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Considering a Best Buy Plasma TV calibration

ScottFern

ScottFern

Diamond Member
From what I can gather Best Buy/Geek Squad/Magnolia or whatever it's called is offering LCD/Plasma/DLP calibrations for TVs for $299. Much more palatable than the $380 some local guys were asking.

Now, my only thing is do these guys know what they are doing. Has anyone here know or had Best Buy calibrate a new TV? From what some of the guys over at AVSForum say is that they are most of the time decent ISF certified calibrators. I want to give them a chance but at the same time don't want to throw away $299.


 
No idea but I would really be interested in your experience. I would start by asking what equipment they use and what they actually do.
 
Originally posted by: Mike
I would strongly advise against it. You can do the same thing yourself with an ~hour of research.
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Links? I have yet to find anything simple enough to explain this to a calibration n00b.
 
I would only do it if the TV is worth thousands of dollars like a Kuro. Otherwise you can just go the cheap method and just pre-configured settings that you can find on the net.
 
Originally posted by: ChaoZ
I would only do it if the TV is worth thousands of dollars like a Kuro. Otherwise you can just go the cheap method and just pre-configured settings that you can find on the net.
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We are talking about a $2500 Panasonic 58" plasma, so its pretty big.
 
Ugh, do NOT pay them for that! You'll get the same, if not better, results by using the THX Optimizer found in many movies (Pixar movies especially). All that takes is a couple dollars for the specific glasses needed to calibrated it (needed for any sort of calibration, really). Instructions are super clear, too. You'll probably be satisfied with it, too

If you're lucky, someone on AVS forums will already have optimal calibration settings ready to go for you. If not, there's plenty of info to be found there or elsewhere online.

As said above, Avia is a good choice if you want advanced calibration. Honestly, it's not hard to do it on your own.

 
I would recommend pro-calibration if your hard core about image quality, but not through Best Buy. I've heard mixed things; from "outsourcing independent calibrators who know their stuff" to "giving a kid who got hired 2 weeks ago calibrations jobs with no training". You can get higher-tier sets (Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, Pioneer) to look pretty good out of the box using a calibration DVD, but it won't be good as pro-calibration. I've had 4 sets calibrated and definetly prefer the look of a pro-calibrated set; but as TV sets vary, it's hard to say how big a of a difference you see unless you actually get your set calibrated.
 
I got ISF certified calibration done on my HDTV, and it made a perceptible difference. I also got half off because he gives discounts to fellow employees at our company, so it only cost $150.

No, you can't do it yourself. He had a laptop and a few other pieces of equipment, and my DLP was well known to be far off standards out of the factory, so it was worth it for me. Check the AVS forum - see if your plasma generally comes close or not.

For my TV - it was pretty much necessary. Also worth it to extend bulb life. That's not really an issue with plasmas.
 
I just gotta say from an outsider looking in, $300 for a pro tv calibration sounds so expensive to me. Like honestly, the guys who charge to put in car audio don't take quite that and they are doing an honest few hours of work.

 
Originally posted by: Mike
I would strongly advise against it. You can do the same thing yourself with an ~hour of research.
Click to expand...
Maybe the same thing as a Best Buy guy, but not the same as a really good, experienced calibrator (like the ones *personally* recommended at AVSForum).

Tweak all the service menu options, know how they all interact, use the $$$ equipment to tune *your particular* set? (Not the "average" set or the "one guy who had his particular set done" settings you get from the forums -- though those are hugely valuable as a baseline.)

Good luck.

I'm sure *some* Best Buy guys are decent, but there's no way I'd spend $300 on that sort of crapshoot. $80 is nothing if you know you're getting someone good.
 
Originally posted by: TidusZ
I just gotta say from an outsider looking in, $300 for a pro tv calibration sounds so expensive to me. Like honestly, the guys who charge to put in car audio don't take quite that and they are doing an honest few hours of work.
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I had a guy calibrate one of my sets; he spent 5 hours taking color readings, fixing convergence, and using a tape measure as he adjusted the geometry, both by service menu adjustments and using magnets on the back of the TV. You don't think that's "honest work"?
 
There's some serious FUD in this thread.

You can't do it yourself, and you damn sure can't do as good or better (better!!???) with the THX optimizer on some dvd's.

The THX optimizer can get you much closer than out of the box. There's nothing wrong with using it, and it's certainly a step in the right direction to turn down the factory-blasted contrast on most tv's. I would use Avia or Digital Video Essentials. Either of those calibration discs will give you excellent results.

I generally do not think a professional calibration is worth it for most people. You can get 95% of the way there with calibration discs. Professional calibrations get you even better, but it's like Super Audio CD's - most people can't tell a difference, and among those who can, it's not generally worth the increased price.

I wouldn't risk paying $300 to Best Buy to do a calibration. They may well be certified, and many may be very good, but this is a professional service that I would want a highly reputable professional to perform. I wouldn't let the guys at Jiffylube rebuild my transmission, even though some of them might be outstanding mechanics.

 
Originally posted by: Rio Rebel
There's some serious FUD in this thread.

You can't do it yourself, and you damn sure can't do as good or better (better!!???) with the THX optimizer on some dvd's.

The THX optimizer can get you much closer than out of the box. There's nothing wrong with using it, and it's certainly a step in the right direction to turn down the factory-blasted contrast on most tv's. I would use Avia or Digital Video Essentials. Either of those calibration discs will give you excellent results.

I generally do not think a professional calibration is worth it for most people. You can get 95% of the way there with calibration discs. Professional calibrations get you even better, but it's like Super Audio CD's - most people can't tell a difference, and among those who can, it's not generally worth the increased price.

