ISF Calibrators, where are you located? Please post here! - Page 14

Fred,

I wholeheartedly second Dave's recommendation of Michael Hamilton.

But if you aren't able to get something arranged with Coyotes, let me know and I will post a note for you on the private calibrator site at the ISF Forum Library. Just drop me an AVS private message if you need to follow up and I'll take it from there.

Fred,

I can make the drive to Las Vegas for a Calibration too. Vegas is about a 4-hour drive. Generally, it is mixed among many whether they are willing to spend additional travel fees to bring a calibrator in from a long distance.

Right. And with so few calibrators up on CRT triple gun tech - and that number dwindling all the time as CRT tech slowly but inexorably goes the way of the dinosaur, as it is even now slowly doing - those in the know about such things are becoming fewer and farther between. This thread is prolly the best resource around for finding them.

With those of us who do know these things, like Glen and Doug and myself, being hired from out of town has become a regular, expectable thing. Driving in or flying in for the job has become a routine expectation for CRT triple-gun-capable calibrators. Hire us now while you still can, as anyone who can do it, still needs enough work to be able to stay in the business of doing so.

Don't let the need to fly in a calibrator keep you from having your set calibrated. The need for optics cleaning alone, on CRT RPTVs 3 years or older, fleshes out a cal tour nicely. I would be willing to do cal tours with JUST optics cleaning gigs, if necessary, with enough of them - say at least 5, or a couple in addition to at least one cal - being involved. I travel even for just one cal, but the addition of optics cleanings makes it all that much more worthwhile a trip to make.

With enough fellow participants, the expenses of the organizer are cut down drastically. Each of those involved in some of my more recent tours wound up paying no more than locals pay me to come over to their place, in my home area.


Mr Bob

I forgot to mention, I own a Pioneer 1140 elite

No problem... I have the equipment/software for the Elite calibrations.

Joe Morgan/Xpediant AV
Technical Design Manager

Sencore Auto Cal Pro and Color Pro 5000, Sencore VP403 generator, 6500K back Lighting fixtures, Digital Video Essentials Pro, Monster Calibration, Monster Cables, Colorfacts system. Trained by top Calibration specialist Gregg Loewen of Lion Audio Video, scored a perfect 100 on a ISF exam graded personally by Joel Silver. Attended many simmers with Joel Silver and Joe Kane. Specialize in HTPC/Media Center systems. Huge assortment of WMVHD, Blue Ray, HDDVD, and DVD test material

Located in Houston Texas but can travel
pleaseemailjmorgan@xpediantav.moc
281-726-1563

Then let my comments re. CRT triple gun tech go to those who own them, who are reading this.

Plasma requires only the grayscale, colorations and luminance work, plus working with sharpness, detail, and edge enhancement. It does not require geometry, convergence, triple-gun focusing or optics cleaning, like CRT tech does.

That's where the experts in such things - the image structure that CRTs are famous for - are dwindling in number as we speak.


Mr Bob

I was told that there is a newer, quicker way of calibrating a set using a lap top computer and adjusting the Gray Scale. I was told that once this was accomplished that the rest of the adjustments kind of fell in place and usually that was all required. I think this was done through the manufacturer's menu not readily available to the consumer.

Anyone ever hear of this approach? Is it true?

Thanks,

These is ISFccc which only works with displays that have the ISFccc logo on them. It is a special software that has the display and the notebook "talk" to each other.

Greensboro, NC - Any calibrators travel to my area? I have the SXRD 70"XBR2

Create a cal tour - anywhere - and I will come.


Mr Bob

I also go to North Carolina, and I'm an SXRD owner. I've calibrated several SXRD's for fellow AVS forum members.

Same here, and I'm also an SXRD owner. I may be heading through your area very soon on my way to Atlanta.

Of course, you'll be served very well by any of the fine folks that replied here

Good luck in your search and enjoy the results.

Looking for a professional to calibrate a Sony KD-34XBR960 CRT in Peoria, IL.

I may be able to make it out your way. Search here for references on my work on other 960's.

jam,

I'm headed to Springfield and Chicago on Sunday and will be in the area for a week. I can make it through Peoria en route, if you're interested.

I sent you a PM.

I just bought a new 71" Samsung that should arrive next week.

Anyone in the Ocala, Florida area that can come over and calibrate for me? PM me and let me know.

hi Noah
I will be in the Tampa - Pensacoloa - Mobile area from July 28-Aug 4th and would be happy to take care of you. Please drop me an email if interested, or call me.
Gregg
gregg@lionav.com
201 232 3380

I am in the Tulsa, OK area and am looking for a top notch calibrater for a Pioneer Elite PRO730hdi RPTV. Is there anyone that will be comming to my area?

I specialize in Pioneer Elite CRT RPTVs, and love doing the x30s, as they have extra registers in green that help with overscan reduction.

Of the tours I have done this year, 2 of those trips have been dedicated to repairing, calibrating and maintaining chiefly Pioneer Elites - x10, x20 and x30 series (like yours). You can find info on these trips by looking up "Mr. Bob does Atlanta!" and "Mr. Bob does Florida", both here on the AVS.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...b+does+Atlanta

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=862535


I am also all over the "Pioneer Elite Pro 510 Problem" thread here, personally saving, and coaching DIYers in how to save their OWN, 510/610/710 series of Elite CRT RPTVs from around 1999. Have been for many, many moons, and we've been saving Elites right and left from the scrap heaps that others are throwing them on, every day. Each one we save means another 5 years minimum for their owners, of stealth grade CRT based viewing, with dynamic punch and depth, no SSE or SDE or rainbow effects, and crystal clear blacks. 35mm film grade viewing, which only fully calibrated triple gun CRT can effortlessly produce.

