TV Calibration - Worth It?
Discussion
HI all,
I have recently completed a new home cinema install. Am really pleased with it - using Apple TV / PS3 / Sky HD as sources, a beefy Cambridge Audio AV Amp, Minx Speakers and, to top it off, a Panny 55" WT50.
I am running the WT50 on the "Cinema" preset and it looks great. However, I am keen to optimise everything and am wondering if hiring the services of a professional TV calibrator would be worth it. I'm hesitating in particular as while I know the VT50 is very adjustable, I am not sure that the WT50 has the same level of picture control.
In short - do you think it would be worth a calibration? Any recommendations for the east London/Essex area. And any guidance as to how much I should be looking to pay?
Thank you all in advance for your help.
Bon weekend.
D.
I have recently completed a new home cinema install. Am really pleased with it - using Apple TV / PS3 / Sky HD as sources, a beefy Cambridge Audio AV Amp, Minx Speakers and, to top it off, a Panny 55" WT50.
I am running the WT50 on the "Cinema" preset and it looks great. However, I am keen to optimise everything and am wondering if hiring the services of a professional TV calibrator would be worth it. I'm hesitating in particular as while I know the VT50 is very adjustable, I am not sure that the WT50 has the same level of picture control.
In short - do you think it would be worth a calibration? Any recommendations for the east London/Essex area. And any guidance as to how much I should be looking to pay?
Thank you all in advance for your help.
Bon weekend.
D.
That's a great recommendation...I use the basic patterns on the AVS disc just to set everything up first before I run a calibration. I bought my own gear since I have a projector which will drift so I spent a bit more than a single Pro visit on my own equipment that I can use again and again. Granted it's not as good as the gear they use (though mine is calibrated against a Pro reference annually anyway, so not that far out).
I believe for a single setting calibration you'd be looking at £250 or so, but at least with a TV they drift much more slowly (and any decent calibrator would likely do an occasional 'top up' calibration for much less anyway).
It just depends on what you're expecting: A calibration won't suddenly improve the blacks (unless they are completely wrongly set to start with) but might stop shadow detail being crushed and brighter scenes from looking 'flat' due to too low a gamma setting for example. It'll also make people's skin tones, grass and other colours appear as they were meant to (though animation will still look bright if it is meant to, so not just a question of dulling down the colours
).
I have to do a quick set up on any new TV I get as it just irritates me now, but I'm not so worried about secondary TVs like in my kitchen/conservatory, but since I have the gear I'lldo them properly at some point. Once you get used to a calibrated display it's hard to watch an obviously badly set up one.
I believe for a single setting calibration you'd be looking at £250 or so, but at least with a TV they drift much more slowly (and any decent calibrator would likely do an occasional 'top up' calibration for much less anyway).
It just depends on what you're expecting: A calibration won't suddenly improve the blacks (unless they are completely wrongly set to start with) but might stop shadow detail being crushed and brighter scenes from looking 'flat' due to too low a gamma setting for example. It'll also make people's skin tones, grass and other colours appear as they were meant to (though animation will still look bright if it is meant to, so not just a question of dulling down the colours
).I have to do a quick set up on any new TV I get as it just irritates me now, but I'm not so worried about secondary TVs like in my kitchen/conservatory, but since I have the gear I'lldo them properly at some point. Once you get used to a calibrated display it's hard to watch an obviously badly set up one.
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