Official LNXXA550 Calibration/Settings Thread - Page 36

Which look MUCH better? The more recent ones?

I posted these settings a while back, but I am posting them again for people who may have missed them or may be unhappy with some of the Movie mode settings. Please note that the shadow end of the grayscale may appear "crushed" on you PC monitor, but I can assure you it represents perfect steps on my LN40A550.

Mode: Standard
Backlight = 5 or 6
Contrast = 85
Brightness = 50
Sharpness = 18
Color = 53
Tint = G50/R50

DETAILED SETTINGS
Black Adjust = Low
Dynamic Contrast = Low
Gamma = 0
Color Space = Custom
Red: R33 - G0 - B0
Green: R0 - G52 - B0
Blue: R0 - G0 - B51
Yellow: R43 - G47 - B0
Cyan: R0 - G46 - B56
Magenta: R37 - G0 - B43
Flesh Tone = 0
Edge Enhancement = On
Xycc = Off

WHITE BALANCE
R-Offset = 25
G-Offset = 24
B-Offset = 23
R-Gain = 25
G-Gain = 25
B-Gain = 20

PICTURE OPTIONS
Just Scan
Color Tone = Normal
Digital N/R = Off
HDMI Black Level = Normal (Grayed out on HR-21)
Film Mode = off
Blue Mode = Off
Energy Saving = Off
Entertainment modes = Off

Note:All settings are for DirecTV HD HR-21 using HDMI1. Different settings may be required for different equipment.

http://www.smartcalibration.com/hdnetpatterns.html

Based on what I saw in the 750 Calibration thread, I decided to try calibrating using warm1 instead of warm2, thinking that maybe it would help the colors get a little more accurate. Truth be told, it doesn't make much of a difference to me.

Settings
Backlight = 7 (set to your preference, but you'll probably be anywhere from 5-10 with energy saver on)
Contrast = 85 (set to your environment, but setting it higher than 90 makes the grayscale more inaccurate for higher intensity stuff)
Brightness = 50 (again, up to you, though I think you'll crush blacks if you go below 45)
Sharpness = 0 (some people report a setting of 6 or 8 is better)
Color = 52
Tint = G54/R46

DETAILED SETTINGS

Black Adjust = Off
Dynamic Contrast = Off
Gamma = 0
Color Space = Custom
Red: R47 - G0 - B0
Green: R16 - G51 - B0
Blue: R16 - G2 - B89
Yellow: R53 - G50 - B0
Cyan: R28 - G49 - B50
Magenta: R32 - G0 - B50
Flesh Tone = 0
Edge Enhancement = Off
Xycc = Off

WHITE BALANCE

R-Offset = 25
G-Offset = 25
B-Offset = 24
R-Gain = 36
G-Gain = 27
B-Gain = 8 (this isn't a typo, it's because of starting with warm1)

PICTURE OPTIONS

Color Tone = Warm 1
Digital N/R = Off
HDMI Black Level = Low
Film Mode = off
Blue Mode = Off

Energy Saving = Low
Entertainment modes = Off

PS3 Settings
These are only for reference, I don't make any claims that these are the best.
RGB Limited
Superwhite Off
Cross color filter off

Plots

RGB levels don't look as good, but the errors are still < 3 so you wouldn't be able to see them anyway.


Luminance curve is a bit worse at the low end.


Gamma curve is not very linear, and I'm not entirely sure why. It could be because these settings are brighter.


CIE diagram doesn't look much different than the other settings


Sample images






Again, I think you'd be hard pressed to tell a difference between these settings and the 995 settings (though if you think one is better than the other, let me know!) Unless people think otherwise, I'm still suggesting the settings in post 995. And you all probably thought having a measuring device solved all your problems .

I actually like the new settings better! Probably because the settings are brighter and not as warm, I couldn't find a satisfying calibration until now

Keep up the good work clicq

I think these latest settings are best if you prefer Warm 1, and I think I do! So I'll see once I get my TV. Thanks again clicq, you're amazing.

Given that professional calibrators start with the warm2 setting, I think I'll keep that. IMO, the people complaining about reds are just used to overly-blue images and need to adjust.

I'll stick with the 995 settings until you recommend a change.

Clicq,
I truely appreciate your calibration work and effort. It is hard to judge between your 995 settings compare to the most recent, 1053, using the attacched pictures because they were taken at different day and time. I noticed the later were taken with the curtain closed, which produced different effect on pictures.
Below is the side by side comparison I put together, left = 995 vs right = 1053. I prefer your color settings from 995, which the blue contains less red in it. I applied 995 settings on my tv and made slight adjustment (I was using the Monster ISF HDTV Calibration wizard & TVBlink Test Tool) to the contrast (88) and brigthness (54). The outcome is excellent. You make us happy LN46A550 owners. Thanks a bunch.
How's your PS3 overheat problem. Has it been fixed yet? Does the problem happen only to this limited edition of PS3 for MGS4 bundle? I am considering the PS3 after I got few hundred bucks back from BB today for price matching the Fry's promo price on this TV

These settings may be brighter, but they should be nearly as warm as the other settings (the first set in 995), since I'm calibrating to the same white point. It's just that since these are farther off from ideal in the first place, I had to make more extreme measurements to blue (which is why the B-gain is 8).