You won't feel the need to go out to the mall theaters, with a CRT RPTV that's crystal clear clean, has had its factory overscan reduced to proper levels - forever recovering formerly lost areas of video real estate and rendering even tighter, higher resolution in the process - and has been fully calibrated. It will look just as good and relatively speaking will be just as big a picture in your own viewing room, as it is out there at the mall movie theaters, with the same elegant, glowing, muted lighting conditions that they use out there. No need for hoisting up the ambient light level of your viewing room to distracting light levels just because you are using a bulb-driven fixed pixel device - or plasma that glows green when the room is competely dark and there's nothing on the screen, meaning it's messing up the grayscale color of whatever IS on the screen when there's dark level video there - that's incapable of producing true, clear blacks.

With CRT tech you have no concerns like that. Black is black.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&page=33&pp=30


If you want to know how I feel about CRT RPTVs, look up my thread, "Don't dump your CRT RPTV!".

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...2&page=1&pp=30


Htwaits has compiled an extensive listing of calibration reviews on various calibrators at this thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...26#post8242226



I am not the only calibrator here who can bring out the best in CRT tech, there are others here who know these things as well. But I am undyingly fiercely loyal to keeping CRT tech alive as long as I possibly can. I know what it can do, and believe me it is in the ozone, as far as long term performance in video imaging. I love it. I currently own 2 triple gun CRT RPTVs, a 73" Mit (brand new at first of the year) and a year 2000 65" Panny, which still looks better than the new Mit (have not had the time for a complete cal on the Mit yet, tho some of the most critical stuff has been done so far). Anyone in my area - or even passing by my area - who wants to see what that looks like is invited over, just contact me.

Whoever you choose to do the work, make sure they know the ins and outs and nips and tucks of CRT RPTV technology, if you have a CRT based RPTV. See my website for clues on what CRT needs, to look its best. I go wherever the work takes me, just fly me in. For those who want someone more local, this thread will be a great finder for the best CRT triple-gun workers out there.


Mr Bob

I'm looking for a good recomended calibrator in the Seattle area. Any suggestions?

My brother lives there. I'll split the travel costs with you, for the opportunity of visiting him.


Mr Bob

I'm really not quite ready for a calibration at this time but I'm trying to plan ahead.
I'm waiting to purchase a 1080P pioneer when they come out at which time I'll
be ready. I'll get back in touch at that time to see if you are still interested.

What do you have now?


Mr Bob

Ive been shopping around for a few weeks toying with the idea of going with a DLP projector and screen.... while the price looked appealing, the apparent short life span scared me off. I stumbled across a thread started by Mr. Bob, I believe, that stated not to be so quick to discard your old RPTV. I have a Pioneer SD-582HD5 that been problem free for 5 years and Ive decided to get it cleaned and calibrated and keep it in my movie room a few more years. Ive never had this work done to it before and while it's picture pales in comparison to my 32" LCD in my computer room....it still does a great job. Will anyone be in the Chicago area (northwest suburbs) in the next couple of months? If so, please PM me here . Thanks

Jim

Jim, just this afternoon I returned from a week in Chicago and Springfield, so you just missed me.

However, I am likely to be back in your city within the next 6 weeks, and likely sooner. Send me a private message and we can discuss your needs and your system in more detail.

thanks a ton Gregg for the offer. if i don't find anyone by then, you'll be my man.

however, my new tv arrives later this week. anyone recommend someone to calibrate my new Samsung in Central Fla.....Ocala in particular?

really wanting to get this done this week coming up or next.

nothing worth calibrating! An old crt!

Any CRT that's HDready is worth calibrating.

Any older CRT that's not HDready is worth calibrating if you don't want to step into the HDready fray just yet. It takes a lot less to cal an older set, and thus costs a lot less. Sometimes all it takes is optics cleaning, for usually only $150, to get it new-looking again.

If you sir far enough back from an older CRT set, much of the image structure tightening work would be lost on you anyway, because you won't get the improved crispness at a far back viewing distance.

The grayscale and color decoding work would improve things, but at greater expense than just giving it a needed optics cleaning. Which you should do in any case, because if you sell it to get a new HDready, cleaning it will definitely improve your asking/getting/sale price of the unit, with that cleaning op more than paying for itself.


Mr Bob

See the thread started on my work a few months ago, titled "Mr. Bob does Atlanta!" In it you will find a review by an Elite owner who only started looking around for calibration after buying a brand new Panny DLP for his front room downstairs, and finding that his older Elite up in the viewing room, with his super nice M&K audio surround gear, suddenly was showing its age as he had never seen it do before. The DLP definitely looked better, but he had spent HUGE amounts of money on the Elite back in the day, and wanted to do anything he could to save her.

After my calibration, he now no longer considers the DLP's image better than his Elite CRT's. It was either a 510/610/710, or a 520/620/720, can't remember exactly which right now. 6-8 years old.

Fly me in and I'll do the same for yours. Yours and the Elites use the same electronics and CRTs. The only difference is in the cabinetry.

Mr Bob