Customer Reports About Their Professional Calibrations [Text View] - Page 3

3no

09-29-10, 07:15 AM

Chad stopped in Atlanta on a SE tour last week and did a video calibration of my HT. My primary video path is:
- Sony S470 BD Player
- Anthem D2 AVP
- JVC RS-25 projector (same as HD950)
- Prismasonic anamorphic lens
- Da-Lite High Power 141"x60" screen - 153" diagonal
in a total light-controlled dedicated HT room.

Having had several ISF calibrations over the last 10 years (each by a different calibrator), I must say that Chad did the most thorough calibration that I have experienced. His equipment setup was first rate, with a tripod-mounted EyeOne Pro sensor feeding his laptop, the laptop controlling his signal generator video source and the laptop simultaneously modifying the PJ's calibration settings via RS-232.

I'll skip all the steps that he went thru and go straight to results. Two huge visible improvements:
- awesome blacks: deep, inky blacks without loss of shadow detail
- smooth colors: pre-calibration I had gamma compression that caused what should have been a gradual color change to show as one area of a single color, e.g. a pancake makeup look to faces.
Measured improvements:
- RGB level tracking from +5/-6 to */-1,5
- gamma from 1.87 avg with a dip to 1.5 at 90 to 2.27 so flat I can't make out the variance
- DeltaE from 3.6 to 0.4
- color temp from 6560 to 6500 (pretty good for out-of-the-box)

I've read reports of calibration drastically reducing light level, but in my case the level went down only 13% from 31fL pre-cal to 27fL post-cal (iris full open pre/post).

In addition to the calibration on my HDMI path, Chad also tweaked and verified the component video input to the D2 (always HDMI from D2 to PJ) as I use that for cable TV to eliminate HDMI resync on channel switching.

The projector was new with only 80 hours on the bulb so Chad did two separate calibrations (the JVC only stores two pro calibration setups):
- 17fL with the PJ's iris stopped down (the JVC has a fixed iris, not dynamic) to reduce the viewed light level to 16-18fL target range
- 27fL with the iris all the way open, for use with 2.35 material (widescreen stretch from the Prismasonic spreads the PJs light over a larger area and reduces reflected light level by 25%). I can also switch to this setup as the bulb ages and dims. Or for sports.

In summary, Chad did a terrific job and his rates are very competitive (no travel charges either). I intend to ask him back for a touch-up at ~1000 hours on the bulb.

You can check Chad out at hdtvbychadb.com (http://www.hdtvbychadb.com).

htwaits

09-29-10, 05:19 PM

Falcons023

09-30-10, 03:30 PM

Finally I got my 3 month old LG 60PK550 calibrated by Chad B this past Friday 24th September. I am pretty new to this audiophile and videophile world. I've been watching HD for over 3 years on my 3yrs old 46” Panasonic. I have always known that my video can be much better than what I get on my Panasonic…but never took that next step into Calibration world. I have seen some nice calibrated Pioneers and Runco plasma’s in boutique Home Theatre Stores.

When I decided to upgrade my Plasma from 46” to 60” or more…I wanted to give a shot on calibrating my display. I was very skeptical to spend an extra $400 (Approx). So I went looking for user reviews to see what other people were saying about their calibrated displays in AVS Forums. After reading AVS Forums on display calibration for 2 months…I came away that most people were very happy with their displays after calibration and some got burned because they went with someone from Best Buy and other big retailers. Bottom line is… if you don't care about getting the most out of your display and are happy with what you see now, then it's probably not right for you. If you want to make sure you get the best out of it, then I think it's worth considering.

As I was researching…I bumped into Chad B’s TV rankings and all his reviews on different displays he calibrated. After reading great reviews from him and the users alike…i have changed my plasma from 65V10 to 60PK550 and decided to use the rest of money on calibration and upgrade my HT setup.

Finally, the D-Day arrived when I bought my 60PK550. The display was very good in Cinema mode right out of the box for my untrained eye. It was better than my old Panasonic for sure except on screens with lot of white. I started running break-in slides for 1st 200hrs with regular TV watching during the evenings. Initially there was IR after playing games and watching widescreen movies. As the number of hours increased…IR reduced. Now, I don’t see any IR at all even after I play Demon’s Souls for 4 hrs. Some people here on AVS had bad sets…fortunately, mine was trouble-free from dead pixels, flickering or any kind of buzz. Chad B confirmed that my display is normal without any issues. :D

Since I have bought this display based on Chad’s TV rankings…I decided to get it calibrated by him. I got an appointment from him for Sept 24th 6pm. He arrived 5 mins early and started setting up his equipment. He was very professional and jovial in nature. He asked couple of questions on my viewing habits and the system itself.

Falcons023

09-30-10, 03:31 PM

Chad suggested doing only one mode (ISF Expert1 Day) for day since there won’t be a big difference between day and night modes. He turned on the TV and his initial thoughts were that my display is pushing more green and blue. His chart before calibration proves it as well. My gamma was way off at 1.96 & Delta was 11.3 and color temperature was 7571 which should be around 6500. Delta should be below 3 and gamma should be between 2.2-2.5. From the numbers above, you can tell that my display was way off from where it should be to get the best picture out of it.

So he started working on calibrating my plasma for Comcast cable first and then for other inputs. He took couple of passes on 20 point IRE and I saw all the above parameters were closing in on the target values. After spending close to 4hrs…he was happy to see the numbers on his equipment. He decided to see it for himself on the display, so he decided to see some of his demo material that he is very well aware off…the display was awesome. I was able to see the true color and depth in the image that my PK550 produced. There was lot of pop in color and the faces were true instead of a reddish/pinkish finish.

He then changed some settings on my PS3 and Denon 5-dvd changer. He tested his demo material again to make sure all inputs display true image. He then asked me to play some of my movies to see the difference myself in material that I watch often.

Since I am a sports guy…I have instantly turned on ESPN HD and NFL HD to see the picture. The picture was awesome…I can’t even explain. Simply fantastic!!! I then switched to Bluray…Star Trek and watched young James T Kirk driving his car into abyss. Not the right scene to test it but the depth and clarity was visible. My main concern was my downloaded movies which are worse than our regular SD content from cable. I use my PS3 to play these AVI and MPEG files. Fortunately they also got better. Sigh of relief.

At this point Chad was ready to leave! He did a fantastic job and was very eager to answer any questions that I had. I would recommend his services to anybody who would like to get their displays calibrated.

After, Chad left…I decided to test my display more looking for details and clarity. So I started playing Demon’s Souls, went into dungeons and instantly saw all the details in shadows and dark places. It used to be all dark and no detail at all…now I see the enemies and the dark shadows and rocks behind them. The blacks are much better than before. Blacks are more like dark gray for me before & now they are like black and I can definitely see the contrast better between blacks and other colors. If anybody is interested he got 0.017 for my blacks. His reference for this display was 0.013.
Then, I went with bluray movies…played cars, Wall-E and Band of Brothers. I can definitely see a lot of clarity and depth in colors. I was very happy that I decided to get my plasma calibrated.

htwaits

09-30-10, 07:05 PM

Finally I got my 3 month old LG 60PK550 calibrated by Chad B this past Friday 24th September.Thanks for your calibration report. I've included it in the flat panel (Post#2) list that's linked at the bottom of my post.

Falcons023

09-30-10, 07:46 PM

Thanks for your calibration report. I've included it in the flat panel (Post#2) list that's linked at the bottom of my post.

Thanks a lot for putting this thread together and keep it going for a long time. Appreciate all the work you do!!! :D:D:D

htwaits

09-30-10, 11:26 PM

Thanks a lot for putting this thread together and keep it going for a long time. Appreciate all the work you do!!! :D:D:DYou're welcome. :)

SierraMikeBravo

10-09-10, 10:29 AM

Htwaits,

Please post this review I recently had for a Panasonic VT25. Thanks!

65VT25 Calibration by Shawn Byrne from Sound Advice

Last Saturday Oct. 2nd I had the privilege of having Shawn Byrne come to my house to calibrate my 65VT25. He also did a touch up on my Elite Pro 151 which had been calibrated previously.
Shawn arrived on time and ready to go to work. He started with the 151 because the Panny is in a very bright room and we wanted to wait until sundown to calibrate.
Shawn explained what he was doing along the way and answered the million questions that I had throughout the calibration. (I pretend to know something about TVs and calibrations). He was not annoyed at my constantly looking over his shoulder and seeing what was going on on the computer screen.
The results on the Pro 151 were spectacular as expected.
After a short dinner break He moved on to the Panny. I was anxious to see what kind of results could be achieved with this set. As I've mentioned on here before the ISF calibration on the Pro 151 that I had done a year ago rendered spectacular results and I was really hoping for the same with the Panny.
Well, expectations fulfilled, results delivered. This baby rocks.
Shawn calibrated ISF day and THX on all of the inputs that I requested. Not a small task as I have DirecTv, Cable, PS3, BluRay, WII, VCR, and a BOSE surround system (Yea, I know, it was bought a long time ago) which I use for outdoor audio but it is connected to the Panny.
Shawn spent a total of about 8 hours calibration my sets.
I know I'll get flamed to death on this one but I "personally" prefer the picture on the Panny now as compared to the Pro 151.
If you have never has a set calibrated you don't know what you are missing. Money well spent. If you can get Shawn to do your calibration you won't regret it.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=19311590&postcount=7235

htwaits

10-09-10, 01:12 PM

Htwaits,

Please post this review I recently had for a Panasonic VT25. Thanks!

65VT25 Calibration by Shawn Byrne from Sound AdviceDone. :)

CHASLS2

10-09-10, 02:33 PM

Dnice did a cal on my 5020 Kuro today. Seems a few things were off from the factory. Dnice did a great job and made a great display even better. Foud out i had around 1700 hours on the set as i bought it as a demo. I have had the set 11 months so i was happy about the low hours. Once i spend some time with the set i will give you guys a update.

htwaits

10-10-10, 01:56 AM

Dnice did a cal on my 5020 Kuro today.It would be a big help to the calibrator and other owner's if you could post your impressions in the owner's thread for your model.

The Official Pioneer 9G non-Elite KURO Owner's Discussion Thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=19314184&posted=1#post19314184)

Cal68

11-05-10, 01:40 PM

Jeff Meier came over last month to calibrate both the audio and the video in my basement home theater (JVC-RS20 projector, B&K pre-pro and amp, B&W Nautilus speakers) as well as in my family room (50" Pioneer Kuro plasma, Denon AVR, oldish KEF speakers). He noticed that there was some purple fringing around the edge of the image projected by the JVC RS20, so he decided not to calibrate it until after I got the problem fixed. But that meant that he had more time to optimize the audio in my home theater and the results are phenomenal. He must have spent 2+ hours just tweaking the audion using a variety of speciality discs and the difference between the before and after is unmistakable. Following Jeff's advice, I've sent off the projector to JVC for repairs, and Jeff will be back sometime next year to calibrate it. In my family room, we had the opposite problem! Jeff did a fantastic job calibrating the Pioneer, but could not calibrate the audio because one of my surround speakers had blown a driver. I've replaced it now, and Jeff will calibrate the audio the next time he comes out to the Washington DC area.

I found Jeff to be extremely knowlegeble, very professional and a real gentleman. He has every kind of gadget that is necessary to get the best out of one's A/V system. I will certainly book a time slot with him the next time he tours my neighborhood, and I highly recommend him to anyone who is looking for a very experienced professional to calibrate their home theater.

Cal68

htwaits

11-05-10, 04:27 PM

Jeff Meier (UMR at AVS) came over last month to calibrate both the audio and the video in my basement home theater (JVC-RS20 projector, B&K pre-pro and amp, B&W Nautilus speakers) as well as in my family room (50" Pioneer Kuro plasma, Denon AVR, oldish KEF speakers).Thanks for your calibration report. I've included it at "Part I" in the front projection (Post#1) list that's linked at the bottom of my post.

If you will indicate which model Kuro you have, I'll post a link in that list too. :)

nescosmo

11-07-10, 08:00 PM

Johnla

11-08-10, 02:43 AM

Thanks to all the Calibrators but what about price.
ball park, no excuse.

