HD TV Calibration

MagicToaster

My dad really enjoys his HD TV and Blu Ray, I mean... seriously, he's always reading TV specs and pausing movies to watch the details. He's a tech savy kinda guy. I thought about getting him a HD TV Calibrator as a gift, but I don't know how well they work.

Have any of you ever used Joe Kane's Calibrator? I'm a bit skeptical as to how well it might work seeing as I've heard how computer monitor calibrators at times make your monitor lean into unwanted hues. Though, computer monitor calibrators are automated with software, I understand that this HD calibrator is somewhat manual.

Anyone?

RUNN1NGMAN

The DVE disc is basically the standard that everyone uses for calibration. However, it's color calibration can be somewhat lacking. You just get some colored filters to look at test images through, and it doesn't really touch on color temperature or anything like that. Accurate color calibration is just something that requires a lot more equipment than what you're going to get with a calibration disc. Not to mention most HD displays do a horrible job of displaying accurate colors and many are actually impossible to fully calibrate.

However, for calibrating brightness and contrast, as well as anything else he needs to do, DVE is the disc to have. It's got a lot of test images (most of which I've never used) and does a good job of explaining what you are actually doing as you calibrate your display.

MagicToaster

In the end, would you recomend this product?

Improvolone

A professional calibration, though more expensive, will change aspects of the TV in hidden menus that you can't access.

RUNN1NGMAN

MagicToaster wrote: »

In the end, would you recomend this product?

Yeah, I would. It's invaluable for calibrating your TVs settings to ensure that you aren't crushing blacks, and also helps you get the colors as close as they can be. The explanations on the disc are also very helpful, and it explains some the technology well (like, what you're actually adjusting when you adjust the brightness or the color settings). It's the best option unless you are willing to invest in lots of expensive calibration equipment or hire someone to do it for you. Just the test patterns are worth the price of the disc.

The weak point is defintely the color calibration, partly because there's only so much you can do with just a test image and a plastic filter and also because color calibration on a digital TV is so hard in the first place.

Gihgehls

The DVE disc is great, but a little hard to use (I used the hd-dvd version which had all the instructions on the dvd side and all the test patterns on the hd side = pain in the ass) but it still works because the color filters are good. The worst part of the DVE disc is that it goes on for about 20x longer than it needs to because it tries to teach you the whole history of television and signal transmission and why things are the way they are etc etc. It really just needs to say "do this and adjust these until it looks like this." It took me about an hour to calibrate the first set and then about 20 minutes after I understood what it wanted me to do.

Edit: basically don't get any calibration disc unless it comes with filters. They are the only way to be sure that your set is accurate and not just tuned to itself.

MagicToaster

Coo, thanks dudes!

RUNN1NGMAN

Gihgehls wrote: »

The DVE disc is great, but a little hard to use (I used the hd-dvd version which had all the instructions on the dvd side and all the test patterns on the hd side = pain in the ass) but it still works because the color filters are good. The worst part of the DVE disc is that it goes on for about 20x longer than it needs to because it tries to teach you the whole history of television and signal transmission and why things are the way they are etc etc. It really just needs to say "do this and adjust these until it looks like this." It took me about an hour to calibrate the first set and then about 20 minutes after I understood what it wanted me to do.

Edit: basically don't get any calibration disc unless it comes with filters. They are the only way to be sure that your set is accurate and not just tuned to itself.

I think they made the DVE Essentials discs a lot less complicated than the original DVE. I agree the original DVE was ridiculously confusing until you got a handle on all the menus.

firewaterword

MagicToaster wrote: »

In the end, would you recomend this product?

For what it's worth, when I used it I rented it from Netflix. It was pretty over the top though, and I'm sure I didn't get as much out of it as I could have. I assume it's still available from them, so I'd suggest a cheap, 1 month subscription over actually buying it.

MagicToaster

Ah, thanks for the suggestion! But it's a present for my dad, so I think I'm gonna buy it.