Best Buy TV calibration

[ruSSrt]

SOrry if this one is duplicate post but i just saw that in Best Buy and i was wondering if its really works.
Did anyone do it for their system? I have 50 Panasonic Viera Plasma tv and i was thinking if i should do it or not.
What is it? How is it done? Can i do it myself?

Thats calibration i'm talking about!

[Trix]

Before you drop that kind of money, I would go to the store and talk to the tech if you can. Make sure the one doing the calibration plans to do an ISF calibration, and that they have the right tools to do it.

Most Best Buys do have ISF certified calibrators, but I'd still check. You'll also want to check how long they guess it will take to do the job. If they say anything less than, at the very least, 2 hours, pass it up. You can get an ISF calibration from most independents for 300$, so that may be just as easy a route to go.

[My_Two_Cents]

No, you can't do this yourself. Not without thousands of $$ in special equipment, many-many hours of training, etc... As for BB Geek Squad? I'd steer clear of them for something like this and stick with the professionals who do this for a living and know what they are doing. Sorry, but I wouldn't pay that kind of $$ to have my set calibrated by 20-something year-old Chad who is working part time while going to school.

[LoveHomeTheatre]

Before you do any kind of calibration, make sure your plasma has "broken in", meaning you used it under low settings (half way for brightness contrast, etc..) for at least 100 - 200 hrs. The Plasma needs time so do not do anything unless you have done this.

[nicholas01]

Yes, you can do it for yourself using an Eye-One LT, which will cost about $170. I used it on my Panny 58 PZ800U with awesome results. I calibrated the THX-Normal and THX-Warm modes and it looks simply stunning.

[SammyG]

I wouldn't let those guys near my TV or my driveway!

[brett_day]

you could also use spyder tv and do it yourself, however i would pay for a certified isf calibrator! If i ever done it myself i know i would still be wondering if i had done it right and if i was getting the best possible picture. I would not go through best buy! I have heard good and bad about them. I would find an independent who has been trained and certified

[victimsofadown]

Where would one find a professional calibrator?

[ShawnE94SL]

Originally Posted by victimsofadown

Where would one find a professional calibrator?

http://www.imagingscience.com/isf-trained.cfm

See if there is a professional in your area.

[My_Two_Cents]

Originally Posted by nicholas01

Yes, you can do it for yourself using an Eye-One LT, which will cost about $170. I used it on my Panny 58 PZ800U with awesome results. I calibrated the THX-Normal and THX-Warm modes and it looks simply stunning.

Did you make adjustments in the service menu? If not, then you were not able to get the most from your calibration. Going into the service menu is NOT recommended for anyone unless they know exactly what they are doing. There are too many things that can be accidently changed that will brick your TV, and that's not covered under warranty.

As has been advised, find a real ISF calibration service, and have it done right.

[jomari]

posted this previously on someones inquiries about ISF calibrations and their comparison to what BB has to offer...

good questions on calibrations.

will tackle this in two parts,

Best buys services, and professional ISF calibrations done by a certified technician, are definitely two different services. sure the BB guys would have a number of tools and software for it, but to be certified is another story. second comparison would be having a nice tire alignment machine that you can find in a service dealer, and having an average joe use it.

technicalities aside, they would also indicate the before and after specifications that your television had prior to the calibration. as my friend mentioned, like speakers, some people 'love' the tweaked up treble and bass, and eventually (i hope most people do) learn how to live without such.

most displays found in major retailers, are tweaked to a point where they want it to 'pop', this isnt what calibrating is about. calibrating a set is about accuracy, and a great amount of balance instead of the glorified image.

tweaking your set using an avia or test patterns you can find on other disc is a great start, but there is a significant difference when we have it properly done by a technician.

heres a great example site/technician showing the benefits:

6500k calibrations

[sokrman14]

Originally Posted by jomari

posted this previously on someones inquiries about ISF calibrations and their comparison to what BB has to offer...

good questions on calibrations.

will tackle this in two parts,

Best buys services, and professional ISF calibrations done by a certified technician, are definitely two different services. sure the BB guys would have a number of tools and software for it, but to be certified is another story. second comparison would be having a nice tire alignment machine that you can find in a service dealer, and having an average joe use it.

technicalities aside, they would also indicate the before and after specifications that your television had prior to the calibration. as my friend mentioned, like speakers, some people 'love' the tweaked up treble and bass, and eventually (i hope most people do) learn how to live without such.

most displays found in major retailers, are tweaked to a point where they want it to 'pop', this isnt what calibrating is about. calibrating a set is about accuracy, and a great amount of balance instead of the glorified image.

tweaking your set using an avia or test patterns you can find on other disc is a great start, but there is a significant difference when we have it properly done by a technician.

heres a great example site/technician showing the benefits:

6500k calibrations

Best Buy actually has a number of ISF certified technicians