If you want prices. Then you best actually contact the individual calibrators in question, or at least the ones you are considering for having it done. Except for only a few certain threads where it's allowed, pricing is generally frowned upon in the forums here, and in some cases it's even against forum rules. Not to mention, asking for anything like submitting what the actual pricing is in something like having a calibration done, is the last thing that is probably needed in this thread, and is what many might even consider to be attempt to try start all the various calibrators to try and out bid each other for the lowest cost. Many of the calibrators mentioned, also have their own website either that they link to, or at least mention their website in a way that you can easily find it. Visit their websites, as usually all their different levels of available services and calibration options and prices are listed on their websites.

airscapes

11-08-10, 06:25 AM

Thanks to all the Calibrators but what about price.
ball park, no excuse.

Thanks.

I am not a calibrator but have paid to have it done. It takes 3-5 hours once the person enters your house and that is to do Video only (no audio). They have a large trunk of equipment with them which I sure would not want to drag around the country! If the person does this for a living, his meter probably cost 5-10 thousand Dollars plus the software and signal source hardware. To do this for a living you need to be experienced and know what you are doing. How much do you think someone with thousands of dollars of equipment and years of experience would charge per hour? How much would you charge for an hour of your time and the use of your equipment and knowledge? You probably need to read the sticky posts at the top of this forum to understand what is involved and then if you are interested in having a display calibrated call some pros in your area to get a quot.

umr

11-08-10, 07:22 AM

Thanks to all the Calibrators but what about price.
ball park, no excuse.
I have a Mitsubishi 75" Laservue and I am in Florida (Orlando) what will be the price for the Calibration.
I do not what to have blow joe to give me his price and then the others back out; I what all of you Calibrator to tell me how much and tell me why and what you use to drive the cost to that level. Please like to know but that does not means that I will do it tomorrow but I will do it sometime soon.

Thanks.

My pricing is at www.accucalhd.com/pricing.htm. My video tools are at www.accucalhd.com/services.htm. A laser based set is very difficult to measure because of monochromatic light. Only use someone with a spectrophotometer with a 5 nm bandwidth or less. Mitsubishi DLP units are also very difficult to get good results from because of color management system errors.

nescosmo

11-08-10, 06:49 PM

I thanks Umr for been so kind and send me his prices and what hi use.

Johnla and Aircapes you guys thinks that we are in Cuba or in the old soviet Union.
You do not have to tell me all of that, All I ask was ball park nothing else; If the calibrators like Umr send me their prices then I can choose; I f one of you guys send me what it cost you then ok. That does not means that it will cost me that amount.
We do not live in a secret social government or AVS forum.

htwaits

11-08-10, 10:39 PM

You do not have to tell me all of that, All I ask was ball park nothing else; You can get information from professional calibrators in this thread.

ISF Calibrators, where are you located? Please post here! (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=19456583#post19456583)

The thread you are in now is intended for posting links to owner's reports giving their impressions about the calibrations that they have purchased. Links to those reports are located in the first two posts of this thread. The lists are a good way to identify calibrators that you might be interested in contacting. Actual contact should be made in the link above or by using their AVS user name to send a personal message.

cjbonacci

11-08-10, 11:20 PM

D-Nice calibrated my Pioneer PDP-4280HD this past weekend and the results, as expected given his stellar reputation, were excellent.

Just a bit of background...I work as a television technical director and consider myself pretty demanding in regards to image quality.

I would like to point out a couple of things, though.

First, he is an excellent service provider, professional polite and most importantly, an overall true gentleman.

Second, he has the ability to look beyond the meter and the resulting numbers, charts, and graphs, and use his experience, knowledge and artistic abilities to achieve an outstanding image given the limitations of a display. What I mean is he has the skill, knowledge and eye to make decisions on how to minimize the weaknesses of a display and maximize its strengths and as a result, eke out the best possible performance.

This, I believe, is where the "art" of calibration lies and where he truly excels. I feel it is this rare ability to combine the technical with the artistic that makes him a master of his craft.

htwaits

11-15-10, 04:15 PM

D-Nice calibrated my Pioneer PDP-4280HD this past weekend and the results, as expected given his stellar reputation, were excellent. Thanks for your calibration report. I've added it to the list for 8G non-Elite Pioneer displays (Post#2). If that's not correct, let me know.

Joey O

11-19-10, 03:48 PM

I just posted a shout-out to Greg Erianne (Connecticut THX Certified Calibrator) in the thread: Official KDL..EX500/501.

He calibrated my Sony 46EX500 HDTV and I'm very satisfied....

hannah1997

11-20-10, 03:41 PM

Hello....I just want to comment on Michael Osadciw who calibrated my Sharp 46" LC-C46700UN LED TV today. Michael is the owner of "The Highest Fidelity" and is THX certified for professional video calibration and ISF certified.

Let me start off by saying, I do not know a darn thing about the latest in audio and video technology. I am behind the times. Because of this, I figured I would never have the patience to figure out how to adjust any TV or, know anything about them. That is why I decided to try Michael.

There are no words to describe how the TV looks after the calibration compared to how it looked before the calibration. Michael is amazing and was at my home for 5-hours. Not only did he have the latest equipment and software to calibrate my TV with precision, he was like a teacher and explained every little thing to me that he was doing, why he was doing it, and what the end result would be. It was like being in school and being taught an interesting lesson. It is amazing how much I learned.

Michael was a perfectionist and took his time. I could not believe what his equipment pointed out, how he made adjustments to gama, greyscale, blacks, etc. I could see the results on the TV screen and some of the flaws on the screen before he made his calibrations. I never knew there were so many things in the TV that could be adjusted. There is no way that any person can adjust their TV properly on their own without the test equipment, software and a professional that has the knowledge of these tools, and the inner workings of the TV itself. If you say that is untrue, I would have to say you are fooling yourself into thinking you are correct.

In any event, if anyone needs a true professional calibrator, I highly recommend Michael without any hesitation at all. His number is (905) 730-5996. If anyone has any other questions I might be able to answer, just send me a PM.

Dave

I have been tossing the idea around to have my TV calibrated when I buy it, I'm in Toronto and would never have known who to use, I talked to Michael this morning and he sounded very interested in what I had to say.

Reading this last post has assured me that if I invest in Michael's time I will be very pleased in the end result, I'm also very happy that this post has backed up what I felt about Michael after talking to him this morning, Michael has just earned my business.

I will post my comments after Michael does his thing with my TV, Thanks, Tom :)

htwaits

11-20-10, 10:57 PM

I will post my comments after Michael does his thing with my TV, Thanks, Tom :)When you get your display calibrated, it would be great if you posted your impressions in the owner's thread for that display. That way other owners will have a better chance to read your comments. If you let me know when and where you posted your report, I'll be sure to include it in the lists that are linked at the bottom of my post.

hannah1997

11-21-10, 11:51 AM

When you get your display calibrated, it would be great if you posted your impressions in the owner's thread for that display. That way other owners will have a better chance to read your comments. If you let me know when and where you posted your report, I'll be sure to include it in the lists that are linked at the bottom of my post.

I will be sure to do that, I'm going to pull the trigger on either the Samsung PN58C6440 which in Canada is a great display and an awesome picture or the new 60PX950 which after all said done comes to about $400 plus more and that can be my stand for the TV.

I'm not a 3D guy, I bought my daughter, ( Hannah ) a 46" LCD Samsung for the family room and she loves that for her Wii and blueray. I'm also not a gamer, I like movies, general TV and sports.

I have seen the 6400 in a friends home and the pic is awesome, I have also seen the PK950 in a friends home and it doesn't look any better than the 6400, once the TV is in my rec room I forget every other TV and enjoy what I have, I'm just having a hard time deciding which one, :confused:

But for sure when I get either one calibrated I will post the results so others can benefit, thanks, Tom:)

AVSBanff

12-01-10, 10:43 AM

I had my Samsung LN55C650 LCD flat panel TV calibrated by Greg Erianne of All High Def (allhighdef.com) of Watertown, CT. I had been a bit skeptical of what the calibration could accomplish, given the erratic quality of picture content from TV sources, whether delivered by cable or satellite or antenna. By that I mean the sometimes dramatic differences in lighting, hue, contrast etc from scene to scene even within the same show.

After having the set calibrated, I am convinced that it was well worth the very reasonable expense. As I now understand, having the set's picture tuned to a steady and accurate baseline for grayscale, white balance, gamma, custom color space etc greatly reduces my need to tweak settings while watching a show, a habit which has always driven my wife crazy.

Yes, I may still bump the backlighting up or down a bit, or adjust the tint to get the most natural-looking picture, but I find myself doing that much less than before, and most of the time I am delighted by how fine and true the picture looks "as is" and other than that occasional adjustment of lighting or hue, I can relax and leave all the other settings alone. Freed from obsessive tweaking and re-tweaking, I am now enjoying and appreciating this fine TV more than I ever expected to. Whether I'm watching TV or DVD the picture looks great all the time.

And Greg Erianne impressed me and my wife considerably with his professionalism and attention to detail. We do not take it lightly when inviting a new person into our home. Greg arrived at our house right on time, and was very pleasant and interesting to talk with. He then went straight to work, and about 4 hours later had completed a full calibration, complete with printed documentation of the before-and-after settings as well as a full "lab bench" report showing before and after results for RGB Balance, Gamma Point, Gamma Luminance, Color Temp, Gamut CIE and DeltaE 1994.

More important, to me, was what my eyes saw; I don't pretend to be as technically knowledgeable as many of the posters here, but I know what I like, and I really like the picture I'm seeing on my TV - I thought that I liked it already, but now I can see an undeniable improvement and stability.

One last thing: I'm a subscriber to Netflix streaming video over my home's wi-fi network, but had been greatly frustrated by an inability to adjust basic settings like color level or brightness when watching a Netflix movie. Greg set up both Day and Night versions of calibrated settings for when my TV is streaming Netflix movies, AND showed me how I can modify those settings as needed. I could not be a more satisfied customer, and would without hesitation recommend his services to anyone in Greg's service range, which I believe encompasses parts of Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey.

htwaits

12-01-10, 08:00 PM

I had my Samsung LN55C650 LCD flat panel TV calibrated by Greg Erianne of All High Def (allhighdef.com) of Watertown, CT. Does Greg have a user name here at AVS? I need that to include your report in the lists that are located in the first two posts.

Also, the best place to post reports about professional calibrations is in the owner's thread for the model display that's been calibrated. In your case that would be:

Official Samsung LNXXC630/C650 Owners Thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/search.php?searchid=16377188)

Enjoy.

AVSBanff

12-01-10, 10:51 PM

Hi htwaits. Greg Erianne's user name here in AVS is gerianne. I will also post my review to the official owner's thread for this model TV, as you suggest. Thanks for your help!

AVS Banff, aka Bob Bopp

htwaits

12-02-10, 12:01 AM

rdgrimes

12-15-10, 10:11 PM

turbe

12-16-10, 02:25 AM

Had my Panasonic 65VT25 calibrated today by Lee Gallagher. Lee was nice enough to fly in from Arizona to do only 2 jobs in Albuquerque. He spent nearly 6 hours working on my TV and as many hours talking and answering questions while he worked. The results are excellent and well worth the cost. Lee is highly recommended.

Thanks for your Report!

:D

htwaits

12-16-10, 03:10 AM

rdgrimes

12-16-10, 07:54 AM

If you can post your comments in the owner's thread for your display, I'll add a link to your report in the correct flat panel list (Post#2 of this thread).

Thanks

Done, thanks.

htwaits

12-16-10, 07:58 PM

Done, thanks. :)

Mr Bob

12-18-10, 06:56 PM

This was just posted at the Don't Dump Your CRT RPTV! thread -

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=19670799#post19670799

post #7698

RPTV Calibration by Mr. Bob

My first post but I wanted to let folks know what a great job Mr. Bob did in calibrating my seven year old Pioneer Elite Pro 630HD. I had it calibrated right after I bought it but have had nothing done to it since. The picture had gotten dark and muddy with poor shadow detail and colors were just so so. I was thinking of getting a plasma and giving this to the kids but I wanted to try to save a really great TV. Well, all I can say is WOW. I do not recall the picture looking this good even when new. These old CRT's can be great if property calibrated.

