Disney's WOW: World of Wonder (Blu-ray) Official AVSForum Review - Page 10

I put the update on a SLIM, an original 4 USB port wireless, and a 2 USB port FAT and the WOW disks play fine in all.

Hi guys,

I'm from Germany and own a Epson 8700UB with a Marantz SR7005 and a Marantz UD5005. So please be patient with my language!! My question is
how the contrast pattern (advanced) is supposed to look like?? Like on the picture or should the star with 0% should be invisible???

Furthermore, when I use the contrast patern (beginner) I can't see the 3 different stripes on the right. Doesn't matter if I chang the contrast to the lowest or the highest setting!!!

Thank you!

Before you begin

On some HDTV's, you may notice a limited range of adjustment. This is by design on the part of the TV manufacturer. These limits avoid pushing the HDTV too far beyond ideal levels. Do not be concerned about the inability to exceed the limits indicated on the WOW test patterns. Your HDTV will calibrate perfectly within the given range of adjustment.

CONTRAST: For Contrast, you want the "Visible White Stars" to be visible without fading in to the background. If you start losing the "Visible White Stars" your monitor is clipping, which is not optimal. In many cases, you will be able to see the Above White Stars on the test pattern. This is quite normal on many HDTV Panels. The best setting in this case is to turn contrast up to the maximum possible level without coloration (red, green or blue tint) to the Above White Stars and/or without losing "Visible White Stars" on the right side of the WOW test pattern. You may actually find that 100% Contrast still does not clip or make the visible white stars vanish on the WOW test pattern. This would be considered your optimal calibrated setting.

SHARPNESS: The WOW Sharpness Tool is for very fine adjustment of your HDTV Sharpness setting. You must be very close to your HDTV Panel to accurately calibrate your HDTV using this tool. Typically, 1 to 2 feet from the panel is recommended. Often, the correct Sharpness setting will be between the lowest to lower 1/4 of the adjustment range.

Using certain inputs, like PC, may restrict the number of adjustments you can make to your HDTV. For more information, please contact your HDTV manufacturer's customer service dept.
____________________________________________

Just set up my LG tv using the WOW DVD. Looks pretty good, if I say so myself.
I had previously set it up using the AVCHD MP4, using my WDTV Live and other than a few slight adjustments, it was pretty close. However,the WOW disk made it alot easier to understand what was going on and to set up.
The beginner section was a bit too simple (at least for me) and I used the advanced.
If I ever get a BluRay player, I will probably use the AVCHD disk, or maybe even spring for the WOW on BD.
If anyone is interested, my settings are here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...1#post21648401

Actually it is c-weighted according to the FAQ at the Scosche website.
I had to buy that SPL meter a couple years ago to set up my 5.1 and it did it quite well. However, the general consensus is that the RS meter is better. Unfortunately, up here in Canada, the choice of affordable SPL meters is very limited and we, for some inexplicable reason, have banned Radio Shack and have The Source instead...yippee.....

If it is C Weighted, you should be OK to use that meter.

Tsk, tsk, such a litigious society we have these days.

Hi all
Am still in the process of planning on getting WOW, just didn't pull the trigger as I am going thru some life changes (new job).

What is the benefits of getting the Bluray over the DVD? Is it just a medium with the disk?

I planned to buy the DVD and rent it to friends to cover the cost I put in.

Yes...there are a few very minor differences.

DVD is of course Standard Definition and it does not have the Pixel Flipper Tool. Also, your evaluation tests for scaling should indicate you are scaling and/or up-converting if you are connected to an HDTV.

BD is High Definition and it does feature the Pixel Flipper Tool. Scaling tests will show no scaling or up-converting if you are connected to an HDTV via HDMI and have all image scaling features like Zoom turned off. You will see no scaling when you have a dot for dot image on screen....which is what you typically want for movie viewing.

Anyone else using the Disney WOW calibration disc with a Panasonic GT30 plasma getting crazy setting results like I am? Last night I messed with it for over three hours and finally ended up with settings of:

Mode: Custom
Contrast: 87
Brightness 67
Color: 50
Tint: 0
Sharpness: 50
Color Temp: Warm1
Panel Brightness: High
Gamma: 2.6
Pro Settings: no change other than previously noted
Everything Else: off or at standard recommended settings based on D'Nice or Dave-O.

