Tips on how to calibrate a HDTV?

The goal for most of us is to make movies on TV look like movies at a movie theater. I think that googling pro settings for your model will get you closer than a non pro using the munsell disk. The cost of having a tech do it is probably not a good deal for sets costing less than a grand. You would be better off spending the extra dough on a better set and using internet settings.

 

If nothing else, turn down the contrast if it is dimed now.

 

That is not necessarily good general advice on modern TVs. On CRT displays (rear projectors especially) contrast defaulted too high, causing "blooming", a widening of the the beam on the brightest whites which would effectively blur detail. But with LCD and other digital technologies, contrast is usually OK, it should be checked with a test pattern to make sure that whites are not being crushed (90% white just as bright as 100% white). But I would not suggest that one automatically reduce contrast as part of adjusting their set unless a test pattern indicates there is an issue or something obvious like not seeing details in clouds, that reducing it corrects.

 

Regions:A (Blu-Ray), B (Blu-Ray), C (Blu-Ray) - from your link.

 

The free AVS calibration downloads are great for stuff like this. You can use either the MP4 file or download and burn an AVCHD disc. This will give you basic setup patterns for free.
I'd make sure all options were turned off like edge enhancement and set any color temps to normal as others previously said.

When I do this it takes forever because I set for multiple formats on different inputs: LD, DVD, SD games, HD games, BD.

 

Depending on the set, the closest to 6500K out of the box is usually Cinema mode with Warm or Warm2 color temp. Normal and, especially, Cool, are too blue.

 

very helpful comments!

 

I disagree with almost everything you say. The problem with grabbing numbers off the internet is that every set drifts, no two models have identical settings, and what works with one will probably not work with another.

Note that movies in a movie theater are played back in P3 color space at 14fL; movies on TV are played in Rec 709 color space at 30fL. Different colors, different brightness, different levels... not the same.

It's possible if the o.p. bought their set from (say) Best Buy and had the Geek Squad come by and set the display up, they could do it for maybe $100-$150 and get it adjusted in a reasonable ballpark area in under an hour. True, a real top-to-bottom calibration will take more time and cost more money, but even getting it 75% there is something.

 

Agreed that it is impossible me to get a perfectly accurate result on your own with basic tools. Working with the HDCRT Sony xbr960 recently reminded me of this. Now that is a calibration nightmare so bad you want to cough up the $500 it takes for an isf tech to calibrate it for you, which requires extreme finesse, magnets and apparently about ten hours.
It took me close to a week of on and off service menu tweaking to adjust geometry and overscan enough to get something near correct.

 

I do remember the magnets and all that other crap with CRTs. Madness. Later analog sets with digital processing divided the CRT into "zones" so you could actually tweak RGB, brightness, focus, and astigmatism without resorting to mechanical means.

I don't miss those days.

 

My uncle was the regional Sears "t.v. repairman" from like 1950's-1980's. I used to love having him teach me all the esoteric CRT adjustments he knew and show me the history of consumer TV's and tubes. He even let me hold the flashlight and test the tubes.(now guitarists like me pay top dollar for those old tubes)

 

> I disagree with almost everything you say.

Then I am probably wrong, but I find myself unpersuaded. I have been down all three routs; pro setup, Munsell, and Internet settings. The TV settings described by the OP were unwatchable, and Internet settings would get the TV to "set and forget" for him. Obviously there are people who enjoy periodically using the munsell disks their sets (I don't enjoy it, but I do it) and can see the results (I would be nervous passing an A/B test from the couch on that for normal viewing, but I am not a pro), but the OP did not sound like that sort of guy.

In any event, I don't think average folks with no other equipment but the munsell disk can get from the OP's settings to something better than Internet settings using a munsell disk.

 

I used the Spears & Munsil disc to calibrate my TV. I printed out the complete instructions from online and went through step by step and into the sub menus. It took about half an hour but I'm really happy with how my TV looks.

Chad

 

That's what I tell most people and I think it'll get you in the ballpark. I casually know Stacy Spears, and he's a sharp guy who really knows color science very well.