Since he left (actually since before he left) I have been reviewing scenes from my BD and HDDVD collection as well as HD satellite channels. The colors pop, it is really great in dark scenes with renewed shadow detail as well as improved convergence, focus and geometry. Everything looked absolutely great. No need for a new TV now.

OK, back to lurking and enjoying my new Pioneer RPTV

Mark

htwaits

12-18-10, 07:16 PM

RPTV Calibration by Mr. BobYour customer's report is now in the RPTV list located in post number 1 of this thread.

Mr Bob

01-02-11, 11:56 AM

Bill Philips just did a report on the success of my coaching him regarding the blue flash and intermittent problems on his Pioneer Elite 710, which applies to the 510/610/710 series of CRT Elites, the 532/582/642 series of non-Elites of the same model year, and a major number of the same units of the following model year as well.

It's post 2462 at this thread -

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=19749142&posted=1#post19749142

Mr Bob

thptrek

01-05-11, 03:01 PM

Dog Weil with Clearly Resolved calibrated my Panny 54VT25 today and he did a great job. He spend a lot of time explaining all the measurements and showing me the adjustments he was making and how they affected the screen's picture. He asked about my viewing, the inputs I used, etc. He also clearly explained how to use the different picture modes so I can understand which mode might be best for different viewing conditions.

Needless to say the results are awesome!. I highly would recommend Doug.

I will post in the Panny vt25 thread also.

htwaits

01-05-11, 03:47 PM

turbe

01-05-11, 03:48 PM

DroptheRemote

:D

htwaits

01-05-11, 03:52 PM

DroptheRemote

:DThanks. You're everywhere! :D

hannah1997

01-10-11, 05:29 PM

Hi...my name is Tom and would like to say a few words about the gentlemen that calibrated my PN58C6400 Samsung Plasma, his name is Michael Osadciw.

I made a call to Michael back in Dec/10 asking about his service's and from the 1st call he was professional and never once gave me the feeling I was doing him a favor by calling him.

We ended up making an appointment for the New Year and Michael gave me some advice on what setting to leave my TV on and what to do.

I was really on the fence about spending this kind of $$$$ as the PQ on the TV was outstanding as it was, well let me tell you that afterwards it was something else to see how the colors were suppose to look, they were warm, natual and the blacks were outstanding.

The other thing was the depth of the picture that just didn't seem to be there before, it was like the fish were going to swim right out of the TV, everything seemed so much more real....

Micheal took his time, almost 5 hrs and explain the reason for every step he took, it was a learning process for me. Micheal wasn't satisfied till he achieved 100% plus of what he thought was right to his eye, and had the equipment to guide him along the way and to point out the flaws that I had no idea were there.

Michael is ISF and THX certified and has been doing this for the better part of 10 ++ yrs.

I have never enjoyed watching TV as much as I do now, and it's a big thank you to Michael.

If anyone needs a professinal calibrator that has a passion for what he does I would highly recommend Michael, you can get ahold of Michael with this phone # ( 905 ) 730-5996, I have no problem in answering any questions someone might have regarding Michael through PM. Thanks again Michael, :)

TAdams

01-10-11, 09:05 PM

Had my 58VT25 calibrated Saturday by Craig Rounds. http://www.cir-engineering.com/
He updated the firmware before the calibration. He used Control Cal software. Newer updated software was just released for the VT25's. I can't say enough about the job he does. It looks amazing. This is the second HD set Craig has done for me. He did my old Mits 55857 back in 2006. I'm happy.:D

Mr Bob

01-14-11, 02:27 AM

This was just recently posted about my optics cleaning process and the difference it made on this owner's CRT RPTV:

Originally Posted by beazalbob69

Hi everyone. I had posted on this thread a couple weeks ago that I picked up a Mits 55" ws-55313 for 100$ (actually paid 25$ after selling my broken plasma ). Well I took the screen off to clean the mirror and lenses WOW were they dirty! 7 years and never cleaned. 1st the mirror. It was very dirty almost greasy. Took about 4 rounds of cleaning to get it streak free and perfectly clean. It is a glass mirror so I wasnt too worried. Next was the lenses. They were also very dusty and had a sticky feel to them. Cleaned them very carefully with Monster screen cleaner (which doesnt run as its a little bit thicker) and paper towels as Mr Bob recommends. Got the lenses wet to free up the dust and then just went from the back to the front rolling the paper towel towards me to get the major scum off. Then I just breathe hard on the lens to get a little fog and wiped it off with the paper towel. Not too hard and worked great.

Holy crap what a difference! This set actually looks better than my Panny Plasma that it replaced. I was amazed. If people knew that there TV's were just dirty and not old and worn out I bet they would'nt be getting rid of them so cheap and replacing them with something that has an inferior picture in most cases.

It's at this thread -

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=19825955#post19825955

Black2002ws6

01-17-11, 09:08 PM

I had my WD-73735 calibrated yesterday and I have to say I'm very very impressed with the results
I have had the TV for about a year and a half now and have never thought the HD looked as good as I thought it should. The whites were always washed out and the blacks way to black to the point you couldn't see any detail in dark scenes. I tried all the things you could do in the TV menu but nothing helped.
Sooooo I finally decided to find a calibrator to see what they could do.
Well I found a guy that doesn't live far from me and contacted him to see what he could do. Well I have to say that I am totally amazed))
I never knew an HD TV could look sooo good. The colors and detail are totally amazing. The whites are white with no silk screen look and the black are black and you can still see all the detail in dark scenes. And the depth of the picture is totally amazing. The picture almost looks 3D and I know what 3D looks like on it because I have all the equipment to watch 3D on the TV and have watched a few 3D movies on it. I haven't yet watched one since the calibration but can't wait too.

As far as the Calibrator I used I have to say I'm extremely impressed with him and his work.
He told me everything he was doing all the way through the process and why he was doing it and what it did.
He kept showing me on his laptop what he was doing and showing me the changes and what they did.
He switch back to the Fios input now and then to see how things look and I have to say each time I was impressed with the picture but he kept doing more and more adjustments. I was impressed looking at the picture after 3 hours but then he worked hours more because he knew it could be even better and he was right. When he was finally done I was totally blown away

So if anyone needs and excellent calibrator that tells you everything he's doing and why and you end up with a picture that you never even belived
your TV could produce you need to contact:

Don McLaughlin
http://www.pvcalibrations.com/

donnymac51

01-17-11, 09:16 PM

I had my WD-73735 calibrated yesterday and I have to say I'm very very impressed with the results........
So if anyone needs and excellent calibrator that tells you everything he's doing and why and you end up with a picture that you never even belived
your TV could produce you need to contact:

Don McLaughlin
http://www.pvcalibrations.com/

Thanks Carl. It was a pleasure working with you. I'm glad to have the opportunity to enhance your home theater viewing environment.

Don

dklanecky

01-19-11, 03:26 PM

This is a report on calibration service by HDTVbyChadB.com. I contacted Chad via e-mail on 1/1/2011 to have my relatively new Panasonic TC-P54VT25 calibrated as well as my 3 year old TH50PZ800U. I had never used any calibration service as I was convinced that I could get there myself (close enough) by following the instructions easily found on the internet (and on the specific model’s owner’s forum).

I followed dnice’s breakin slides for 120hours, and then went into the service menu on the VT25 and made all his adjustments. I thought it looked absolutely beautiful, although the 3D wasnot quite as special as I thought it would be. After a month of watching the VT25, I decided I wanted to try calibration and see what the difference really would be. I had not done anything to the TH50PZ800U at the time I bought it except turn it on and follow normal initial watching habits for the first month or so (full screen, no static images, etc).

Chad was scheduled to arrive at 10am, and arrived exactly on time. He is a very pleasant person, and easy to talk with as well. He explained what he was doing as he did it, showing the results all along the way. It was an enlightening experience (on the VT25), and the improvements are definitely obvious. It is brighter now on the daylight ISF setting at 51.105 FL, from 42.086 pre calibration. The night ISF is now perfect, FL is at 35.192. Skin tones are beautiful, and the blacks are just outstanding. What was beautiful is now simply gorgeous. The 3D is now stunning, and in my opinion, better than any other 3D demo pictures I have seen in any stores. Avatar in 3D is my new demo, and no one walks away without watching the whole thing !!!

The TH50PZ800U is another story. It was really bad, even to my eyes, and no amount of my adjusting settings seemed to make a significant difference. Chad worked his magic, and it now looks simply great! He was able to increase the FL output from 39.999 to 45.332,a significant and very noticeable increase in what was a pretty dim display. The colors are beautiful, and even the blacks are significantly better now (although no where near the VT25). It now looks much better to me than it ever has, and I only wish I hadn't spent the last 3 years watching it uncalibrated.

Bottom line, yes it’s expensive to have a TV (or 2) calibrated, but IMO, it’s definitely worth it. I highly recommend HDTVbyChadB.com, for calibration!

ThePrisoner

01-19-11, 04:47 PM

dklanecky,

I'm having Gregg Loewen of Lion AV calibrating my 50VT25 next week. I also have a 50PZ800U which I bought 2 years ago and never had it ISF calibrated. Now I'm thinking of it! :)

Gregg Loewen

01-19-11, 06:55 PM

I also have a 50PZ800U which I bought 2 years ago and never had it ISF calibrated

Just do it !! lol

ThePrisoner

01-19-11, 09:08 PM

Just do it !! lol

Lol! I just might have some extra cash next week Gregg!

ElwayLite

01-19-11, 09:50 PM

Prisoner, Gregg's done 3 Plasma calibrations for me (2 new and 1 touchup) as well as 1 LED LCD. You will be very happy, and be sure to ask a lot of questions.

ThePrisoner

01-20-11, 05:01 AM

Prisoner, Gregg's done 3 Plasma calibrations for me (2 new and 1 touchup) as well as 1 LED LCD. You will be very happy, and be sure to ask a lot of questions.

I most certainly will :)

htwaits

01-21-11, 01:44 PM

I had my WD-73735 calibrated yesterday and I have to say I'm very very impressed with the results
Thanks for your calibration report. I've included it in the rear projection (post#1) list that's linked at the bottom of my post.

htwaits

01-21-11, 02:02 PM

I contacted Chad via e-mail on 1/1/2011 to have my relatively new Panasonic TC-P54VT25 calibrated as well as my 3 year old TH50PZ800U.Thanks for your calibration report about your two Panasonic displays. I've included links to your reports in the flat panel (Post#2) list that's linked at the bottom of my post.

FloppySet

01-24-11, 10:23 AM

This past Friday evening, Jeff at Accucal (umr) worked his magic on two televisions and a surround sound system at my place in New Orleans.

First, he tackled the Panasonic 65VT25. He noticed right away on his initial test screens that the colors were highly unsaturated and biased towards green. Needless to say, he patiently tweaked his way through these issues and the result was absolutely stunning. Jeff worked this set to perfection, sharing past business experiences with me while explaining in as much detail as I desired the processes that he was performing.

Afterwards, he calibrated my audio system, which is a modest system in comparison to most I'm sure, a Pioneer VSX-1018 paired with Klipsch Quintet surround sound. The difference here was even more staggering than the beautiful picture he just willed from the Panny. My levels were all entirely off, and the challenging room environment with large entryways on 3 walls was no deterrent to an incredible turnaround. He also saved me the mistake of pursuing some other speakers that I was researching, particularly the Gallo Adiva series speakers I was considering, stating that my Klipsch setup was an upgrade over the Gallos. Thanks Jeff!

After finishing the audio, Jeff began to work on my Pioneer 5010. Unlike the Panny, this set was severely oversaturated, but again, Jeff worked efficiently and the reports confirm that the Pioneer does a marvelous job at achieving the correct gamma when fully calibrated.

Jeff spent about 6 hours on this work, and I would recommend him to anyone if you are lucky enough to have him touring your area.

Thanks Jeff for the incredible job well done.