These setting go against everything I'm reading and are so out of whack with both D'Nice and Dave-O's settings that I just can't imagine they're right.

Oddly enough the Experience scenes from the WOW disc looked great but most were animation. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this with the Disney disc. I'm going to mess around with it again tonight and watch some non-animated content before passing final judgement but considering this was done in a totally dark room with just a Idealume bias light behind the tv I can't even attribute it to poor lighting conditions. They just don't seem even close to right based on other peoples settings.

GT30 55" btw with 2.1 patch and 2.2 f/w and no issues (dec. 2011 build date).

Thanks for reading and any insights.

have two questions...

i own the blu ray version and using ps3 to run this for my sony tv (55hx820..last year's model).

1. on the contrast settings, the white stars below ideal white doesn't seem to vanish completely even at the highest picture (contrast) settings. i have ALL the extra settings on tv turned off. so that is not an issue. Could it be some settings on the ps3??

2. for the viewing angle, the book says it will show a solid magenta screen. but all i see is a blue screen which seems to become magenta while viewing from a less than ideal angle. is that how it is supposed to be??

Those setting are possible...albeit, I would bet money your sharpness is set way too high.

Every panel is different. Settings posted on the Internet are simply a general guide. Every room and situation is different and settings can vary widely form published averages.

Here are my settings for a Guest Bedroom HDTV that was professionally calibrated.

TC-P42ST30 Settings

Picture Mode: Cinema
Contrast: 100
Brightness: 55
Color: 48
Tint: 0
Sharpness: 0
Color Temp: Warm2
Photo Enhancement: Off
C.A.T.S: Off
Video NR: Off
Block NR: Off
Mosquito NR: Off
Motion Smoother: Off
Black Level: Light
3:2 PullDown: Auto

SM Offsets
R-DRV: F4
G-DRV: F5
B-DRV: 7F
R-CUT: 87
G-CUT: 80
B-CUT: 80

Check this link for proper PS3 Settings:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10022389-1.html

It sounds like the viewing angle test is working by the way you described it. You are looking for an obvious color shift when you move off angle from the screen.

Yes, it is QUITE possible to see 100% for your Contrast Setting. Note the Pro Calibration setting for my Panasonic HDTV in the post below.

Also, please see below for additional instructions regarding the use of the Disney WOW Disc and how to achieve the best results.

--------------------

On some HDTVs, you may notice a limited range of adjustment. This is by design on the part of the HDTV manufacturer. These limits avoid pushing the HDTV too far beyond ideal levels. Do not be concerned about the inability to exceed the limits indicated on the WOW test patterns. Your HDTV can be calibrated perfectly within the given range of adjustment.

CONTRAST: For the CONTRAST test pattern, you’ll want the "Visible White Stars" to be visible without fading into the background. If you start losing the "Visible White Stars," your monitor is clipping, which is not optimal. In many cases, you will be able to see the “Above White Stars” on the test pattern. This is quite normal on many HDTV sets. The best setting in this case is to turn contrast up to the maximum possible level without losing "Visible White Stars" on the right side of the WOW test pattern and without introducing visible coloration (red, green or blue tint) to the “Above White Stars.” You may actually find that 100% contrast still does not “clip” or make the “Visible White Stars” vanish or add any visible coloration to the “Above White Stars” on the WOW test pattern. This would be considered your optimal calibrated setting.

SHARPNESS: The WOW Sharpness Tool is for very fine adjustment of your HDTV Sharpness setting. You must be very close to your HDTV in order to accurately calibrate Sharpness using this tool. Typically, a distance of 1 to 2 feet is recommended. Often, the correct Sharpness setting will be in the lower scale between 0% and 25% of the total adjustment range.

Using certain inputs on your HDTV, like “PC,” may restrict the number of adjustments you can make to your HDTV. For more information, please refer to your HDTV owner’s manual or contact your HDTV manufacturer’s customer service department.

--------------------

HOW TO CALIBRATE VIDEO:

On most HDTV remotes, a button labeled MENU should bring up a list of settings, options and controls for your HDTV. Typically, the controls you need to calibrate the video will be labeled PICTURE SETTING or VIDEO (brightness, contrast, color, etc.). Should you have any problems finding or accessing your HDTV Menu, please refer to your HDTV owner’s manual for instructions.

