Do I need to calibrate

[MikeINNBPT]

I am a new owner of a Sony46" XBR6. Do I need to calibrate for the beast results. I also received a new Sony BDP S550 as part of the package.

Do I have to calibrate for best results? What is the best method to calibrate? I am semi handy with technology.

Any other hints or information would be greatly appreciated.

This forum is great BTW.

thanks
Mike

[allstar780]

http://www.tweaktv.com/tweak-my-tv/c...-46xbr6-2.html

try that for starters, tweak it a bit as necessary

[dadkins]

Many will recommend calibrating.
The thing I notice missing from the calbration discussions it how often.

Weekly?
Monthly?
Yearly?
When you think it needs it?
For the hell of it?

At what? $200? $300?
How often are most people going to want to drop $200 - $300?

Something to also remember, even if you get your set as perfectly calibrated by a professional as possible, some sources will still look - screwy.
Channel to channel on HD cable/Sat can have hues at different ends of the spectrum.
Discs are no exception.
One Blu-ray may look incredible, the next... not so much.
Your set may be spot-on, but no one can guarantee the source is.

You might find yourself changing the brighness/backlight setting, contrast, edge enhancement, color level, hue, ??? - because the source you are watching *RIGHT NOW* looks wrong.
Green haired blonde girl maybe?
A red car that looks like it was sprayed onto your screen with a spraycan?
Grey sky?
Blue grass?
Violet water?

If everything looks - not right, on all sources, ya might want to have it calibrated.

Right now, on most channels/discs/files/sources, *MY* new HDTV looks pretty damn close.
Grass is green, sky is blue, nothing is overly saturated with color, it isn't so freakin bright you need a welding mask to watch it.
The generic "setup" items on Sony and Pixar discs are pretty close.

Me, personnaly, I'm ok with how my set looks to me - right now.
I will probably get it calibrated if it ever starts getting hosed on all sources.

[jsteinhauer]

With a Sony set, DVE and your eye can get pretty darn close. I'd estimate about 75% of the way. If you read around, you will find user menu setting for different Sony displays end up nearly the same. If you view in a dark room, a backlight of minimum to 1, in a bright room, 2 or 3. Brightness at 50 plus or minus 2, and a contrast in the 70-90 range. I would best guess 80-85 is best. Use the Warm2 color temperature, and turn all other goofy features off. Color near 50 plus or minus a couple and Hue near 0 plus or minus one. You shouldn't bother with white balance without a meter. It's pointless. My white balance settings are way off any published settings.

[SlmShdy1]

What about using a colorimeter? I was reading about a couple people using one but the discussion got heated and was locked. Is that able to get as close as a pro? If you buy a colorimeter, I'm guessing it comes with instructions on how to calibrate the TV, right?

[Blu-Dog]

Originally Posted by SlmShdy1

What about using a colorimeter? I was reading about a couple people using one but the discussion got heated and was locked. Is that able to get as close as a pro? If you buy a colorimeter, I'm guessing it comes with instructions on how to calibrate the TV, right?

shhhh don't tell anybody I'm here...I'm the guy that got that thread locked down...

If you get a colorimeter, you're looking at doing things inside the service menu of your set - and that is a very, very bad idea. You can get lost in there and really foul things up if you're not familiar with the settings.

Go with professional calibration if you're at all tempted to do that. But it's probably best if you try one of the calibration disks first, it's pretty close to perfect when you're done.

[jsteinhauer]

Originally Posted by SlmShdy1

What about using a colorimeter? I was reading about a couple people using one but the discussion got heated and was locked. Is that able to get as close as a pro? If you buy a colorimeter, I'm guessing it comes with instructions on how to calibrate the TV, right?

A colorimeter can help without accessing the service menu. Like I've said before, there are limited things you can do in the Sony service menu anyway. It does not have a color management system, so I think you are limited to some grayscale tweaks. And even if you can't adjust everything, with the colorimeter you can learn the limitations of your display and understand what is happening with your grayscale and colors.

If you don't have a meter, you might not be able to set the contrast so that your peak luminance is appropriate for the lighting conditions in your room. My Sony's don't clip whiter than white, so if you use DVE and your eye, you will set the contrast at 100, which is not correct. Using DVE and your eye you can set the brightness appropriately, but you will not know whether the near black luminance is appropriate for your peak luminance. Also, with your eye, DVE and color filters you can set the Color and Hue settings pretty well, but you may do better with a meter. Without a meter you can not adjust the white balance settings. With a meter, you should be able to get accurate color tracking, temperature and gamma from 10% to 100%.

If you are reasonably savvy with electronics and computers, using ColorHCFR which is a free download and a consumer level meter, you should have good success, if you have the time. I don't know, if it can be as good as a pro, but I plan to find out.

[SellmeyourDVD]

Originally Posted by MikeINNBPT

I am a new owner of a Sony46" XBR6. Do I need to calibrate for the beast results. I also received a new Sony BDP S550 as part of the package.