Henry

umr

01-24-11, 12:03 PM

Thanks Henry. It was a pleasure bringing the best from your gear.

imdocjoe

01-24-11, 01:48 PM

Jeff with Accucal (umr) was at my place in Mobile last week and as usual did a fantastic job. This is actually his 3rd visit with me in about 3 years. First time, he calibrated my RS-1 and Atlantic Tech 370's in my theater room. Second time, he calibrated my upgraded projector, RS20. This time, he cleaned and tweaked the RS20 and calibrated my new Salk speakers.
Simply fantastic! Everything looks and sounds great. Well worth the money and would recommend him without reservation.
Thanks again Jeff!

Joe Amato

umr

01-24-11, 02:24 PM

htwaits

01-24-11, 04:04 PM

This past Friday evening, Jeff at Accucal (umr) worked his magic on two televisions and a surround sound system at my place in New Orleans.Thanks for your calibration reports. I've included them in the flat panel (Post#2) lists at the top of this thread.

htwaits

01-24-11, 04:10 PM

Jeff with Accucal (umr) was at my place in Mobile last week and as usual did a fantastic job. This is actually his 3rd visit with me in about 3 years.Thanks for your calibration report. I've included it in the front projection (Post#1) list at the top of this thread.

sle39lvr

01-25-11, 10:44 AM

I have a Panasonic TC-P50S2 Plasma, which is about a month old. Moving from a Sony rear-projection set, I was very unsatisfied with the picture quality, no matter how I messed around with the settings.

I contacted Don McLaughlin from PRECISION VIDEO CALIBRATIONS and set up an appointment. Meanwhile, he was very supportive of any question I had. I wanted someone fanatic about this as well as certified. He is THX certified.

His calibration took over 4 hours with my set. He took time making sure everything was to best of his ability. Most importantly, he made sure I am understanding what's happening at the time. He explained everything in great detail.

Not only my TV, he made sure my other components, such as Blue-Ray Player, are calibrated.

I am very satisfied with the calibration. Now my TV looks the way it should. Picture has great depth and colors are right on. Color casts, over-sturation, highlight blow-outs are gone!

Don did a great job and I recommend him highly!

donnymac51

01-25-11, 11:11 AM

htwaits

01-25-11, 10:18 PM

I contacted Don McLaughlin from PRECISION VIDEO CALIBRATIONS and set up an appointment. Thanks for your calibration report. I've added it to the flat panel (Post#2) lists in this thread.

Mr Bob

01-26-11, 01:06 PM

Cissado just wrote up the improvements on his CRT set due to a consultation phone call with me about it. You can find it here,

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=19898447#post19898447

Post #7933.

Here's what he said -

I just cleaned my guns and mirror on a Toshiba 65 inch TV. 65H84

Bob helped me out with the process, and I thank him for that. I didn't do a full scale job on it because of time constraints, but the cleaning was definitely worth it.

The PQ really does improve after the cleaning. The colors, the clarity, the brightness, everything really looks sharper. I turned down most of the settings afterwards. I am definitely happy to have done it, and if you're on the fence, I say DO IT. Surely there are other things I can do for the PQ but I'm happy as it is. My TV has burn-in, so I don't want to keep chasing something that may never be there. Once I noticed the burn-in, I see it too often now, but I still love the PQ.

Honestly, if I could get a new TV with zero burn-in, I would. I would just get a 70 inch or so. lol 65 is almost perfect, but I could go for bigger.

I calibrated the TV with Avia, which is old and not for HD, so I may have to get the HD Disk.

Whether you do it yourself, or with help, DO IT. There was a layer of dust on my 6 year old set and the mirror looked clean at first blush, BUT looking at it from the side, I did see it wasn't clean at all. Don't dismiss the mirror for being clean so quickly. Take a careful look at it. Very small tweak with big results. Everyone should do it.

thanks again bob and this thread, and AVS for getting me excited about my HT setup again. Now to decide which AV receiver to buy next! lol. thanks.

ThePrisoner

01-27-11, 11:19 AM

Yesterday I had the honor of having Gregg Loewen calibrate my Panasonic 50VT25. He calibrated for Night & Day viewing along with 3D Night viewing. Gregg explained everything he was doing, he even started out by explaining B&W process going into 1950's color. I learned quite a bit in his 3 hour visit. He uses some serious equipment to give his customers a spot on calibration. When he played some of X-Men: The Last Stand on blu-ray it looked like watching film in a private screening room on my VT25. Gregg knows Mark Goldblatt, who was one of the film editors on X-Men: The Last Stand and Gregg pointed out fine details everywhere through several scenes. Avatar 3D was incredible looking after calibration, every bit as good as I remember seeing in the theater. I would recommend Gregg Loewen easily to anyone who wants the most out of his/her display. Gregg Loewen comes highly recommended! Thank you.

ElwayLite

01-27-11, 12:26 PM

Glad you enjoyed it, it's why I continue to use him.

htwaits

01-27-11, 07:44 PM

Yesterday I had the honor of having Gregg Loewen calibrate my Panasonic 50VT25.Thanks for your calibration report. I've included it in the flat panel (Post#2) list at the top of this thread.

wfmiller

01-29-11, 11:45 AM

I just had my TC-P65VT25 calibrated last night by D-Nice. Not going to go into much detail at the moment but wanted to say this. My wife and I were talking a couple of weeks back and I told her that I had set up an appointment to have our Plasma professionally calibrated. Her one response was how much? When I told her she said well it's your money waste it any way that you want.
She insisted that she would not discern any differences at all.

I am more than happy to report that when we watched some TV later in the evening her very first response was an empathic WOW !! Coming from this woman that is the highest praise anyone could ever give IMHO. :D

This morning we were watching the news and she kept on commenting about how good everything looked. I now have a very different view of her "optical tastes". Unfortunately I am still working on her audio senses but am afraid that after many years this is still a losing battle. Getting a new set of speakers may take a little more time.

Thank you D-Nice for a job well done!!

htwaits

01-30-11, 02:25 AM

I just had my TC-P65VT25 calibrated last night by D-Nice.It will be helpful to other owners and D-Nice if you post a copy of your comments in the owner's thread for your display. That way more interested readers will see it.

darthkringle

01-30-11, 12:31 PM

Just wanted to drop a note here and let you all know about the fantastic job that Jeff (UMR) did on my Panasonic TC-P58VT25. First off, as many of you already know, Jeff is a consummate professional while also being a sincere pleasure to talk to and learn from. This was the second set Jeff would do for me and I was even more pleased this time. Jeff arrived at my place in Austin last Wednesday right on time and got to work. He and I enjoyed a nice conversation and he was great about explaining EXACTLY what he was doing. My particular set looked pretty darn good to start with, but there were two MAJOR things that Jeff improved on. First, my set was somewhat under saturated due to the slight red/pink push that was preventing me from bumping the color up. Jeff resolved this and now the color accuracy as well as lushness is absolutely the best I have ever seen. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly for my own education is what Jeff did with the sharpness of the set. First let me say that this is a control that I have ALWAYS been a bit stubborn with. I always felt that more sharpness "looked better". Now that Jeff lowered my sharpness "substantially" even my wife notice how much more depth/smoothness the image has. For those of you that have this set, it is great out of the box in THX mode; however, for 10% of the price, I got about a 25% improvement that even my wife said today was well worth it. Jeff truly got this set to reference levels and I am just tickled.

Jeff- Thanks as always for the fantastic work as well as the nice conversations. Take care!!

(Also posted in the Panasonic VT series owners thread.)

turbe

01-30-11, 12:53 PM

htwaits

01-30-11, 02:28 PM

I just had my TC-P65VT25 calibrated last night by D-Nice.

Just wanted to drop a note here and let you all know about the fantastic job that Jeff (UMR) did on my Panasonic TC-P58VT25.Thanks for also posting your reports in the owner's thread for your display. I think they will reach more interested readers that way. :)

milacqua

01-31-11, 09:22 AM

"Secondly, and perhaps more importantly for my own education is what Jeff did with the sharpness of the set".

Darthkringle, I could not agree more with your post and especially this quote. Jeff's Texas tour came east of you and my way Saturday evening, Jan. 29. I live in the middle of nowhere (as Jeff noted!) so it is great to have a pro around who enjoys touring and can actually get to where you are located. I'm always a day behind in my life and thought he was suppose to show up Sunday but when I double checked the appointment email I was mistaken and he got here right when he said he would on Saturday. First thing you notice is his enthusiasm for his work. The second is the quality of his equipment. I mean this guy carries over $40,000 worth of equipment with him! The third is the professionalism. Even his pre/post-calibration spec sheet looks like an engineer's report (then again, he IS an engineer).

The sharpness improvement you noted was also very noticeable with my display. I have an Epson 1080p projector shooting on a Carada BW 106" screen. My Dishtv box (1080i) and my blu-ray player go through a Yamaha A/V receiver via hdmi to my projector via hdmi. I thought I had it close by using Avia and "WOW" disks. And, indeed the specs did not seem that far off. However, Jeff was able to tweak much further and by making small but precise adjustments, he created a picture that makes me think I am watching a projector costing twice as much - or more. The sharpness especially was seen in the pure white shirt Daniel Craig was wearing during the initial Casino scene in "Quantum of Solace". The snow white shirt was so vivid that the actual stitching could be seen, as well as the white on white pattern on the shirt. There was no "whiteout" whatsoever.

Colors were lifelike, much more than before. This was especially noticeable with my greens. Try as I might, I was never happy with my greens no matter if I was watching golf, football, foliage scenes, etc. My greens had a gray tint but now I have true green. All this just in time for my super bowl party! I have a fairly good audio set up and like imdocjoe a few posts up, I also own really good Jim Salk custom speakers. I'm sure Jeff could have worked some magic with my audio system too but when you start receiving Social Security checks, very few of us can detect the subtleties such audio adjustments achieve, and mine is worse than most. So, I did not have that done but for a young man's ears, I would highly recommend you have Jeff do the whole thing - and you'll be happy you did.

htwaits

01-31-11, 03:01 PM

Jeff's (UMR) Texas tour came east of you and my way Saturday evening, Jan. 29.Thanks for your calibration report. I've included in in the front projection (Post#1) lists at the top of this thread.

flycaster

02-01-11, 09:53 AM

Although I thought my PQ was very good to begin with, I couldn't pass up Don's good price and have my set professionally calibrated. Don is a THX trained calibrator. He was very professional and answered all questions asked. Overall, I'd say that both color and depth of picture were improved over my combination eye-ball/settings from net calibrations (without going into the SM). But, be aware that because the TV doesn't have CMS, we had to sacrifice getting the best values for green and cyan in order to get the best values for all the other colors. Nonetheless, to my eye (which is pretty good, but not picky obsessive), my colors and skin tints are very good. I am very happy with the job that Don had done.

donnymac51

02-01-11, 10:18 AM

htwaits

02-01-11, 04:15 PM

Donnymac51 just calibrated my 1.5 year old P50V10.Thanks. I've added a link to your report in the flat panel (Post#2) lists in this thread.

Michael Osadciw

02-02-11, 08:24 AM

htwaits

02-02-11, 06:31 PM

Hi...my name is Tom and would like to say a few words about the gentlemen that calibrated my PN58C6400 Samsung Plasma, his name is Michael Osadciw.Tom, the best place for your report is in the owner's thread for your model display. That's gives other owners a better chance to read it. Note that using SIZE=3 may not be a good idea.

Mr Bob

02-06-11, 10:32 AM

jb socal in Simi Valley just sent in a report on the phone coaching I did with him yesterday on cleaning the optics on his Pioneer Elite CRT RPTV.

