Spears & Munsil Blu-ray Test Disc

[Mr Kite]

Originally Posted by Stacey Spears

If there is a reviewer from Blu-ray.com that would like to review it, they can send me an email with their address and a disc will be shipped out to them.

There was also previous discussion about getting a couple of copies to give away. We can take care of that too.

Hi Stacey, don't know if it's to late for you to get a copy over to the guys at the shootout tomorrow, i am just guessing they might enjoy having a look.

[HDTV1080P]

Spears and Munsil HD Benchmark, Version 2 review link

[Canada]

I feel I almost need someone who actually knows more than I do to teach me how to use this software. I want some one to teach me how to get the most out of these disks.

[Alan Brown]

Originally Posted by Canada

I feel I almost need someone who actually knows more than I do to teach me how to use this software. I want some one to teach me how to get the most out of these disks.

The authors of the program have provided tutorial text to guide the user. Each test pattern and segment of the program is accompanied by instructions on the disc itself, plus there is additional material on their web site that should be printed out for additional reference as you go through the guided steps. Additional help is available from one of the authors, who responds in this thread, should a user get stuck or lost in the process. If you still "feel" this type of approach will not work for you, perhaps you should just pay a professional calibrator to adjust your entertainment system for you.

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc.
A Lion AV Consultants affiliate

"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"

[ckenisell]

I agree with Alan. They really do a great job of making these discs easy to use.

Plus, having Stacey here is great. As far as I know, he has answered every question that is asked of him!

I have placed my order and look forward to doing a 3D calibration when the disc arrives from amazon.com.

[Stacey Spears]

I feel I almost need someone who actually knows more than I do to teach me how to use this software. I want some one to teach me how to get the most out of these disks.

Don't be afraid to experiment. Start with the contrast pattern and then turn the contrast control all the way and all the way down to see what happens. Do this for each control with the appropriate pattern.

If the VT25 is like the VT20, then send in YCbCr 4:2:2 from your Blu-ray player. Be sure to select size 2 so that there is no overscan. Use THX or Custom as the starting point.

[MyHD120]

Excuse my lack of knowledge. At the moment I only have an XBox and a PS3. Can I calibrate from the XBox with the bonus disc?. Even so, I would need to get a compatible remote to control either device, correct? I just got the disc and am aging my Panasonic plasma before calibrating. At minimum, please point me in the right direction. Thank you.

[Stacey Spears]

Is the PS3 and Xbox both outputting the same resolution?

Be sure to set both to output YCbCr. (YCC709 in the Xbox menu) Make sure Superwhite is enabled in the PS3 and HDMI Reference level is set to standard in the xbox. (Really only applies when output is set to RGB)

If they are on different inputs, calibrate the PS3 first using the Blu-ray and then copy & paste those settings to the Xbox input. Then use the bonus DVD and double check to make sure things are still correct.

The bonus DVD is a small subset.

[MyHD120]

Originally Posted by Stacey Spears

Is the PS3 and Xbox both outputting the same resolution?

Be sure to set both to output YCbCr. (YCC709 in the Xbox menu) Make sure Superwhite is enabled in the PS3 and HDMI Reference level is set to standard in the xbox. (Really only applies when output is set to RGB)

If they are on different inputs, calibrate the PS3 first using the Blu-ray and then copy & paste those settings to the Xbox input. Then use the bonus DVD and double check to make sure things are still correct.

The bonus DVD is a small subset.

Thank you so much. I will work on that. Both PS3 and XBox are on HDMI out to an Onkyo receiver and then to the plasma, if that helps.

[Stacey Spears]

I know some Onkyo's clip, so keep that in mind.

[RocShemp]

Originally Posted by Stacey Spears

I know some Onkyo's clip, so keep that in mind.

Yeah, plenty of the older ones, like my TX-SR705, clip whereas the newer ones, like my TX-NR5010, don't clip the video signal.

