.....

EDIT: missed aht you had purchased the WOW disc, congrats!

[Korrigan]

The integrated windows stuff is not very good. It's meant for the average computer user, not the video user.

If you're looking for a cheap solution, this software is quite good for monitor/display calibration with several screens for brightness, contrast, colors, sharpness, etc...

http://www.aida64.com/downloads

I think the free version still contains the monitor calibration things (tools menu / monitor diagnostics).

Also, if you're trying to calibrate for Blu-Ray playback, I would not recommend using a DVD calibration disc. I tried that and the colors weren't using the full range of my display (blacks too black, aka no detail, whites too white, aka saturated). Either use Aida, or a Blu-Ray calibration disc.

And if using an ATI graphic card, remember to set My Digital Flat-Panels / Pixel format to "RGB 4:4:4 Pixel Format PC Standard (Full RGB)" and Video / Advanced Video Color / Dynamic Range to "Full (0-255)". Also turn off any filtering crap in Video/ Quality and Video / Color when you watch Blu-Ray discs, it will only damage the picture most of the times.