It's post #7991 at this thread -

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=19959832#post19959832

Here it is -

b

Mr. Bob struck again. I have a Pioneer Elite 610, it is only 11 years old and it has never been cleaned. So I decided to get a consultation from Mr. Bob. The dust on all surfaces was extreme. I was looking at new sets because the picture wasn't as good as other tv's I see (I wonder why). I already have a top rated Panasonic 50" plasma in the bedroom where the colors and picture is great. After all 10 surfaces were cleaned guess what. The color and detail are better than the plasma. I guess "new' isn't always better. Bob's knowledge and helpful hints make the job go easy it was actually fun. Thanks to Bob for resurrecting the big box. It is a shame how many of these sets have been thrown out over the years.

blstanle

02-07-11, 06:57 PM

I had the pleasure of having my Panasonic 58VT25 calibrated by Lee Gallagher (Advanced Audio Visual in Arizona) this weekend. Lee calibrated THX, ISF Night, and ISF day modes for me and the results are surprisingly noticeable. The best way for me to describe the improvement is like a haze has been removed from the screen - everything is just crisper and cleaner. Lee indicated that THX is normally hard ot beat in terms of color accuracy, but he was able to get my ISF modes nearly as accurate as THX. ISF Day proved great for SuperBowl before the sun went and then we switched over to THX. Later in the evening, watched a Blu-Ray using ISF Night. All proved to be useful for the situation and content and I am so happy to have them all at my disposal. Lee not only did a great job with the calibration, he took the time to educate me on everything he was doing. Anyone looking for calibration serivces in Arizona should definitely give Lee a call as his services are highly recommended and worth every penny.

htwaits

02-07-11, 08:19 PM

I had the pleasure of having my Panasonic 58VT25 calibrated by Lee Gallagher (Advanced Audio Visual in Arizona) this weekend.Thanks for your calibration report. I've included it in the flat panel (Post#2) lists which are found in the second post of this thread.

If you can repost your report in the owner's thread for your model display, it will be easier for interested owners to find it.

Mr Bob

02-12-11, 12:33 PM

Steve B in Fremont CA just commented on my help in saving his cherished Pioneer Elite CRT:

From sbernste post #2521 at this thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=19990842#post19990842

Just saying 'Thank you!' to Mr. Bob! I love my Pioneer Elite PRO-720HD, and when it wouldn't power-on 2 weeks before superbowl I was trouble. When turning it on it would just "click" and then immediately go into standby mode with no picture. I found Mr. Bob here in this forum, who not only helped me remotely diagnose the issue, but also promptly performed the repair for a reasonable price. My TV is working again and all looks excellent! Many thanks for this forum and to those who participate here for your expertise, advice, and guidance. I am a loyal fan.

sbernste

My thanks to Steve for this report -

b

heather2008

02-14-11, 10:32 AM

I'm very happy you are so impressed, Tom! It was a pleasure working with you that evening. I'll see you again very shortly once the Ideal-Lume lights arrive. Until then, enjoy!
I also had my 65VT25 calibrated by Mike. He initially calibrated ISF Day and Night modes, then, following the installation of firmware 3.5, came back and also did THX mode. We generally only watch movies and TV shows at night, so we really only use the THX mode now. Having owned the display since November, I can really say that the set looks fantastic now. The colors are bang on and there is a noticeable depth to the overall picture.

I echo the comments above regarding Mike's professionalism and skills, and would certainly highly recommend him.

Thanks, Mike!

Wayne

htwaits

02-14-11, 05:03 PM

I also had my 65VT25 calibrated by Mike. He initially calibrated ISF Day and Night modes, then, following the installation of firmware 3.5, came back and also did THX mode. We generally only watch movies and TV shows at night, so we really only use the THX mode now. Having owned the display since November, I can really say that the set looks fantastic now. The colors are bang on and there is a noticeable depth to the overall picture.

I echo the comments above regarding Mike's professionalism and skills, and would certainly highly recommend him.

Thanks, Mike!

WayneThanks for your calibration report. I've added a link to it in the flat panel (Post#2) list that's linked at the bottom of my post.

It will make it easier for other owner's of your display to read your report if you post a copy in the owner's thread.

Michael Osadciw

02-15-11, 05:05 PM

Thanks Wayne

It was great meeting you and I'm glad you hung out with me during the calibration. I'm very happy you are enjoying your television!

For those looking at these posts, I service southern Ontario from Windsor to Kingston, to North Bay. Other locations may be available by request.

simplemath

02-16-11, 11:21 AM

Hi Mike, (Michael Osadciw)

Thanks for making the trip to Whitby for the 151fd calibration. I was impressed by your professionalism. The tv looks great now, with a noticeable increase in depth, and a substantial difference in my blues, and greens brightness. The colour pops like crazy, yet is not over saturated. (has a wet look to colour at times now, due to the contrast detail showing all the hidden detail)

My room is main floor, with light paint. Having a bright room to deal with, where I am never completely in the dark, Mike went 44.5FL for dark settings in isf.

Shooting for 35, would have left us crushed in the bright room. His experience was bang on, since after 1 week of viewing, the results are perfect. Even GT5 looks better. LOL. Oasis HD is much improved, and low light scenes in bluray look very nice.

No rush job here, the time was taken for trial and error combinations, until the best comprimise for my room was found. This is where experience can really make a difference. My set can not reach an exact level, but making the right choices of where to give and take, made for great results. Pioneer could use half increments at time, vs a full increment.

My initial seetings for isf night were very dim....27ish FL...so you can imagine the pop from 44 in a bright room...even in the dark. My day settings are even brighter, and really only do justice if a huge ammount of light is streaming in. I use night mode for 90% viewing.

I'll have Mike back to tweak my settings once the basements finished and a controlled light room is built. For now, it is just perfect.

Thanks Mike.

Lou

htwaits

02-16-11, 02:06 PM

Hi Mike, Michael Osadciw

Thanks for making the trip to Whitby for the 151fd calibration.Thanks for your calibration report. I've included it in the flat panel (Post#2) list that's linked at the bottom of my post.

It will make it easier for other owner's of your display to read your report if you post a copy in the owner's thread.

GAX279

04-04-11, 10:31 AM

I apologize for perhaps being late to post this, but Jeff was at my house last month to do an audio calibration and I wanted to post my results for all the work he has done for me.

As the title indicates, Jeff has calibrated my Pioneer PRO-150FD in the family room (5/08), and the Samsung PN58A760 in the basement (3/09). Both still look awesome and I couldn't be happier with the results. However, the real endorsement comes from my wife, who brags to friends and family about the PQ on both. :)

I have posted the calibration reports in the respective thread for each display.

As I mentioned earlier, Jeff was out in March to dial-in my audio for my basement system. This was the final piece to a puzzle I had been working on for about 6 months. With his help (and patience in answering a lot of questions from me), I put together my "dream system" and am very happy with the results! The audio is so crisp, clear, and detailed, I am amazed at how good he made it sound. Audyssey did a good job to hold me until his March tour arrived, but with Jeff’s calibration, he made my good sounding system sound AWESOME.

Due to work and family commitments, I don’t have as much time as I’d like to enjoy my system, but when I do have a few hours to watch a BD or listen to music, it is perfect. :cool:

Slavikk

04-30-11, 11:02 AM

Had the pleasure of meeting and having both my Pioneer 151 and audio system calibrated by Jeff Meier (UMR) this past Thursday. He was very punctual, professional, knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor! We chatted for a bit and then he got right to it and started of on calibrating ISF Day on the Pioneer. Already had ISF Day unlocked and using settings from another well respected calibrator on this forum. After Jeff was finished we popped in a couple of movies and all I remember after watching Casino Royale and Kick Ass was holy c**p coming out of my mouth over and over again! I'm sure Jeff gets that a lot! Picture was much more vibrant, colorful, and just popped off the screen. Or as Jeff put it "it was glorious!"

Afterward it was on to my audio setup. I had some concerns as I have 2 DefTech STSs for fronts with built in subs. I was over a friends house a couple of days before Jeff came over and was just blown away with the HSU VTF-2 MK 3 he had in his setup. He actually let me take the sub home to demo it and there is just no substitute for the real thing. Another concern was where to place my 2 surrounds for optimal sound, Jeff did recommend a spot I hadn't even thought off. Since I did not have a real sub yet and needed to move my surrounds a bit Jeff recommended calibrating the audio on his next trip when I would have had a sub and change the positioning of the surrounds. I asked if he could do a basic audio calibration and stop by next year to work on my audio again. True to his nature he had no issues with that at all. He disengaged Audussey and manually calibrated the EQ and also had me position my 2 fronts further apart for a more open sound stage.

Audio sounds fantastic and cant wait for next year to come and get Jeff back calibrating my audio again when I finally get my sub. Cannot speak highly enough of the 'magic' Jeff performed on my Kuro display and the excellent work on my audio setup. Highly recommended to anyone who are still on the fence about a professional calibration!

nathan_h

05-01-11, 09:16 AM

helper_monkey

06-03-11, 08:39 PM

Just picked up my new Sony HX55929. After looking at how good (relatively speaking) the out-of-the-box PQ on this set was, I knew I wanted to call in the pros in order to get everything out of it.
Called Lee Gallagher with Advanced Audio Visual (I'm in Tempe, AZ BTW) based on a lot of very good reviews here on AVS and other forums. Lee was prompt, professional and more than helpful. He was very communicative during the process, making sure I understood every step he was taking and what the intended results were to be.
After calibration, my set looks absolutely fantastic. The colors are rich, the image sharp, the blacks deep. Small annoyances like minor blooming are virtually gone. I really couldn't be more happy thanks to Lee.

htwaits

06-03-11, 09:16 PM

visualq

06-18-11, 07:26 PM

As a testament to ChadB's work ethic and approach, let me fill you in on how I came upon him first:

I'm in Central Florida; close to Tampa.

Last year (Mar. 2010), my M8500 was professionally calibrated by a great calibrator (Craig @ CIR) and looked STUNNING! :D But I caught an upgrade bug, & acquired some HD145 color-corrected lenses & Joustmods for it in Jan/Feb 2011 ;).

Unfortunately, Craig wasn't available to do a lense install & full re-calibration @ this time because of previous engagements. :(

So I'd been looking for an alternative calibrator for months, literally.

Then I came across ChadB's name on CurtPalme's Referral list (I think). Chad's listing didn't mention that he even covered FL, but I figured what did I have to lose by asking him if he knew of someone he could refer me to?

Chad responded in an email saying "Hey, I'll be in Florida around Jun 16-19; will that work for you?

Do pigs oinK?! :D

So besides driving approx. 1400 miles :eek:(he had @ leat one other Riverview FL customer on his trip here) from his native state, Chad did a state of the art ISF calibration on my Marquee. Admittedly, I'd seen what my 8500 looked like when it was calibrated by Craig, but after Chad installed my upgraded lenses, which required him to think outside the box as a result of diferent throw distances and such, he coaxed an image from my 8500 that I dare say surpasses to some degree my initial calibration (which was something to behold from Craig in and of itself!).

I really appreciate Chad's work ethic, sacrificing nature, & dilligence to keep going until he's given 110%. He simply refused to stop until he was satisfied it wouldn't get any better; but it looked good to me the 1st time! Thought I was gonna have to prepare the guest room since he was still going very late :eek:...aiming for PERFECTION.

As long as men like Chad are around, CRT Front Projectors will be providing jaw-dropping, film-like picture quality for quite a while. Thanks Chad. I truly appreciate what you did.

I just watched more blu-ray today, and with the detail (shadow as well) and color gradations they kep catching my attention....all I keep saying is oh....my....god!

lotr07

06-21-11, 06:15 AM

here are the links for the before and after charts for the Pro calibration performed on my 63C550 Samsung Plasma last November by Chad Billheimer....

Before

http://forum.blu-ray.com/picture.php?albumid=1300&pictureid=8767
http://forum.blu-ray.com/picture.php?albumid=1300&pictureid=8768

and After.....awesome difference....

http://forum.blu-ray.com/picture.php?albumid=1300&pictureid=8769
http://forum.blu-ray.com/picture.php?albumid=1300&pictureid=8770

Night and day difference in the picture quality.....amazing job.....props to MR. Chad.....again...:D

andjayik

06-21-11, 06:25 AM

can;t see anything

Slavikk

06-21-11, 11:54 AM

lotr07

06-21-11, 03:10 PM

Same here. Links just go to a blank page.

