Calibrating a new DLP TV

[spidey07]

has the price gone down?

If you can get a full cal (all inputs, grayscale/geometry/gamma/color included) for that price then that's a pretty good deal.

 

[Excelsior]

http://www.hdtvbychadb.com/crtrptv.htm

An ISF calibrator who is very well respected on the avsforums.

Edit: CRT is cheaper by a decent amount too. I personally think it is a great deal. If you are going to invest ~1000 or more into a TV, and you plan on having it for a "long" time, it would make sense to have such a calibration done.

 

[Raincity]

Originally posted by: Excelsior
http://www.hdtvbychadb.com/crtrptv.htm

An ISF calibrator who is very well respected on the avsforums.

Edit: CRT is cheaper by a decent amount too. I personally think it is a great deal. If you are going to invest ~1000 or more into a TV, and you plan on having it for a "long" time, it would make sense to have such a calibration done.

The standard ISF charge is around $400 plus travel expense for a LCD/DLP/Plasma calibration.

 

[Mani]

If you go the ISF route, make absolutely sure you get someone who knows what they are doing. Lot of these guys running around who do not really understand the fundamentals of color, the frontend processing of digital TVs, or proper use of calibration equipment. You will also need to make sure that the calibrator has the factory codes to unveil the factory adjustments for your TV and more importantly, understands what they do (this is rare).

Getting a cheap Avia DVD and running the straightforward tests on it will do 95% of what an ISF calibrator will do for a fraction of the cost. I develop TVs for a living and know what ISF calibrators do. Safe to say they are usually not worth the expense.

 

[BillyBatson]

i would just plug the tv in and go =\ maybe change some options in the menu but def not looking anything up on forums... who says those are the settings you should use? what one person considered the ebst contrast, or color/tint isn't true for the next person

 

[DnetMHZ]

Another question:

Should there be any difference picture wise with a Cable Card versus an HD cable box?

 

[Mani]

Wouldn't recommend cablecard. In most implementations, there is no Electronic Program Guide. So for Digital Cable/TV you will not be able to browse through the channel listing.

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: DnetMHZ
I'm a noob to the whole HDTV thing. I'll be getting a new DLP TV in the next few weeks and I have a few questions.

1. Is it necessary with every TV?

It isnt *necessary*, but it makes a huge difference.

2. What all is involved?

Either using one of the DVDs and setting the users controls (which will get you very far) or calling a professional. I HIGHLY recommend AVIA over all of the rest. The only other equip you will need is a sound level meter if you have a home theater to calibrate while youre at it.

3. Can I do it myself?

You can do just about everything but the grayscale yourself. You don't need to worry about focus or convergence on a DLP.

4. Should I call a pro / what is the cost?

I personally wouldnt. You can get 90% there without the pro if you do the user controls properly. If you absolutely MUST have it look as good as it possibly can, you can call a pro, but Id rather spend the extra $400 on a bigger/better set.