Most HDTVs have factory preset combinations for brightness, contrast, color, etc., typically called PICTURE MODES. Each preset combination will have a descriptive name, like DYNAMIC, STANDARD, MOVIE/CINEMA, etc.

To achieve the best results, select the PICTURE MODE labeled MOVIE or CINEMA and make all of your adjustments using that Mode.

Once you have chosen the correct PICTURE MODE, go to the PICTURE SETTINGS or VIDEO (brightness, contrast, color, etc.) and make adjustments using the WOW disc and your HDTV remote. When you are finished with each setting, press the POP-UP button on your disc player’s remote to return to the WOW Optimize Menu. On some remotes, this may be called the TITLE/POP-UP or MENU button. Once you return to the WOW Optimize Menu, you can proceed to the next setting. For best results, it is recommended that you perform the adjustments in the order they appear on the WOW Optimize Menu.

Please refer to your HDTV owner’s manual to confirm whether you need to manually save your calibrated settings. (Most HDTVs will automatically save your settings.)

For more detailed instructions on the Calibration Tools featured on WOW, you can download the full instruction manual at the following URL:

http://disneydvd.disney.go.com/managed/WOW_Manual.pdf

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©BVHE, Inc.

Thanks Richard.

Seeing your contrast at 100 makes me feel a bit better about my settings.

My biggest 2 hurdles have been the contrast pattern in the advanced setup - can't seem to get the correct stars to totally disappear.

The gamma pattern in expert is killing me too - my set seems to be hovering around 1.9 and unless I crank the gamma to 2.6 and switch to high panel brightness I just can't get a reading of 2.2.

I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my post.

thanks man. appreciate the time you have taken to answer. I did put my picture settings at max. Is the contrast supposed to affect skin tones? or is that solely dependent on color? Because i seem to see a pinkish/red skin tone on certain channels (might be the signals though)

Just got my copy in the mail. Im looking forward to seeing if it calibrates the picture better than with just my eye. I might take some photos of bluray movies of the before and after to see just how much things have changed for better or worse. Its nice that someone affiliated with the disc actually posts in this thread.

Correct...neither can I on the Panasonic ST-30.

This is quite normal on some HDTV Panels.

Read this for an explanation.

On some HDTVs, you may notice a limited range of adjustment. This is by design on the part of the HDTV manufacturer. These limits avoid pushing the HDTV too far beyond ideal levels. Do not be concerned about the inability to exceed the limits indicated on the WOW test patterns. Your HDTV can be calibrated perfectly within the given range of adjustment.

CONTRAST: For the CONTRAST test pattern, you'll want the "Visible White Stars" to be visible without fading into the background. If you start losing the "Visible White Stars," your monitor is clipping, which is not optimal. In many cases, you will be able to see the Above White Stars on the test pattern. This is quite normal on many HDTV sets. The best setting in this case is to turn contrast up to the maximum possible level without losing "Visible White Stars" on the right side of the WOW test pattern and without introducing visible coloration (red, green or blue tint) to the Above White Stars. You may actually find that 100% contrast still does not clip or make the Visible White Stars vanish or add any visible coloration to the Above White Stars on the WOW test pattern. This would be considered your optimal calibrated setting.

Hi,

If you push contrast setting and notice a visible coloration of the pattern, ... you have pushed contrast too far and it WILL affect color.

Please read this and back down your contrast based on the direction given here.


CONTRAST: For the CONTRAST test pattern, you'll want the "Visible White Stars" to be visible without fading into the background. If you start losing the "Visible White Stars," your monitor is clipping, which is not optimal. In many cases, you will be able to see the Above White Stars on the test pattern. This is quite normal on many HDTV sets. The best setting in this case is to turn contrast up to the maximum possible level without losing "Visible White Stars" on the right side of the WOW test pattern and without introducing visible coloration (red, green or blue tint) to the Above White Stars. You may actually find that 100% contrast still does not clip or make the Visible White Stars vanish or add any visible coloration to the Above White Stars on the WOW test pattern. This would be considered your optimal calibrated setting.

Just finished using the disc. Had to turn my contrast up a bit and make some changes to my color and tint which is looking nicer. Although in the audio section during the low volume noise test every time I would change frequencies before the test started my speakers would make a slight sound almost like a pop or some type of noise. And my dlp is over scanning quite a bit.