Do I have to calibrate for best results? What is the best method to calibrate? I am semi handy with technology.

Any other hints or information would be greatly appreciated.

This forum is great BTW.

thanks
Mike

try cnet, they may have some good dark room settings for your tv. I got mine from there and the picture looks really good

[SellmeyourDVD]

Originally Posted by dadkins

Something to also remember, even if you get your set as perfectly calibrated by a professional as possible, some sources will still look - screwy.
Channel to channel on HD cable/Sat can have hues at different ends of the spectrum.

Don't they calibrate each input? Or do you mean that each broadcast is different IE one channel may be 720p compared to one channel that may be 1080i?

[dadkins]

Originally Posted by SellmeyourDVD

Don't they calibrate each input? Or do you mean that each broadcast is different IE one channel may be 720p compared to one channel that may be 1080i?

Calibrate for each TV channel? Can't be done... can it?
Two TV channels, SD/720/1080 - doesn't matter, may be completely off from one another.
Having the TV set for *ideal* will still get you a messed up picture on your display because the source is hosed.

Watch a DVD upconverted, and then the same movie on Blu-ray.
Many times, the same scenes will look way different. Color/contrast/brightness/ etc.
People will see something "wrong" and start adjusting the controls til it looks acceptable.

Ok, movie is over... back to TV and channel "3" looks fine. Watch it for a while. Cool!

Switch to channel "15". Whoa! WAY too much color saturation/bleeding, way red, and too bright.
Back to the menu to make THAT look acceptable. Cool!

Switch channels again... guess what. Yep, nearly no color and the picture is too dark.

2 days later, that $300 you just dropped on calibration is... a waste.
While the default settings should still be well within spec, who here runs their TV at default?
I turned off Dynamic Contrast and turned down the backlight.
Took it off warm and set it to "normal".

As always, YMMV.

[allstar780]

Originally Posted by dadkins

Calibrate for each TV channel? Can't be done... can it?
Two TV channels, SD/720/1080 - doesn't matter, may be completely off from one another.
Having the TV set for *ideal* will still get you a messed up picture on your display because the source is hosed.

Watch a DVD upconverted, and then the same movie on Blu-ray.
Many times, the same scenes will look way different. Color/contrast/brightness/ etc.
People will see something "wrong" and start adjusting the controls til it looks acceptable.

Ok, movie is over... back to TV and channel "3" looks fine. Watch it for a while. Cool!

Switch to channel "15". Whoa! WAY too much color saturation/bleeding, way red, and too bright.
Back to the menu to make THAT look acceptable. Cool!

Switch channels again... guess what. Yep, nearly no color and the picture is too dark.

2 days later, that $300 you just dropped on calibration is... a waste.
While the default settings should still be well within spec, who here runs their TV at default?
I turned off Dynamic Contrast and turned down the backlight.
Took it off warm and set it to "normal".

As always, YMMV.

Okay, true enough, but the TV channels are SUPPOSED to be standardized broadcast colors and settings, obviously that is not always the case but 90% of the time it is.

[dadkins]

Agreed, but...

10% of 100 channels - 10 channels
10% of 300 channels - 30 channels
J6P will not be pleased when he hears that he has to drop $300+ to get his new high dollar HDTV calibrated, and CMT still looks screwy to the point he changes the settings back to where the picture looks right... after it's done.

If you have a set that is obviously hosed, get it calibrated.
Otherwise, the set is probably fairly close to start with and anything you or I change, for whatever reason, just made things either better or worse.

Are you(I'm not!) going to want to drop a few hunderd every week?
Every month?
Six months?
When the wind blows?
When someone on a message boards tells you to?

I have a few items that I can display and if green - isn't, I know something needs adjustment.

Sometimes a calibration can help, sometimes the calibration isn't needed and you still get to pay the fee.

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-8900_7-5153490-1.html
"It turned out that something right was bothering him: one of the set's preset picture modes was actually producing a good picture.

"This is bad for business," Miller said. "Bad for my business.""

It seems, more and more, sets are pretty freakin close OTB.
For now, *FOR ME*, I think I shall wait on getting mine calibrated.

[jsteinhauer]

J6P has been watching poor reception on an uncalibrated CRT for decades. He's not getting and HDTV. He's getting a converter box.

We ought to set this straight. CALIBRATION IS FOR VIDEOPHILES!

If you are still going to listen to the sound from the speakers on your TV set, you don't need a calibration. If you are only watching Gray's Anatomy and American Idol, you don't need a calibration. If you are watching television with toddlers, in a daylit room with pink walls, you don't need a calibration.

If watching movies as close to standard as possible with the equipment you own is important, you need the best calibration you can or are willing to afford. That may be someone elses settings off the internet, DVE, Sony test patterns, a Colorimeter or a pro. Why would any care a lick about 8 channel lossless audio, as opposed to listening to lossy 5.1 DD, and not care about whether their picture looks like IT IS SUPPOSED TO? For that matter, why would anyone care about 1080p/24 and not care about image fidelity?