I wouldn't risk paying $300 to Best Buy to do a calibration. They may well be certified, and many may be very good, but this is a professional service that I would want a highly reputable professional to perform. I wouldn't let the guys at Jiffylube rebuild my transmission, even though some of them might be outstanding mechanics.
Click to expand...
Yes you can. You just have to have the right equipment and the willingness to learn how to do it yourself. I'm planning to calibrate my own set because it would be much more cost effective to do it myself. Also, ISF calibration is not a set it and forget it service. Later on down the line you'll have to recalibrate your set to keep it accurate. For me, I'm paying ~$800 for the equipment and software which will allow me to calibrate each input and resolution, and I can do it again it the future when I need it at no extra cost. If I were to get a calibrator out, it would cost me more than $800 to calibrate it the way it needs to be calibrated. And that is just one visit.

The next question is, is it worth it? For me, hell ya it is. It really depends on the type of TV you have though. ISF calibration is usually reserved for the people that take PQ seriously and buy a TV accordingly. For people with the "good enough" attitude, I really would not recommend it to them. Also take into consideration, ISF is about getting the most accurate picture which sometimes doesn't necessarily translate into a visually appealing picture for customers. Some people prefer an over saturated picture. A lot of calibrators have commented that customers set their TV back to their old settings after the calibrator leaves to get more of the POP back. Don't get me wrong, an ISF calibrated set can have plenty of POP, but compared to a TV set to dynamic mode the ISF mode could look dull compared to the crazy over saturated look of dynamic mode.

Anyway, I'd say ISF isn't for everyone. Most people would be happy with the settings right out of the box or just using a DVE disc. However, if you have a nice TV and want to get the most out of it, I'd highly recommend it. I wouldn't recommend BB though. I'd choose an ISF calibrator based on customer recommendations. And when I say "customer recommendations," make sure you talk to the right customers.
 
I cut the quote short. You can't do it yourself with nothing more than an hour of research. As you said, you can buy the equipment, get a guide for how to use it (as he did above on the AVS link), and then do it yourself.

The idea that ISF calibrations are a voodoo ripoff or that you can just do the same thing by sticking in anything with a greyscale pattern, is simply not true. That was what I was responding to.
 
question: when calibrating a TV, do the settings stick even after you unplug the tv?
that would suck if you lived in a place that lost power a lot.

or do you have to get it re-calibrating as the plasma phosphors age, or the backlight of lcd/dlp's start to dim?
 
Really? magnets on the back of the tv. This is voodoo magiks that I do not know. Perhaps there is more to tv calibration that had met my eye.
 
Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo
question: when calibrating a TV, do the settings stick even after you unplug the tv?
that would suck if you lived in a place that lost power a lot.

or do you have to get it re-calibrating as the plasma phosphors age, or the backlight of lcd/dlp's start to dim?
Click to expand...


I believe the settings stick even when the TV is off, however, in the event of a power outage where your entire house loses electricity then the user menu settings may get lost, but that's why you write them down. As far as I can see service menu options never change no matter if the power is lost of not.
 
Originally posted by: TidusZ
Really? magnets on the back of the tv. This is voodoo magiks that I do not know. Perhaps there is more to tv calibration that had met my eye.
Click to expand...

Flat screen CRTs (particuarly widescreen models) tend to have warping on the side of the screen so the image curves downward. Magnets placed on the back of the tube can help correct it sometimes, combined with making adjustments through the service menu. Flat planels don't have these geometry issues, so calibration isn't as useful for them as a CRT. I have two Sony 34xbr960s, generally considered the best consumer-level HD CRT, and in my case the overscan and geometry corrections alone were worth the calibration.

I believe the settings stick even when the TV is off, however, in the event of a power outage where your entire house loses electricity then the user menu settings may get lost, but that's why you write them down. As far as I can see service menu options never change no matter if the power is lost of not.
Click to expand...
That is correct. However, watching the TV over the course of a couple of years can make the colors drift a bit due to usage, so you may want another calibration 2-3 years down the road. With CRTs, if they get moved and knocked around, sometimes they will need to get the geomertry re-adjusted.
 
Originally posted by: Shadowknight
Originally posted by: TidusZ
Really? magnets on the back of the tv. This is voodoo magiks that I do not know. Perhaps there is more to tv calibration that had met my eye.
Click to expand...

Flat screen CRTs (particuarly widescreen models) tend to have warping on the side of the screen so the image curves downward. Magnets placed on the back of the tube can help correct it sometimes, combined with making adjustments through the service menu. Flat planels don't have these geometry issues, so calibration isn't as useful for them as a CRT. I have two Sony 34xbr960s, generally considered the best consumer-level HD CRT, and in my case the overscan and geometry corrections alone were worth the calibration.

I believe the settings stick even when the TV is off, however, in the event of a power outage where your entire house loses electricity then the user menu settings may get lost, but that's why you write them down. As far as I can see service menu options never change no matter if the power is lost of not.
Click to expand...
That is correct. However, watching the TV over the course of a couple of years can make the colors drift a bit due to usage, so you may want another calibration 2-3 years down the road. With CRTs, if they get moved and knocked around, sometimes they will need to get the geomertry re-adjusted.
Click to expand...

That's why I bought a EyeOne for myself. I can calibrate the plasma whenever I feel the need for an adjustment.

 
Originally posted by: ScottFern
That's why I bought a EyeOne for myself. I can calibrate the plasma whenever I feel the need for an adjustment.
Click to expand...

It depends on what type of plasma you have. The LT is not recommended for the Pioneer Kuros and most likely won't be that great for the new Panasonic plasmas due to the very low black levels these sets can produce. The EyeOne Pro is the recommended tool for the job.
 
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