Best way to calibrate TVs??

[Big Worm 1]

I've got 2 TVs that i want to calibrate as they are still using the default settings. The 2 TVs i have are -

Sony KDL40HX703
Panasonic 50ST30B

I can't really find anything online with regards to the calibration of the Sony, and only found 1 American site that listed some settings for the Panasonic.

Does anyone have experience of these TVs and can recommend the best settings? Or can anyone advise the best way to go about calibrating these?

Thanks

[clived]

Plopping in someone else's settings isn't calibrating your set.

Get a pro in if you're serious about it. If not, buy a calibration CD and just mess around endlessly till you're almost, but not quite happy.

[Trustmeimadoctor]

you need them done by an isf member really

either that or do a simple one with a spiers and munsil calibration bluray

[Hoover.]

Just stick the Panny into THX mode, I'm more then happy with the pic on that..... I've got a Spyder and calibrated mine using that, and the picture was terrible in comparison to THX mode

[Big Worm 1]

Hoover. said:

Just stick the Panny into THX mode, I'm more then happy with the pic on that..... I've got a Spyder and calibrated mine using that, and the picture was terrible in comparison to THX mode

Unfortunately the 50ST30 doesn't have a THX mode. I was looking online last night, and it would appear that the only calibration i can do is with the brightness and contrast.

With regards to the Sony, i seem to recall reading something a while ago that claimed when the TV is in theatre mode, it's as good as it would be if it were calibrated properly.

[Trustmeimadoctor]

Big Worm 1 said:

Unfortunately the 50ST30 doesn't have a THX mode. I was looking online last night, and it would appear that the only calibration i can do is with the brightness and contrast.

With regards to the Sony, i seem to recall reading something a while ago that claimed when the TV is in theatre mode, it's as good as it would be if it were calibrated properly.

no its not every panel is different each one needs properly setting up the isf/thx option may be a decent compromise but its never going to be perfect

[rhinochopig]

Hoover. said:

Just stick the Panny into THX mode, I'm more then happy with the pic on that..... I've got a Spyder and calibrated mine using that, and the picture was terrible in comparison to THX mode

I don't like the THX mode I have to say. I find it washes out the colour too much and the blacks are a little grey looking. I'm much happier with the standard picture fiddled with based on the THX set-up thingy on the Star Wars DVD. The blacks look blacker and the colours are more vibrant.

[FlossyThePig]

Big Worm 1 said:

I've got 2 TVs that i want to calibrate as they are still using the default settings.

What are you trying to fix by calibrating? Are you happy with the current picture?

If it's not broken don't mend it. Tinkerers never stop tinkering.

[croyde]

Have to agree with the above about THX mode. Engage it and it is all too dark. I'm much happier with my own bungled set up

[Big Worm 1]

FlossyThePig said:

Big Worm 1 said:

I've got 2 TVs that i want to calibrate as they are still using the default settings.

What are you trying to fix by calibrating? Are you happy with the current picture?

If it's not broken don't mend it. Tinkerers never stop tinkering.

I'm not trying to fix anything. I had read that the Panasonic especially, needed calibrating to fully appreciate it. The out of the box settings are supposedly nowhere near as good as it can be.

[Trustmeimadoctor]

to get them near you need the isf calibration either get a pro in or you need this http://store.spectracal.com/consumer/calibration-p...

or this one just for panasonics
http://store.spectracal.com/consumer/calibration-p...

[OldSkoolRS]

Trustmeimadoctor said:

to get them near you need the isf calibration either get a pro in or you need this http://store.spectracal.com/consumer/calibration-p...

or this one just for panasonics
http://store.spectracal.com/consumer/calibration-p...

I used an i1LT (older more basic model) with Chromapure to calibrate TVs and my projector. The results were better than the default settings (especially on the Sony TVs). The only issue is that the sensor will tend to drift over time so you are calibrating to the wrong standard...I rented a brand new certified i1Pro (which is about £650 on it's own) and found that my existing 2 year old sensor was off by a significant margin (dE of 12 for those that understand these things, more than 3dE is detectable by eye ). FWIW one of my newer Sony TVs (a 32" LED backlit model) was pretty close in Theatre mode (using the i1Pro), which might be what the above poster was refering to as I've posted this before.


IMHO unless you buy a cheap sensor to learn how to do it, then rent (or buy) a more expensive model, then you might as well get an ISF guy in. TVs as much more stable compared to projectors, though if you measure it the very next day I'll put money on it that you'll get different results.

For projectors it's a bit harder as they drift so quickly due to lamp aging (which tends to decrease the red content more than the green and blue, which puts the colour temperature off. I'm looking at getting the newer sensor as per the link above, but to use with Chromapure, just to keep my projector in check.

I think that once you get the greyscale close, in some ways it's more important to get the gamma response correct and flat. Funny thing is that even my old i1LT can measure gamma accurately, so it has some use.

If you don't want to get into 'proper' calibration, I'd highly recommend just downloading the free AVS HD709 disc and set up your contrast and brightness properly using it's excellent 'basic patterns' section. The important thing then is once you've done this, resist the temptation to keep fiddling...some films do have a raised black level and some TV broadcasts do look a bit washed out, but no need to keep changing settings once you've set them.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=94...

Burn it to a blank DVD disc in AVC HD format and most BluRay players will be able to play it back as if it were a 'mini' BluRay.

[Mark.]

Big Worm 1 said:

FlossyThePig said:

Big Worm 1 said:

I've got 2 TVs that i want to calibrate as they are still using the default settings.

What are you trying to fix by calibrating? Are you happy with the current picture?

If it's not broken don't mend it. Tinkerers never stop tinkering.

I'm not trying to fix anything. I had read that the Panasonic especially, needed calibrating to fully appreciate it. The out of the box settings are supposedly nowhere near as good as it can be.

We have the Panasonic plasma, and I've found after a couple of bottles of decent red it's perfectly calibrated, so much so I can't see the st that is on

[croyde]

Mark. said:

We have the Panasonic plasma, and I've found after a couple of bottles of decent red it's perfectly calibrated, so much so I can't see the st that is on