Okay lets try these

before
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g329/lotr07/user18327_pic8769_1296672436.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g329/lotr07/user18327_pic8768_1296672436.jpg

After
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g329/lotr07/user18327_pic8767_1296672436.jpg
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g329/lotr07/user18327_pic8770_1296672469.jpg

buzzard767

06-21-11, 03:24 PM

page 1 before and after transposed for sure

Pale Rider

06-22-11, 08:36 AM

I live in the Oakland Hills of the Bay Area, CA. I engaged Robert Jones of Image Perfection to calibrate my Panasonic Viera TH-50PX600U (May 2006), based on references here in the forum. Based on work schedules, Bob and I picked yesterday, the summer solstice, to calibrate my set. My room has a lot of light, so we had to wait to get started until after 9:00pm. Bob showed up promptly, was very engaging and informative. He explained every step of his work, and double-checked his observations and adjustments with me. Bob spent over three hours on my set, and the resuts are excellent. For now, he has my set looking good enough to delay for a little while longer that VT30 I have been looking at. Highly recommended!

Bob can be found here:
510-278-4247
bob@imageperfection.com
http://www.imageperfection.com/

htwaits

06-22-11, 12:02 PM

... based on references here in the forum.Does Bob have a user name here at AVS?

Mr Bob

06-23-11, 01:36 AM

Yes, ht. It's Mr Bob -

;)

b

htwaits

06-23-11, 01:38 AM

Yes, ht. It's Mr Bob -

;)

bI should have known. :o

mark haflich

06-24-11, 10:45 AM

Does one have to be a friend to call him Mr.? :)

htwaits

06-24-11, 12:17 PM

Does one have to be a friend to call him Mr.? :)If you don't have a "classic" Pioneer CRT RPTV that needs to be restored, it helps. ;)

discodol

07-05-11, 01:48 PM

Over the years I have had folks from Lion Audio and Video Consultants calibrate my displays and continue to be impressed with the results. First I had Chuck Williams calibrate my Mits 65" RPTV to clean up the work of the first person who worked on my first HDTV. What a difference, Chuck made my Mits sing! When I wanted to have my 58" V10 Panny calibrated earlier this year I called Lion again and this time Gregg Loewen http://www.lionav.com/mgreggloewen.php turned a great image into a truely fantastic masterpiece. Both Chuck and Gregg take great pride and interest in their work and share that enthusiasm with their clients as they work. I was enthralled as they connected their instruments and began the calibrations explaining exactly what they were doing and why along the way. All of a sudden all the terms and expressions I had been reading about for years on this forum started to fall into place and make sense.

Then I got the 3D bug and moved up to Panny's flagship, the stupendous 65" VT30. Wow, the picture of this set looked the best of any coming out of the box. Having seen for myself what a difference Gregg made for improving enjoyment of my V10 I contacted him immediately to have him work his magic once again. Gregg had already calibrated several VT25 and VT30 sets so he was very familiar with their settings and the latest versions of software from CalMAN and ControlCal. He explained how each worked or in this case did not work and proceeded with his manual calibration of my set accessing settings from the regular and service menus to do his thing. I looked at some material before and after his calibration and could tell a huge difference in the brightness, black levels, and clarity he achieved. He also did a "before" calibration using the automated software and methodology so I could see the difference in the auto and his manual results. He easily proved to my eyes that his instruments and manual adjustments got noticeably better results than the auto cal software. Gregg left me with seperate settings for 2D and 3D viewing to take into account the darkening effect active shutter glasses have on images just in time for me to see Federer and Rafa get nailed at Wimbleton in 3D! I knew what a great picture Gregg could deliver for 2D watching; I now know what an awesome picture Gregg can calibrate for 3D viewing too!

Now after several days of watching my calibrated VT30 I can say with conviction that having panels calibrated is money very well spent! If you are sitting on the calibration fence, do not hesitate, go for it! And if you are on the fence trying to decide who to hire to transform your panel look no further than Gregg Loewen at Lion Audio!:)

htwaits

07-05-11, 03:35 PM

Then I got the 3D bug and moved up to Panny's flagship, the stupendous 65" VT30. ... And if you are on the fence trying to decide who to hire to transform your panel look no further than Gregg Loewen at Lion Audio!:)Other VT30 owner's and probably Gregg Loewen will be happy to read your excellent report in the VT30 owner's thread if you repost it there. :D

cluckey

07-05-11, 06:24 PM

Calibration by Gregg Loewen

Well, just had my VT30 calibrated by Gregg. I have to admit I was one of those who wanted to see if the VT30 would give the reference Kuro a run for it's money. Placed my order three months ago and sat back and waited. Then I made the dreaded mistake....I started reading the forums. Fbr, color, can't use built in calibration, firmware change, future firmware change needed..OMG. Did i make a mistake, should i have purchased the sammy. Now don't get me wrong, I read all the forums and have learned a great deal but it seems like we all want the perfect display and if there is the slightest issue, we tend to want to leap off of a tall building. I guess when you spend that kind of money you want the best possible picture. Well I digress, this was my third experience with Gregg. He had previously calibrated my nine year old pioneer Elite 64". So after about two hours and a great time with Gregg explaining each and every step of the process, all I can say is WOW!!!! No fbr issues, blu ray and 3d are out of this world. Do yourself a favor and give Gregg a call. You wont be sorry.

htwaits

07-07-11, 02:01 AM

Gregg Loewen Is Awesome!Calibration by Gregg LoewenThanks for your calibration reports. I've just reposted them in the owner's thread so that V30 owners will be more likely to read them. I've also put links in post number two of this thread pointing to the reposts.

Enjoy. :)

flint

07-10-11, 12:24 PM

I recently had my Sharp 17000 calibrated by Greg Erianne of All High Def calibration service. He spent over 5 hours calibrating and explaining the process to me. The results were excellent and I recommend him highly. He was punctual,very neat and very reasonable cost wise. He is located in Connecticut.

htwaits

07-10-11, 12:46 PM

I recently had my Sharp 17000 calibrated by Greg Erianne of All High Def calibration service. (gerianne at AVS)Thanks for your calibration report. I've added it to the front projection lists in post number one.

Koose

07-13-11, 04:13 PM

Want to give a shout out to calibrator donnymac51 on a job well done. He was on time and came prepared with all the necessary equipment to calibrate my new Samsung PN59D7000 plasma TV.

I am a complete noob when it comes to this type of television and all this calibration terminology. He explained everything he was doing and what all the various charts and settings meant.

He was extremely thorough and took as long as it required to squeeze as much perfection out of the TV as possible. I would highly recommend his services if you are looking for someone in FL and/or southern GA. He is a perfectionist and when it comes to calibrating a TV this is a definite plus quality you want in your calibrator.

Thanks again donnymac51 for all your help. The TV picture looks awesome. :)

Scott

donnymac51

07-13-11, 07:25 PM

Thanks Scott you were a great customer. Enjoy your new display.

htwaits

07-14-11, 01:05 PM

Want to give a shout out to calibrator donnymac51 on a job well done.Thanks for your report. I've included it in the flat panel (Post#2) lists.

GZamora

07-15-11, 03:57 PM

rboster

07-26-11, 09:42 AM

Just want to thank DroptheRemote from Clearly Resolved Image & Sound for an excellent job on my panny V10 and my sammy D7000. Picture is great! I highly recommend DroptheRemote for your calibration needs! Doug thanks again for the excellent service. I'm a happy camper! :D

Another positive experience working with Doug from Clearly Resolved Image and Sound. It's been a couple of years since Doug was at my house, but I was really pleased with the results.

I have since switched projectors. I've talked to Doug about a trip to Kansas City in the fall. Is there anyone else that would like to use Doug's services in the KC area (and surrounding communities). My hope is to get a small group of members who would need a calibration to help bring down the overall cost of travel. If you would be interested (not necessarily a commitment), please send me a PM. I would be happy to take the lead on this and work with Doug on timing etc.

Ron Boster

DroptheRemote

07-26-11, 10:36 PM

George,

Many thanks for the kind words -- I really appreciate it. One of the best parts of my job is the friendly and interesting people I get to meet around the country. Thank you again.

Ron,

Wow a two-fer! Thanks for chiming in. I'm already looking forward to seeing you again AND meeting and working on your new projector this fall. :)

I also appreciate your offer to coordinate the KC trip this fall and I'd be happy to work with you in ensuring that I can accommodate anyone else in the KC area who might be interested. Just let me know what I can do from my side.

Thanks again, guys!

htwaits

09-14-11, 02:48 AM

If any of you have posted owner calibration reports, please let me know here or by PM, and I will add them to the lists in post # 1 and # 2.

oyeavt25

09-16-11, 05:12 PM

looking for a calibrate for vt25...................34609 fl... 3D is so freaking dark

htwaits

09-16-11, 08:57 PM

looking for a calibrate for vt25...................34609 fl... 3D is so freaking darkThere are a couple things you can do to find a calibrator for your display.

Post here is a good idea.

ISF Calibrators, where are you located? Please post here! (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=586330)

When you post it's important to indicate where you're located. The best calibrators do tours, so you need to find one who tours near enough to you to avoid large travel fees.

Also, if you don't indicate where you're located, other members can't make meaningful suggestions. There are owner's threads for your model display. You can post there too.

Finally, you can check the lists of owner reports in the second post (for flat panels). That way you can find out what people thought of their calibrations. Reviews are linked by plasma or LCD, manufacturer, model, and the calibrator's AVS user name. You'll find the most reports in the Pioneer Kuro lists, but those calibrators can do Panasonic displays too.

LarryInRI

09-16-11, 09:33 PM

Errr... He said 34609 FL.:)

Larry

donnymac51

09-16-11, 09:55 PM

I PM'd him. He's right down the road.

htwaits

09-17-11, 01:48 AM

I PM'd him. He's right down the road.

:p

tomtb1

09-25-11, 09:03 PM

:)Based on the positive comments in this forum, I got Chad B to calibrate my Sony 929. Chad did not disappoint. He arrived on schedule Friday night and promptly went to work. He was very patient in answering my questions and in explaining each step of the process. The calibration (including 3D) took about 2 1/2 hours..
After calibration, the picture had more pop and depth. The improvement was subtle but noticible. My mother was amazed by the picture.

htwaits

10-23-11, 07:57 PM

A new owner's report about Dave Abrams work was posted today. Let me know if you know of any reports that haven't been included in the lists in the first two posts of this thread. :p

htwaits

10-25-11, 04:21 PM

Thanks Chad B. :D

I just don't do enough reading to find calibration reports. I must be too satisfied with my current home theater. :eek:

I've added all these reports to the lists in the first two posts of this thread.

If anyone else knows about reports that have been overlooked, PM me or post here.

Added today.

nallja, CRT RPTV: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...8#post20981168

PeteST, Pioneer 141FD plus audio: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...1#post20500261

GatorSM, Sony EX700 LED LCD: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...1#post19222741

alston80, LG LED LCD: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...1#post19222741

sgupta, Pan vt25: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...3#post20644213

rogercmay, Pan VT30 plus audio: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...3#post21085423

PhantomRogue, Pan VT30: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...2#post21062092

ChrisHman, sam pn-59d7000: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...5#post21054925

chunon, pan 1080p plasma: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...6#post21053776

wcgroup, pan vt30: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...3#post21043503

WillyJ

10-25-11, 04:37 PM

Great thread Mr. HTWAITS!

Thanks for all the work you continue to put into maintaining this one.

htwaits

10-25-11, 08:59 PM

Great thread Mr. HTWAITS!

Thanks for all the work you continue to put into maintaining this one.:)

htwaits

11-01-11, 02:41 PM

The latest report posted for Chad B.

Sony VPL-HW30:
Chad B for BigCoolJesus (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=21151026#post21151026)

:p

Dirtold

11-08-11, 07:22 PM

I have an old warhorse Hitachi RPHDTV with DVI input. It took me a while to find a calibrator who would tackle this beast at a reasonable cost.

Doug Weil was recommended to me and I have now used him twice. He diligently fixed my beast to where it is now a beauty. He has all the right equipment and knowhow to do excellent calibrations. I highly recommend him.
His user name here is droptheremote.

Mr Bob

11-08-11, 07:36 PM

Doug's incredible. I calibrated his 56" Panasonic CRT way back before he donned the calibrator mantle, and he already had it in service mode before I ever got there to his home!

He subsequently sold me his Panny HD tuner/DVHS combo, my only way to time shift my HD material back then.

My greatest respects!

;)

b

Tom Ramey

11-10-11, 08:41 AM

Just wanted to say thanks to Lee Gallagher at Advanced Audio Visual for coming over on Monday to calibrate my vt30.