The hope was that by switching to warm1, the errors in the colors would be reduced, which didn't happen. And I was curious since most of the settings in the 750 calibration thread are based off warm1 and there are several people with colorimeters in that thread with more experience than I.

By my measurements, warm1 is supposed to be around a color temperature of 7500-8000K, while normal is near 9300K. If you want something close to warm1, you should probably use the second set of settings in the 995 post.

Actually, Samsung did a pretty good job with the factory settings, if you don't care about getting the correct color temperature. The grayscale is pretty consistent throughout, and having color space set to auto or native probably gives a bit more pop, at the expense of accuracy. So if you want a cooler color temperature, I'd suggest just going with the standard settings .


Yea, the pictures were actually taken at different times of the day, so they may be a bit difficult to compare; I completely forgot about that.

My PS3 still overheats . I've worked around the problem, at least until Walmart gets a new shipment in so I can exchange mine, by putting a fan directly in front of the PS3 on high -- otherwise it'll overheat and shut off after a few minutes, even displaying the test patterns for doing the calibration! The 80gb PS3 in the MGS4 bundles seems to use an older processor than the 40gb PS3s, which makes them run hotter, though it's still not supposed to overheat. I suspect mine just has some manufacturing defect, since I haven't heard of anybody else having the problem.

Every PS3 uses a 65nm Cell. There isn't an "older version." 45nm Cells are due down the road, but for now, it's 65nm only.

It really sounds like your PS3 just has a manufacturing defect. Maybe Sony pulled an Apple and misapplied thermal paste?

FYI, I have the MGS bundle's PS3 and it's not having problems with overheating. It tends to go into "medium" fan under heavy gaming. I can definitely hear it when there's little/no sound, but otherwise it isn't audible unless I'm searching for it. Never had it shut off/reset even after several hours of GTA.

However, I've noticed that it's a little quieter if I make sure that the back is cleared to let exhaust escape (removed the back panel from my little tv cart).

I was basing my statement about the 90nm cell on this thread, though I guess nobody really knows for sure. In either case, it doesn't matter to me what's inside as long as it works .


Thanks for the confirmation that I have a broken PS3 (I have it standing vertically, on a box next to my TV stand, with air all around it). I have a friend with a 40gb PS3, he just about abuses it by stuffing it into a cabinet and putting things up against the right side, and his still doesn't overheat! Ah well, I guess I'm just unlucky (well, I was lucky to get a bundle in the first place, but I guess I used up all my luck then ).

Oh, wow. Sony stopped the 90nm Cell a while ago. They brought it back for the MGS4 bundle? I feel kind of ripped off now. Watch, by Christmas the MGS4 bundle will have the 65nm version.

Sorry if this has been answered previously...
Can different inputs, have different settings, for both PQ and sound applied to them?
If so, how?
Thanks!

That's correct, the 60GB and 80GB PS3's use a 90nm version of Cell. The 40GB uses a 65nm version.

But I have an early 60GB, and overheating has never been a problem so far.

Each input can have different picture settings. You don't have to do anything special to achieve this, just change the settings for each input.

Sound does not seem to be put input unfortunately (if you change it for one input, it changes for all the inputs).

Thanks for the quick answer Cliq

I must admit that I'm a sucker for the Standard out of the box settings.

I've had this TV for about 2 months now, and I remember the first time I plugged it into my laptop via VGA, I said WOW the whites on the tv look so much better than my old laptop!!!

I've wanted to calibrate for a while now, just never had the time to read the calibration posts. Cliq I tried out your settings in both movie and standard modes while watching OTA HD, and I'm honestly just not a fan. While I understand that yes, the picture is most likely more accurate, I personally feel that the picture is duller/redder/yellower. I presume this is due to the fact of having less blue push in the picture. But to my eyes, that blue push is what brings up the brightness slightly, and changes the picture to look cleaner, brighter and "whiter", which overall gives the picture more pop.

I think I'm gonna stick with the out of the box Standard settings for all of my inputs (PC VGA, Bluray HDMI, and TV OTA). It's probably also because I'm already used to watching in this mode, so this is what I probably perceive as "good" to me. The only thing that I change is backlight to brighten or dimmen (lol) the picture based on the amount of light in my room.

Regardless, I want to thank everyone who has posted their settings in this thread for everyone to see. This is truly a great thing to see information sharing so widely and so effortlessly. Thanks to all the "professional amateurs of calibration" (lol) who have worked hard to get the "perfect" picture and later give it away for free. I guess I'm just a n00b that doesn't need it.

What settings is everyone using for blue ray movie on the ps3 itself?

ECUPIRATE I believe clicq is just using his first set of settings that were posted up above. Although he may be using diff settings, I have no idea. My situation, is that my upconverting DVD player as well as the PS3 will be going through my reciever, so the same HDMI cable will feed to the TV. Clicq said the settings shouldn't really be very different for either thing so they should be alright.