 

I read a lot of post from Stacy Spears over at AVS, and used free AVSHD709 to calibrate my humble old LCD, with the Lee filters, blue #71 ,red #106, and green #139. Only 10$. I was taught in my 'tv production ' classes back in the DAY (1990's), that green filters were mostly useless , red was better than green, and blue was the standard for calibration. But when the primary colors 'disagree', i was taught to ignore the green filter results, but balance the tint/hue and color to settings BETWEEN the blue and red optimal settings, maybe leaning slightly towards the optimal blue settings. That was 20th century SD rec.601 tho. Is that a good approach for HD rec.701??, Vidiot?

 

I've had my Panasonic 65" VT60 for almost 2 years now and I've never been truly happy with the picture. I also have an Oppo BDP-103 and the Spears & Munsil 2nd edition blu-ray, but the display fails on several of the Spears & Munsil tests. Yes, I've turned off all the "enhancements"...

Is it worthwhile to have a professional calibration on a 2 year old display?

 

That's something that only you can answer. The fact that it's two years old isn't an issue from a technical POV. It's obviously bugging you, so it might reduce your stress response if you do get it calibrated!

WRT to age of the TV and calibration, you should note that over time the picture quality drifts, even if it was calibrated when new. Especially so for plasma TVs where the brightness and color vibrancy tends to reduce over time. So if you're really hung up on getting the best possible PQ, you should probably re-calibrate your TV after a few years.

 

HD is Rec709, but I wouldn't trust a filter. You really need a photometer and/or a colorimeter to do this right. The Spears & Muncil disc will put you in the ballpark. Even getting the set adjusted 80% will be good enough for most people. A lot of consumer displays just don't have the adjustment range to get them any closer. Don't forget, the panel consistency is also a big problem: the picture could be dark on the far left, bright in the center, and then reddish on the right. One of the things you pay for with great monitors is an absolutely flat field without any dips in brightness or color contamination.

 

Hi,

What tests is your Panna failing?

If it's the one where a lot of coloured boxes appear and one in the right hand side column is missing......

Set "Colorspace" in your OPPO's menu to RGB.....then test again.....it should appear.

Different Displays like different Colorspaces.

And.....YES it is VERY worthwhile having a PRO calibration on an only 2 year old HIGH QUALITY DISPLAY like yours!!!

You should have NEVER felt unhappy about the PQ as the VT60 series was Panasonics penultimate Model
(the ZT60 was only slightly above it) and very highly regarded.

My Pioneer KRP 500M is 6 years young, still going strong and I love it to death!!!


Cheers

 

Another possibility is to check for the latest firmware release for your model. There are often tweaks and fixes that come along during the life of a model which corrects any initial glitches or problems that come to light. With the latest firmware, you might be able to do a better job of calibrating yourself. It's a longshot, but worth looking into.

 

One thing about filters is you have to filter out the other primary colors completely. So you can fold it in half or use 2 filters stacked, to make the filter more effective. If the red or green bars haven't turned black, you need more filter.

 

Speaking of CRTs I still have a large industrial TV degausser cable, bought it, used it once and never needed it again. $40... 20 years ago.

But I trangress.....

Based on varied responses here, I wonder if I should use cooler blue as a base for adjustments (my TV is 2009, pretty basic) or just use the opposite, the cinema/warm setting...

 

I'd always pick the warmer setting(s) as it makes pictures look better and...well, warmer.

 

I have a Panasonic Smart TV I bought last year, and a Viewsonic IPS monitor. I used the Windows calibration tools, but there wasn't much to adjust.

I bought the Disney disc and spent an afternoon with it, and only had to make very minor tweaks. These two screens seem to have been adjusted properly at the factory, and I'm quite pleased with both of them. The newly restored Lawrence of Arabia Blu-ray is my go-to eyeball test disc, and it looks great on both. I guess I got lucky, but I've also been a Panasonic customer for decades now and have very seldom been disappointed by their consumer product quality. There are better brands for high-end stuff, but I'm a low-budget guy.

 

Warm is typically much closer to the industry standard of 6500K for gray. But you never really know unless you know what that looks like (snow/clouds on an overcast day can be one natural reference). Cool is usually way too blue.