Calibration of a display used to be an arduous task. It sometimes took 2 days - usually 3-4 hours. The displays improved and now it rarely takes more than 2 hours
You may be asking:
· But why do it?
· Arent the sets better now?
· Didnt 1080p make a huge difference?
· Arent the pictures supposed to be better?
Why do I need to calibrate my TV?
Because most of you have never seen a good television picture. Never. The manufacturers set it wrong on purpose. Why? Manufacturers are not out to produce great pictures, they are out to sell TVs. They know very well that, all things being equal, you will buy the brightest set in the showroom. So the manufacturers ignore what would work best in your home, and make specific changes, such as:
1. The White Level (contrast/picture) is too high. This makes the picture brighter but drags light colors up into white so they just disappear.
2. The Black Level (Brightness) is too high. This reduces the contrast ratio (the most important component of picture quality) in favor of a brighter picture. By the way, I did not make a mistake here, the whitelevel is contrastand the blacklevel is brightness.
3. The gray scale is too blue. There is a standard gray color that is the base for the entire picture. Without getting too technical, a poor gray scale makes the picture look flat or 2D. There is no depth to it and the colors cant be accurate. TV manufacturers add extra blue to the gray because blue looks bright to our eyes (e.g. blue headlights). Remember their credo brighter is better.
4. Too much red. In order to compensate for the extra blue, more red is added - red push. This is why everyone has such nice rosy cheeks - even if they are dead.
5. The primary colors are wrong. The reasons for this vary including:
· The primary colors are based on CRT (picture tube) phosphors that nobody uses in the new sets
· High saturation levels (color intensity) make the picture look a little brighter
· Manufacturers think color differences make for better marketing uniqueness.
All this is generally true for projectors too even though they are not usually displayed in showrooms.
How do you get a good picture?
While your TV is simple to use, making adjustments to it can be a real project. Fortunately, the smart people at the Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) have developed a list of priorities to get the best possible picture:
1. Contrast Ratio
2. Color Saturation
3. Color Accuracy
4. Resolution
Thats right, Resolution is last on the list. 1080p is not the key to the magic kingdom. I cannot tell you how many times I have shown a DVD in 480p and then told people Thats not High Definition; they didnt believe me. Yes, friends, done properly, some Standard Definition DVDs on very good set look pretty darn good.
So what can you actually do?
Like any job, you need the right tools, and some serious experience. Fortunately for you, we have both. ISS technicians are certified by the ISF and we have been doing this work for years.
The tools we use include a signal generator and a color probe so we can actually measure colors. This is a complex process and no matter what DVD or Bluray disc you buy, you cant do it yourself.
Normally we fix the contrast ratio (black and white levels), the gray scale (often in the service menu, not the user menu), and the color blue (the hue/tint and color controls). If your set has a color management system CMS), we can fix the other colors besides blue. Do not try to use the CMS yourself! You can make the picture much worse. All the controls have pitfalls that I wont get into, but the CMS can be very problematic.
For the best possible result, we can install a Lumagen Radiance video processor in your system. This is similar to a receiver in an audio system. It sits between the sources (Bluray, cable box) and your TVand allows us to make many adjustments including:
· Source by source correction
· Scaling up to 1080p: It is much better at this than other devices including your TV set, Bluray player, receiver, or up-scaling DVD player. So play your DVD player at 480i/p and let the Lumagen convert the picture up to 1080p.
· Complete Color management
· 10 or 20-point grey-scale much better than the 2-point scale you normally get with your TV set
· And much more!
If you want the absolute best possible picture, buy a Lumagen from us. We always use these in good home theaters. The only issue is they cost more than most TVs, but we include calibration.
When do I recalibrate?
Daily kidding:
1. Whenever you make a major repair or change to your set. For instance, when it fails and needs a new part or when you change the lamp in a projector or LCD flat panel. By the way, LED-based LCD sets are usually further off than other sets when you buy them because LEDs are so blue.
2. When the picture no longer impresses you it loses its feel of reality. Plasmas and CRTs, for example, fade over time and have to be recalibrated every couple of years. CRTs (picture tubes) actually more often.
So now you know what video calibration is all about. Of course you also understand that you absolutely have to get it done. Nothing less than a calibrated picture is worth watching, right?
Call us now and well give you the viewing experience you never had before. Thanks for listening. - D