Lee is a top professional through and through, his super nice personality made it easy for me to understand what was going on while he worked his magic through all the programs.

He showed up early and was ready to go. I knew my vt30 wasn't the easiest tv to calibrate so I figured going with a retail store was not the way to go. I am so glad I contacted Lee, the picture looks so much more natural with color and a lot less artifacts and noise.

I thought to myself how could a blu ray look any better than it already does but after Lee's calibration I can honestly say I am truly impressed at how well a difference it made. It's like a veil was lifted and I can see color, shadow and detail like never before. One more note, the tv before was noticeably warm from a foot or two away, but now I literally have to put my face an inch away to feel any heat. It's just running much more efficiently now.

Anybody in the Phoenix area needing a calibration, don't hesitate to look up Lee and have him come out, you'll be glad you did.

Now I got to get back to re-watching all my old blu rays and see what I missed!

Tom

Lee Gallagher

11-11-11, 11:15 AM

Thank you for the kind words, Tom.
I'm glad I could help you achieve more satisfaction from your home theater.

Happy viewing!

xMKGODx

11-12-11, 10:44 PM

Rayjr

11-13-11, 09:53 AM

I live in Hartland Wisconsin close to Waukesha Milwaukee area. I recently bought a VT-30 and have almost 200hrs on it. Gonna need someone good to calibrate. I dont wanna go with Best Buy or American TV. Would like someone who knows there stuff a little better. Can anyone please help me or point me in the right direction as to where or how I can find someone like Lee in my area??? Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks, Joe

Here is a list that may help you out:

THX Certified Video Calibrator (http://www.thxvideotech.com/forum/showthread.php?542-THX-Certified-Video-Calibrator)

Hope this helps
RayJr

htwaits

11-19-11, 03:35 PM

I live in Hartland Wisconsin close to Waukesha Milwaukee area. I recently bought a VT-30 and have almost 200hrs on it. Gonna need someone good to calibrate. I dont wanna go with Best Buy or American TV. Would like someone who knows there stuff a little better. Can anyone please help me or point me in the right direction as to where or how I can find someone like Lee in my area??? Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks, JoeYou can post your location and requirements in the link at the bottom of my post. There is a good chance that a calibrator who works in your area will respond. Then you can check the owner's calibration reports list (post number 2 for plasma) to see what kind of work they have done for AVS members.

:)

robertrobert

11-23-11, 04:00 PM

buzzard767

11-23-11, 04:57 PM

I talked to one in my area that calibrated a few of the 65" but none of the 55" along with not using the Cal Man software, good or bad not sure.

If he uses ControlCal along with a good program like ChromaPure it should be okay. Without ControlCal the work is more tedious but should still do the job.

turbe

11-23-11, 06:03 PM

Trying to find a top level ISF calibrator in the Portland Oregon area that has experience calibrating the Panasonic 55" VT30 plasma. I talked to one in my area that calibrated a few of the 65" but none of the 55" along with not using the Cal Man software, good or bad not sure. Besides this, I've sent a 2nd e-mail to Dave Abrams since I never got a reply back on the first one several weeks ago to see if he comes to my area.

Anyway would love to post my results but want to be sure to find someone very good at calibrating the VT30 since I've heard it is not a straight forward plasma to calibrate.

Thanks,
Robert

I'm not sure if he does go to Portland, but Tyler Pruitt of Bionic AV (http://bionicav.com/Welcome.html) (Seattle) has done several VT30's and he has ControlCAL G/VT30 Edition v2. You may be able to convince him to 'come on down'. :D [there may be a travel fee involved and is common with Calibrators traveling outside their normal area]

I just calibrated another VT30 last night running 2.20 using ControlCal V2 .... it worked perfect!

Also, David Abrams of avical.com (http://www.avical.com/) does cover Portland on regular Pacific Northwest tours, he has ControlCAL G/VT30 Edition v2 and has a 55" VT30 himself.

I will also Contact David Abrams for you and let Tyler know about your request.

David Abrams

11-23-11, 06:14 PM

I'm not sure if he does go to Portland, but Tyler Pruitt of Bionic AV (http://bionicav.com/Welcome.html) (Seattle) has done several VT30's and he has ControlCAL G/VT30 Edition v2. You may be able to convince him to 'come on down'. :D

Also, David Abrams of avical.com (http://www.avical.com/) does cover Portland on regular Pacific Northwest tours, he has ControlCAL G/VT30 Edition v2 and has a 55" VT30 himself.

I will also Contact David Abrams for you and let Tyler know about your request.

Greetings,

Yes, while we do make it up to the Pacific Northwest from time to time, I do not have any plans to get there in the near future. If you would like to be added to our list you can email me your contact information and system details to dave@avical.com.

Happy Viewing! :)

Dave

turbe

11-23-11, 06:16 PM

Well, that didn't take time to respond after my email David.. thank you for the update :)

View Happy! :D

Mr Bob

11-24-11, 12:13 PM

I am thinking of going up to Portland for Xmas and visiting my brother there. Contact me by email or phone - no pm's please! - if you'd like to talk about it, you may help me make up my mind!

I have ControlCal.

b

Scurly

12-31-11, 08:58 AM

airscapes

12-31-11, 09:11 AM

htwaits

12-31-11, 01:28 PM

I have an Elite 70" with a free BB calibration thrown in. I am waiting a color firmware update mid January and then will schedule. My question: Is a free BB calibration worth it, knowing the perception of quality? This will be a subcontracted calibrator and at this time, I am not sure who is coming out. Thoughts?Do you really think the BB calibration is free, and not included in what ever price BB agreed to for your display?

If you look at the first two posts in this thread there are a lot of owner reports about having their displays calibrated. I've included every owner's report I've read that also identified the calibrator. If my memory is any good at all, you won't find any reports from owners that had BB calibrate their displays. So far I haven't been able to find any reports about BB calibrations.

My take on it is that BB offers it free to close sales so that's probably what it's worth. On the other hand, it's unlikely that they would damage your display.

Given the cost of an Elite 70" display, I'd want to get the most out of my new display. I'd want one of the well known calibrators that are active here at AVS to calibrate it. :)

wse

01-12-12, 03:32 PM

I am very disappointed with the Calibration that was done on my JVC-RS35U I feel like I waisted $500!

ISF certified calibrator what a joke that guy was :(

airscapes

01-12-12, 03:50 PM

I am very disappointed with the Calibration that was done on my JVC-RS35U I feel like I waisted $500!

ISF certified calibrator what a joke that guy was :(

So what happened?

Chad B

01-12-12, 04:15 PM

So what happened?

I am also curious. Discouraging to hear someone could be passing off substandard "calibrations."

wse

01-12-12, 04:20 PM

So what happened?

The image looked worsted than the THX calibration on the unit :eek:

Also he didn't know what he was doing

edtorious

01-12-12, 04:44 PM

The image looked worsted than the THX calibration on the unit :eek:

Also he didn't know what he was doing

Did you tell him you weren't satisfied and ask for a refund?

Chad B

01-12-12, 04:47 PM

The image looked worsted than the THX calibration on the unit :eek:

Also he didn't know what he was doing

In my first few years as a calibrator I had a few times when I felt a little lost or overwhelmed, especially with new models, so I can kind of relate. But I spent the extra time to research and work through the problem.

It's extremely important to make sure the customer is happy, and also that he knows what was done and why.

If you have a calibration report, if you post it maybe we can figure out what went wrong.

wse

01-12-12, 05:01 PM

Did you tell him you weren't satisfied and ask for a refund?

I did but never heard back!

htwaits

01-12-12, 05:09 PM

I am very disappointed with the Calibration that was done on my JVC-RS35U I feel like I waisted $500!

ISF certified calibrator what a joke that guy was :(If the calibrator has a user name here at AVS then I can post a link to any report you might post.

I always recommend that owner's contact known calibrators who have an AVS presence and who have customers who have posted about their work. That's what the first two posts in this thread are all about.

donnymac51

01-12-12, 05:47 PM

Didn't you both look at any regular content or reference video after the calibration? You should have identified the issue to him at that time.

Zygmunt

01-13-12, 09:28 AM

RS35 was my favorite projector since it was released in spring 2010 and still is. Calibrates very well. Gamut and grayscale can be set to perfection.
Calibrated "Custom" IS better than THX which has some limits.
Can you show us his report?

Regards

Zygmunt

01-13-12, 09:29 AM

htwaits

01-21-12, 02:21 AM

Here are four owner's reports added to the lists in posts #1 and #2 from Chad B's work.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=21498779#post21498779

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=21463722#post21463722

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=21437130#post21437130

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=21356709#post21356709

DavidHir

01-31-12, 09:48 AM

Chad B calibrated my Panasonic 65ST30 last week and did a phenomenal job. Here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=21559034#post21559034) are the reports. This is the third display he's calibrated for me in the last seven years. Not only is he extremely skilled, experienced, and knowledgable...he's also a great guy to work with as a customer.

htwaits

01-31-12, 03:15 PM

Chad B calibrated my Panasonic 65ST30 last week and did a phenomenal job. Thanks. I've linked to your report in the flat panel (Post #2 of this thread) list.

datamage

02-02-12, 10:26 AM

Just wanted to put in a good word for Barry VanDenBerg. (Orlando area)

He did a tremendous job with my Samsung PN64D7000.

Not only was he very knowledgeable, he was quite courteous, patient, and very informative. He didn't hesitate to answer any of my (many) questions, or stop for a moment to describe what he was doing.

Again, really, many thanks to Barry for bringing out the best out of this great display.

He can be contacted here. (http://orlandodigital.tv/calibration.htm)

htwaits

02-02-12, 03:31 PM

gc916

02-04-12, 08:12 AM

My new Samsung UN55D8000 was calibrated Tuesday by Doug Weil ("DroptheRemote" on AVS Forum) of Clearly Resolved Image & Sound in St. Louis. Although I am a newb when it comes to TV calibration, I cannot imagine a better experience.

Doug was prompt, professional, and informative. He took time to explain each step of the calibration process, described the theory behind many of the calibration settings, and was kind enough to answer all my newb questions.

Best of all, the result is a greatly improved viewing experience. After having read many posts on this forum, I was expecting improvement over the settings I had been using, and the results obtained by Doug definitely exceeded those expectations.

htwaits

02-04-12, 01:06 PM

My new Samsung UN55D8000 was calibrated Tuesday by Doug Weil ("DroptheRemote" on AVS Forum) of Clearly Resolved Image & Sound in St. Louis. Thanks for your calibration report. I've included a link to it in the flat panel (page#2) lists in this thread.

HTPCat

02-06-12, 10:12 AM

Here are four owner's reports added to the lists in posts #1 and #2 from Chad B's work.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...9#post21498779

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...2#post21463722

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...0#post21437130

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...9#post21356709

These links are not working:confused:.

htwaits

02-06-12, 04:02 PM

These links are not working:confused:.Thanks for the heads up. They are working now.

carp

02-10-12, 12:26 PM

Anyone near KC that needs a calibration:

I recently had my Epson 8350 calibrated by Luke Kamp (that is his forum name here, his real name is Luke Kampshmidt - probably misspelled his last name).

Anyway, he is certified and has all the equipment. I am very pleased with the results. Colors are more life-like and it even looks sharper to me, not sure why that would be, but it does. Also, there was an obvious blue push that has been taken care of.

He calibrated it so that I have 17 FL and to me that's pretty much perfect, maybe even a little bright with all the lights off which is what I want since the bulb will fade over time. Currently I have around 500 hours on the bulb.

I was a bit concerned about losing brightness and pop since you hear about most people preferring a picture that is too bright with over saturated colors. I thought that might mean that a calibrated picture would look a little dull - my fears were unfounded. After calibration the pic has more pop than before and it's plenty bright. I'm very glad I had it done. I'll post some pictures when I get a chance.