[MyHD120]

Originally Posted by RocShemp

Yeah, plenty of the older ones, like my TX-SR705, clip whereas the newer ones, like my TX-NR5010, don't clip the video signal.

I have the older model TX-SR507 so I'm sure it clips. If I bypass the Onkyo just for calibration and then put it back in the stream, would that work? I can't justify something like the NR5010. Are there more economically priced receivers that don't clip?

[Stacey Spears]

For those who are interested, Don and I will be the guests on Scott Wilkinson's "Home Theater Geeks" podcast on twit.tv from 2-3 PM Pacific time tomorrow. (Monday) You can watch it live on http://live.twit.tv and ask questions via live chat during the show.

[ckenisell]

Stacey, I am attempting to start a new calibration from scratch using an all new picture mode (starting the calibration in Normal mode) since I now have your second edition disc and I have completed contrast and brightness, but when I get to the color adjustment screen, I cannot get the yellow and green bars on the left to completely turn black even when folding the glasses to 3x. The red bar is nearly gone at 1x and completely gone at 2x, but yellow and green are way bright at 2x and still visible at 3x.

How should I proceed?

I am using a Panasonic PT-AE7000U projector onto a Da-Lite High Contrast screen. The Oppo BDP-93 BD player is set to 4:2:2.

Thanks!

Chet

[Stacey Spears]

Does your display have a blue only mode? If not, you can still try and adjust color, but the filter is not 100% accurate with your display.

We use the same filter gel as THX and Joe Kane. (Tokyo blue)

[ckenisell]

Originally Posted by Stacey Spears

Does your display have a blue only mode? If not, you can still try and adjust color, but the filter is not 100% accurate with your display.

We use the same filter gel as THX and Joe Kane. (Tokyo blue)

I don't believe this projector has blue only mode. I have searched the menus inside and out.

I went ahead and proceeded with the instructions for setting color and tint using the 3x folded lens. The projector also has a built-in color bar pattern. I was able to confirm my calibration settings using the 3x lens and that pattern. Now onto the next step. Thanks for replying.

[tommyboy81]

I'm going to ask a stupid question here.

If I follow D-Nice's settings properly is getting this disc necessary?
I still want to get this to use on my parents tv.

[ZoetMB]

Originally Posted by tommyboy81

I'm going to ask a stupid question here.

If I follow D-Nice's settings properly is getting this disc necessary?
I still want to get this to use on my parents tv.

Yes. You really can't calibrate a set using someone else's settings because every panel is different and you're also viewing the panel in different lighting conditions. D-Nice's settings are probably a good starting point, but if you really want to get it right, you still need the calibration disc. If you still want to get it perfect, you need a professional calibrator and the equipment that they carry. One of the reasons that D-Nice gives out these settings is because he feels that it doesn't negatively impact his calibration business (although other calibrators aren't happy that he does so.)

But having said all that, be aware that your parents might not even like a calibrated set. The look of a calibrated set is very subtle and tends to be much darker than most people are used to. Most people think a TV should be very bright and have very high contrast levels. A calibrated set will look just the opposite.

[rpatt]

Originally Posted by ZoetMB

Yes. You really can't calibrate a set using someone else's settings because every panel is different and you're also viewing the panel in different lighting conditions. D-Nice's settings are probably a good starting point, but if you really want to get it right, you still need the calibration disc. If you still want to get it perfect, you need a professional calibrator and the equipment that they carry. One of the reasons that D-Nice gives out these settings is because he feels that it doesn't negatively impact his calibration business (although other calibrators aren't happy that he does so.)

But having said all that, be aware that your parents might not even like a calibrated set. The look of a calibrated set is very subtle and tends to be much darker than most people are used to. Most people think a TV should be very bright and have very high contrast levels. A calibrated set will look just the opposite.

"It's" is also the short form of "It Has". Sorry, had to point that out.

[Stacey Spears]

But having said all that, be aware that your parents might not even like a calibrated set.

This might apply to a lot of people. The "correct" image is not always pleasing to some that have gotten use to the sizzle of torch mode.