No changes to brightness settings? That is pretty rare but good if you had it close prior to using the disc.

The pop may have to do with your AVR...maybe not. I will try to listen to it on my system and see if I get anything similar. However, I would not worry about the pop sound, it should not affect you when playing normal content.

Did you calibrate sound manually using an SPL instead of using Audyssey? You will hear an improvement in sound quality especially when t comes to detail, imaging, soundstage, and clairty.

Is this really true? I thought Audyssey did more to account for room dimensions and eq, etc, than if one just used an SPL.

I spent hours calibrating it with my eyes before using the disc. I had to up the contrast a few ticks and the brightness by two so I had the settings pretty close. The real surprise came when I adjusted the color settings. Made a world of difference in the skin tones and overall look of the colors and easily made the disc worth the purchase for me.

I just used Audyssey for the sound not a SPL. And haven't used the WOW disc to adjust any sound settings yet. The popping sound only happens during the noise test and never during an actual show but happens sometimes during dvd menu playback when the receiver auto switches sound modes, doesnt affect anything I think.

How do you want me to answer that? If I speak the truth based on my real world experience, I am very likely to get flamed in this thread....but the answer is yes.

I can get in to a lot of detail why, but let's just put it this way ... Auto Setup is no match for manual calibration. Audyssey adds a lot of distortion via manipulation of the signal. Distortion of the native source happens whenever you add EQ, Phase Correction, Delay, and a host of other signal altering processes.

All I can say is this ... try it for yourself. Take a good SPL, a setup disc with audio tools ... of which I believe Disney WOW is one of the few that offer reference quality sound tools in 2.0, 5.1, 6.1, and 7.1. They are the same Sound Tools we developed many years ago when I was working at DTS ... they are reference.

Then, try to set your speakers at the exact correct distance and position from your listening position thereby eliminating different delays for each channel in your AVR. If that is not possible, measure accurately to your listening position and set your AVR accordingly.

Then, set your subwoofer up facing 90 degrees away from your listening position and make sure the front center of the driver is within 1" or LESS of your listening position. This will make a big difference in your overall sound.

Then proceed to manually calibrate each speaker with a C Weighted Response using your SPL and an 83db Reference level ... and +3db over that for your sub

Let me know what you think...

...

Yes, I believe you have it correct.

Some receivers will making a clicking sound when changing sound modes. I forgot about that. I must be getting old..!!

RBFilms,

Many thanks for your response. In no way did my I intend to question your years of experience and advice on these forums. I realize now that my question could be interpreted differently depending on how it is read and who is reading it.

In all honesty, everything I've read up until now regarding Audyssey, states to use it over manual SPL calibration. I was simply a little thrown off by your statement.

That being said, I will definitely try a manual calibration. In doing so, I assume Audyssey will not be run at all, correct?

Interesting. I will do a reset on my Denon 2309CI and try your technique. However the subwoofer part is not real clear to me. What if you have a downward firing subwoofer? And the comment "...make sure the front center of the driver is within 1" or LESS of your listening position." ???

Well as long as the clicking is normal I dont mind.

I bought a spyder4pro which is completely horrible and useless so Im now trying to hack my mac to play bluray so I can use the WOW disc for my monitor.

I believe that if I hook up my monitor to the ps3 and calibrate, it wouldnt be accurate since the macs color profile would change things when I plug the mac back in?

A download firing sub is good...!!

The idea behind facing the sib away from you is to reduce any direct radiating sound about the crossover pint from reaching your ear. That will muddy your midrange and high frequencies a great deal and make your bass sound less defined as well.

Placing the front driver of your sub less than 1" on the "circle arc" around your listening position will immediately focus the sub causing it to "snap" in to place and become "one with the room" and there will be no localization of the sub as a source ... meaning it couples to the system and the room in a way that makes it fill the room with bass.

Moving it outside this position immediately causes the sub to lose sync with your system and it no longer functions in harmony with your mains.

See attached image and let me know if that helps.

Richard,

Has there been any thought yet to a WoW Calibration disc in 3D? I'd be first in line for one if you'd produce it.

Thanks!

Lots of thought ... which is why we have not produced one yet.

See the earlier post with more detail as to why we have no plans to do this right now. Primarily ... lack of market share for 3D HDTV and no return on investment.