I highly recommend Luke if you are in the Kansas City area.

htwaits

02-10-12, 01:20 PM

[B][SIZE="5"]I recently had my Epson 8350 calibrated by Luke Kamp (that is his forum name here, his real name is Luke Kampshmidt - probably misspelled his last name). Thanks for your calibration report. I've added a link to it in the front projection (post number one) lists.

wxman

02-17-12, 06:33 PM

Tom Schulte from Spectracal recently calibrated my Sharp LC-70LE735U and did an amazing job. This is the second tv he has calibrated for me. 3 years ago he calibrated my Pioneer 5020. Tom is very professional and takes the time to explain everything he is doing during the process. I would highly recommend him. After both calibrations, the picture was amazing. Detail and color that really stands out after calibration. I linked the reports if that is ok.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/wxman2003/precalibration.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/wxman2003/postcalibration.jpg

htwaits

02-17-12, 07:25 PM

wxman

02-17-12, 07:28 PM

Is Tom active at ABS? If so, could you edit your post to include his user name?

I do not know if Tom is active on AVS. He was recommended by a calibrator on this forum when I had my 5020 calibrated.

htwaits

02-17-12, 07:37 PM

I do not know if Tom is active on AVS. He was recommended by a calibrator on this forum when I had my 5020 calibrated.Is it possible for you to ask him if he has a user name here at AVS? I will use his AVS user name as part of a link to your report. That would get him better viability.

wxman

02-17-12, 07:56 PM

Is it possible for you to ask him if he has a user name here at AVS? I will use his AVS user name as part of a link to your report. That would get him better viability.

I will ask him.

nathan_h

02-17-12, 08:39 PM

Had my RS20 tuned up today by UMR.

I'm not sure whether I posted the results from the original tuning, last year, but it made a big difference.

The color space and gray scale and gamma were improved, of course, better than I had seen before.

But what really hit home and continued to impress me over time was how making sure it's at SMTP spec for brightness (16fl) really makes a BIG difference. No loss in black level is perceived, but images have lots of punch and detail really stands out (both in bright and dark scenes, where having that correct brightness really helps maintain shadow detail without making anything gray or flat).

Interestingly, even with 600+ hours between then and now on the bulb, the drift was VERY minor.

Because today was just a tune up on the projector (he thought I must have successfully done some touch ups since the original calibration, it was so close to right, still) we didn't run a new set of graphs. Mostly today was about audio calibration.

The audio calibration was very useful.

First, UMR is sort of famous for not finding Audyssey as effective as manual, especially parametric, calibration.

I've got the Audyssey bass management system for SVS and he agreed it was doing a better job than anything we could do manually with the Marantz 7005 in the bass region.

Second, since the last visit not only was the Audyssey bass EQ new, but so was the Marantz, and the surround speakers .... and we found some interesting stuff going on with the surrounds with the RTA analysis that has me heading back to the techs at the speaker manufacturer to find out what's going on.... a problem auto setup didn't find, but that explains some of what I had been experiencing that was strange. (More details in the THIEL thread.)

(can't add this to the RS20 thread because it's closed)

(see measurements from the original calibration two posts down)

htwaits

02-17-12, 08:59 PM

Had my RS20 tuned up today by UMR. Thanks for your calibration report. Did you ever post comments about the original calibration? If so, let me know where it is and I'll add it to the list linked at the bottom of my post.

nathan_h

02-17-12, 10:26 PM

I couldn't find a post from back then, but here are the measurements.

I see from the notes this was Dec 2010.

htwaits

02-17-12, 11:02 PM

Mostly today was about audio calibration.

(can't add this to the RS20 thread because it's closed)How about adding some audio comments to your earlier post. As it stands now, anyone reading your post won't be aware that UMR worked on your audio system.

ERosenbrg

02-20-12, 01:40 PM

I have an Elite 70" with a free BB calibration thrown in. I am waiting a color firmware update mid January and then will schedule. My question: Is a free BB calibration worth it, knowing the perception of quality? This will be a subcontracted calibrator and at this time, I am not sure who is coming out. Thoughts?

I just had a Best Buy calibration done on my Sharp 70" Elite PRO-70X5 and the end result was poor. The colors are better than any of the pre-set modes (i.e., THX Movie, Elite Pure, etc.), but the image is so overexposed that it's unwatchable. Even the slightest reflection of light on a person's forehead causes a blotch that loses all detail. The calibrator never once looked at a real image on the screen; he relied solely on his computer and the device he stuck to the center of my screen. I also had to school him on making sure he activated ISF mode rather than just modifying one of the pre-set modes.

Anyone have a recommendation for a real calibrator here in the Los Angeles area?

PlasmaPZ80U

02-20-12, 02:12 PM

I just had a Best Buy calibration done on my Sharp 70" Elite PRO-70X5 and the end result was poor. The colors are better than any of the pre-set modes (i.e., THX Movie, Elite Pure, etc.), but the image is so overexposed that it's unwatchable. Even the slightest reflection of light on a person's forehead causes a blotch that loses all detail. The calibrator never once looked at a real image on the screen; he relied solely on his computer and the device he stuck to the center of my screen. I also had to school him on making sure he activated ISF mode rather than just modifying one of the pre-set modes.

Anyone have a recommendation for a real calibrator here in the Los Angeles area?

Sorry to hear that, I wouldn't let BB touch my TV even if they payed me to get the calibration done.

htwaits

02-20-12, 02:18 PM

Anyone have a recommendation for a real calibrator here in the Los Angeles area?David Abrams ( dave@avical.com ) is in the Los Angeles area. You can find reports on his work in the flat panel (post #2) lists in this thread.

Other well known calibrators do tours to your area. UMR ( jeff@accucalhd.com ) and D-Nice ( d-nice@audiovideofidelity.com ) are two examples. David might be cheaper because of travel costs.

Based on your report about your calibration, I've added a new category to page one and two of this thread.

Are "free" with your purchase calibrations worth it?

Thanks for posting.

nathan_h

02-20-12, 02:45 PM

@ ERosenbrg

I've had more than one pro work on my system. Even with his $100 "tour premium" on top of his basic pricing, UMR was still competitive in terms of price (in fact, a touch cheaper than some), and I got much better results.

DavidHir

02-21-12, 12:30 PM

htwaits

02-21-12, 02:05 PM

I'm not sure how the mods would feel about this, but perhaps a sticky could be posted at least warning forum members about Best Buy calibrations. I have read of so many horror stories over the years from Best Buy and it bothers me people are spending their hard earned money on these clowns not realizing the high risks of a poor calibration. Sure, people need to do their homework, but it's still unjustified none the less. Just a thought.I've started a list of people who post about their "free" calibrations. I only read a few threads so I need all the help I can get.

I recall a recent post by an knowledgeable individual who was happy about the work that BB did on his display. I don't think that AVS would be interested in posting any kind of warning.

avfanatic1

02-21-12, 03:18 PM

I've started a list of people who post about their "free" calibrations. I only read a few threads so I need all the help I can get.

I recall a recent post by an knowledgeable individual who was happy about the work that BB did on his display. I don't think that AVS would be interested in posting any kind of warning.

I agree- Best Buy is not inherently bad when it comes to calibrations, it's just that they don't always have the "quality control" to ensure all of their calibrators know what they are doing. I'm sure some people have had excellent calibrations. Just the luck of the draw.

htwaits

02-21-12, 05:29 PM

Just the luck of the draw.That's why I haven't been linking reports that don't include a calibrater's user name here at AVS.

Now that I've set up a category for "free" calibrations and "for fee" Best Buy calibrations we'll have a way to track them.

risk235

03-06-12, 07:43 PM

I had my Toshiba 55SL417U calibrated recently by Doug Weil (droptheremote). He showed up on time and proceeded to setup his gear. He thoroughly explains what he is doing and why as well as educate you on the science behind color calibration. When he was finish I notice the colors were more natural and not over saturated. After he was finish I was telling him about this great burger joint down the road (Hubcap Grill) and he invited and treated me to lunch. (Thanks Doug!) I have to admit that at first I kind of freak out at first with the dimmer picture. But the more that I saw my newly calibrated picture and after watching a movie at the theater do I appreciate my tv more. I didn't realize how high my brightness was set before and all the detail that was lost. I highly recommend Doug for your calibration needs.

htwaits

03-06-12, 10:26 PM

I had my Toshiba 55SL417U calibrated recently by Doug Weil (droptheremote). Thanks for your calibration report. I've included it in the flat panel (post #2) lists for LCD displays.

chunon

03-10-12, 01:59 PM

Chad did an outstanding job on my D530 earlier today. He arrived promptly and well prepared as always. This is the second set he has calibrated for me in the last year. Chad increased Peak light output to the 50 range, improved gamma, greyscale and color accuracy.

I am very pleased with the end result. The picture now has much more depth, pop and looks amazing. Overall it is a great experience because Chad is the consumate professional. Expert at his craft and very open to answering ?s about my set and others that he has calibrated. It is always a fun learning experience for me. He spent about 2 1/2 hours on my set and did not leave until I was completely satisfied. I highly recommend him for anyone wanting to get the most out of their display.

htwaits

03-11-12, 03:56 PM

Chad (Cand B @ AVS) did an outstanding job on my D530 earlier today.Thanks for your calibration report. I've included it in the flat panel (post #2) lists for Samsung plasma displays.

Andrew Sabin

03-15-12, 09:42 PM

Like all the other reviews, I wanted to give my glowing review of my calibration by Doug Weil. Doug spend over 5 hours thoroughly explaining each step of his expert calibration my Panasonic 65VT30. The combo of increasing my understanding of the technology, the benefits of the changes (before/after measurements), and most importantly the substantial improvement in my PQ (with good PQ before), greatly exceeded my expectations. Going into the calibration I expected the end result would maximize the potential of my display, but the post calibration PQ, has increased the PQ from good to outstanding.

I highly recommend Doug's services to anyone in his travel area in the Midwest and Southeast, etc. I'm fortunate that he's located in my metro areas of St. Louis. To top it off, Doug is a very nice guy and gave me advice in other areas as well

htwaits

03-30-12, 02:52 PM

Like all the other reviews, I wanted to give my glowing review of my calibration by Doug Weil. (DroptheRemote @ AVS)Thanks for your report. I've included a link to it in the flat panel (Post#2) lists at the top of this thread.

RSTitleExaminer

04-21-12, 02:30 PM

I'd like to give a big thumbs up to someone who is barely mentioned on the forums.

His name is Don Krasen, President of Krystal Clear Audio Video in Dallas, TX. Don spent two and a half hours explaining every step during the calibration of my Samsung PN59D7000, and providing me a few tips on how I can enhance my viewing experience with the equipment / lighting I have now, and advice on enhancing my experience in the future, should I wish to shell out a few bucks here and there.

This is my first pro calibration, and I am absolutely stunned by the results, and on top of that, you can just tell how passionate Don is about his work. He personally didn't need to come out today, but he decided to do the calibration himself because of how enthusiastic I sounded when I called to book the appointment.

Totally satisfied, and I'll definitely be calling Don when I need my displayed touched up.

Here's his link: http://www.kcaudio.com/

******UPDATE*****

Attached are the charts...due to a software glitch, both are titled "pre-calibration", but it's pretty obvious which chart is pre, and which chart is post calibration.

htwaits

04-21-12, 03:58 PM

I'd like to give a big thumbs up to someone who is barely mentioned on the forums.Thanks for posting your comments.

You can help other owners if you repost your comments in the owner's thread for your display. It will help me if you include your calibrators (Don Krasen) AVS user name if it's different than his real name.

KTM250

05-03-12, 06:27 AM

I would like to give Chad a big thank you for the fantastic job he did calibrating my D8000. Chad was here Monday and spent a total of 5 hours working on it a long with doing something's that he did not have to do for me. He arrived on time, was prepared to start and was very professional. You can deffinently tell that he knows what he is doing.
I am a DIY calibrator with my own meter and CalMan software. So as you can imagine I asked a lot of questions. Never once did I get the feeling that he was getting irritated with me for what I am sure were a lot of stupid simple questions. He answered them and tried to make sure I understood. Also I never felt like he was in a rush to get done and leave. Again he did some extra things that he did not have to do.
At the end of the day, all I can say is wow. I have tried many, many times to calibrate this tv but never got the picture to look this good. So if your looking for a pro calibrator this is the guy you want.
Thanks again Chad.

htwaits

05-03-12, 06:42 PM