If all you care about is a funked up picture where all the whites are blue and where you have edge artifact around everything from you sharpness setting and where you are blinded every time a snowy scene is on the screen, you can see that with a DVD. You can save yourself a lot more money that way.

[dadkins]

I'm more or less a J6P.
I have Blu-ray.
I watch HDTV via OTA and cable.
I have a 1080p 42" set that I watch from at, or very near, the ideal distance.
So far, every test display pattern/color bar set/contrast/brightness - has been right on or damn close to it.

I have heard stories that some have had "Professional Calibration" done and little to no changes were made.
Still torqued their wallets for $300 - $400.

I hate to think that just because the wallet gets raped some people think their set is better.
Especially if no changes were made.

If the set is hosed, get it fixed.
If the set is not hosed, why throw money at it for no reason?
How often is often enough?
How is one to know when is the time to have it done or done again?

Odd subject, isn't it?

[jsteinhauer]

Originally Posted by dadkins

I'm more or less a J6P.
I have Blu-ray.
I watch HDTV via OTA and cable.
I have a 1080p 42" set that I watch from at, or very near, the ideal distance.
So far, every test display pattern/color bar set/contrast/brightness - has been right on or damn close to it.

I have heard stories that some have had "Professional Calibration" done and little to no changes were made.
Still torqued their wallets for $300 - $400.

I hate to think that just because the wallet gets raped some people think their set is better.
Especially if no changes were made.

If the set is hosed, get it fixed.
If the set is not hosed, why throw money at it for no reason?
How often is often enough?
How is one to know when is the time to have it done or done again?

Odd subject, isn't it?

You see, you don't sound like J6P when it comes to the picture you watch. You have decided, for whatever reason is valid to you, not to afford a professional calibration or a meter, and I find nothing wrong with that. I hopefully made that clear before. It is something with a different value to all of us.

I agree that $300 is a total scam, when someone comes in and claims to calibrate your television, and simply switches from Vivid mode to Cinema mode. I am sure that gets done. Buyer beware. Get references. Don't trust testimonials.

On the other hand, there are people who have no interest in anything other than turning the set on and off and can afford $300 every time they change a piece of hardware. If they are doing something, then it may be worth it. When I decided to install new kitchen and bathroom sinks and fixtures, I did it for the cost of parts. Others with no interest/ability would definitely pay more than $300 to have someone come and do it. Heck, people pay that much per month to have their house cleaned, or their laundry done.

Self-calibration with a meter and test patterns is not for everyone. I know for a fact that my business partners would not be able to do it. We are similarly educated, and they are perhaps more intelligent. But I am called on frequently to troubleshoot computer problems. If that is above your level, you probably can't calibrate your own display accurately.

[dadkins]

Thank you Jon!

[dadkins]

Originally Posted by allstar780

Okay, true enough, but the TV channels are SUPPOSED to be standardized broadcast colors and settings, obviously that is not always the case but 90% of the time it is.

Sorry guys, an example of "What The Hell" on a single channel - FOX News:



Left guy is kinda red, right guy is kinda green - who's right?
Who's closer to being right?

Which way would you tweak your display settings?
*WOULD* you tweak your display settings?
Is this a warning that the set needs calibration - or - is it just that this point in time/particular item/channel(or each camera) is way screwy?

[Betamax]

Some food for thought......
Lots of people talking about calibrating for each channel, worrying about spending $$$ because their favorite show doesnt look right... etc.
The purpose for calibration is to push your display to its most optimum settings within your viewing environment. What is the color of red? color of blue? Can you set those colors exact just by eye?
Most people are not aware that their is an actual standard for primary and secondary colors and not just "my reds are too red". There are quite alot of guys looking for tv settings off the net and trying to use them on their sets. Thing is, every set is different. Some are close, some not so close. Do not expect your set to look perfect when using someone elses settings. Way too often people expect to see miracles, and when it doesnt look perfect, they freak. Nuthin wrong with using settings as long as you dont go into the service menu ! If you calibrate your set and one channel is off from another then you need to pick up the phone and call your cable or sat. provider and complain. Thats your providers fault and not the fault off your set. Hopefully one day soon they'll get everything done, and they are working on it, but some providers are slower than others. Remember, the set is displaying as close as possible, if not exact to spec after a pro calibration.

[jsteinhauer]

Originally Posted by dadkins

Which way would you tweak your display settings?
*WOULD* you tweak your display settings?
Is this a warning that the set needs calibration - or - is it just that this point in time/particular item/channel(or each camera) is way screwy?

I thinks it's nearly a waste of time to calibrate for broadcast television viewing, other than to appropriate set backlight, brightness, contrast, color and hue by eye with filters. I set my white balance for television, but only because I could in a couple of minutes. Now, I am uncertain of the quality of the the PPV HD movies from the satellite and cable providers. It may be worth a good calibration for them. But the other HD movies on satellite, the ones that are always in stretch mode, why bother?

[reallyagi]

Just calibrate your set for blu-ray movies, customize cable channels to your liking, and get on with your life.