Viper, everyone is different. If you're happy with the out of the box settings, then so be it man, it's your eyes, your brain, your TV I liked the picture out of the box for my old 42" Sony... know what got me to start calibrating? I noticed the reds were so saturated, in some SD DVD content, bright reds would bleed over lines. I wanted to adjust my picture so I wouldn't see that awful sight anymore.

Now before I go any further, mind you, on THAT particular TV, with settings that were posted by forum members of this site... calibration looked wonderful. But on Warm 1! Warm 2 did not yield 'white whites'... I'm not too concerned about 'bright' whites. Whites don't need to be 'bright' in order to give the same effect on your picture. Brightness effects your eyes and enough brightness will hurt your eyes.

I never understood why people would say 'I don't use normal settings on a TV because everyone looks sunburned'. Look at some calibrated settings, and look at the 'out of the box' settings. Skin tones look very natural. Out of box settings will make skin tones look a little red themselves, not natural. Take a look in the mirror, look at the characters on your movies, big difference. A lot of movies have natural color, some of course are stylized to look a little over-saturated but... mostly you'll be able to tell the difference.

Calibrating, makes for a more 'theatrical' experience in my opinion. Again, it's all about personal taste. But when I go see a movie, everything looks the way it should, and I want it to look that way at home.

If you've tried his warm2 calibration settings, try his warm1 calibrated settings he posted just last night. The colors aren't as 'accurate' (accurate being a term for the setting instruments say are correct which means again you may not like them), but it seems like you aren't going for 'accurate' anyways. There isn't a huge difference at all between (just judging by the pics he posted) his warm2 and warm1 settings, but look at them together if possible and you'll see that whites are actually 'whiter' for your standards, and the blues do 'pop' just a little bit more. Try those, and you may find them satisfactory. Give them a chance as well... if you go from a vibrant setting, to those settings, and switch back and forth, you may not like the new settings. But watch stuff for a day or two with those settings. See what you think.

Yea, I left the settings under the movie mode, so I'll keep them for a while and check it out.

Yeah, cool man. Even maybe two days. Watch enough stuff, and soon you may feel 'hey this is pretty awesome and everything looks natural'. I mean, I know the whites may not 'POP' but if the white is white, then there should be no issue. If you can visually notice even after a little viewing that the white has a reddish more 'sunny' color to it than just being a white... then don't go for it. But so many people in this thread have praised clicq for his settings so I'm assuming an 'off white' color being noticable... is a non issue.

As I said before, when I used calibrations on my old Sony rear projection by forum members... they looked GREAT on Warm 1... but there was a very awful noticable warmth to the whole picture that really detracted from my viewing experience. Nothing looked just 'natural'... it looked like it was baked in the sun a little too long. Buuuuuut judging from clicq's settings, the whites via the pics taken don't look that way. He did an amazing job. Can't wait to try out both warm2 and warm1 settings once I get my TV!

I fully enjoy using Clicq's settings when watching blu-ray and television, but when I'm playing games it loses it's "pop" and just looks somewhat washed out. I prefer standard when playing games, although maybe toning down the brightness.

Do you mean the factory preset 'standard' setting on the TV or clicq's standard based settings?

Crispy: Just got my 52A550 yesterday and am trying out this Movie Mode setting. So far I really like it. Thanks a million, I will keep you all posted!

I updated my calibration on my LN40A550 last week using Clicq's 995 settings...and I just loved the way the picture looks...I am of the "Warm2" camp...even when I had my 27" Sony CRT I had that set to "Movie" mode because I felt that it gave a much more realistic looking picture (via my eyes/my brain).
One thing that still bothers me is at times I still get a sense of "blurriness/outlined(?)". I can't say exactly what it is...and it's not all the time...Heck, I'm not sure if I'm really seeing something or if it's just my lying eyes! Anyone else out there seeing anything like this...?
Thanks Clicq for your postings & thanks to all who have answered my unending number of Newbee questions!
Ghpr13

Well what exactly do you mean by blurriness, or outlined? Do you see outlines around things? That sounds like maybe you have sharpness up too high or something. Does the whole screen look 'blurry'? Or just during motion? What sources do you see this on? One, or all?

I have a new LN52A550 and are there any settings to help with Motion Blur? (Is the Pixelization during motion considered Motion Blur?) I watch a lot of Sports: MLB and NFL. I am using TheBeginning's Dynamic Settings (#5) as I like Bright Poppy PQ.

clicq - I really like your 995 settings. After trying the new settings for a day I went back to the 995. I have question for you regarding hdmi black level. When switching from low to normal the picture brightens, which can be compensated for by turning down the backlight. If the same quality of calibration can be achieved at normal it would allow for less power consumption due the backlight being lower, or would it throw the graphs off by adding more processing?

tjgriz, that's going to be a problem for you. Dynamic settings are so oversaturated in 'brightness' and 'pop', that you'll most likely see every blemish there is. When you calibrate to make things look more natural, and less 'burn your eyes out of your skull' like, you won't see the blemishes nearly as much.