Geek Squad "Uber" Calibration - Worth it?

[takezo]

Originally Posted by UlicBelouve

I have some additional questions on calibration. Just got a new 1080p TV last night (Sharp LC-32GP1U, need to update my signature).

They were also pitching the ISF Calibration done by Geek Squad to me. Now, the demos of the calibrated versus uncalibrated were impressive. However, I do not really want to pay for that type of calibration.

I have the DVD of AVIA Guide to Home Theatre, and started some calibration there. I may also do the Sony calibration off of the Talledega Nights Blu-Ray. I am also planning on getting the Terminator 2 Blu-Ray this week anyways, and I gather that this has a THX Optimizer.

Are these going to be adequate adjustments? I know I cannot compete with ISF calibration, but how far off will I be in terms of quality? I have put together a culmination of tips from this and other forums. So if I arm myself with the following tools, should I be good?

- AVIA Guide to Home theatre DVD
- Sony Optimization from Talledega Nights Blu-ray
- THX Optimization from Terminator 2

Any other tips would be appreciated, I've seen the other forums on backlight settings, noise reduction, and sharpness. If there are any specific pointers for the Sharp LC-32GP1U, that would be appreciated too.

I just want to get the best possible picture without ISF Calibration, but if I will come nowhere close on my own, let me know, and suggest avenues for getting an ISF Calibration (don't have the best faith in Geek Squad).

You can calibrate your TV your self for free, using the very remote it came with. People tend to forget that, you can calibrate contrast, brightness, saturation, hue, and even backlight level (LCDs only). Manufacturer defaults are very bland, may have too high brightness, too much contrast, and not enough saturation. I had a THX optimizing applet on my Akira (Japanese Animated movie) disk, used it on my TV when i first got it. It showed me how to adjust all those setting i said before, to get the best PQ. After my TV looked 3x better than before, all without spending a penny.