Hello fellow AVS members,
My question is simply this ... is a professional calibration worth the money? I've heard of some folks stating that their picture quality, both geometry and picture quality wise, became much better after they had their set calibrated. However, I've also heard that a calibration voids the warranty.
I'm just curious about how the whole process takes place. Do they only use the functions in the service menu to make calibrations? Or do they actually open the set up and adjust the ray tube, screen, magnets, yolk, and other parts physically?
Now, the big question. The set I own is a Sanyo HT30746 30 inch Widescreen CRT HDTV. I've read posts about this television on this forum and elsewhere, and while most people seem to like the overall picture quality, the two complaints that I've heard most are about two things ... the geometry and the overscanning. I've noticed both these issues. The overscanning doesn't bother me much, but I've found myself playing my games and watching my movies in 480p mode in a 4:3 letter box to avoid the "paper roller" effect present on the sides of the screen. This effect is also present to a lesser extent on the top and bottom of the screen. My question is, would a professional calibration fix this? Or is it simply a flaw in the design of the TV itself that can't be fixed at all?
The reason I'm asking this is I really like the TV. I've always been a fan of CRT televisions. I don't like the ghosting affects that take place on cheaper model LCDs, and I simply can't afford an LCD with a fast response time. The picture on my current TV is clear, large, and easy for me to see, and the progressive scanning is much easier on the eyes than my old TV was. But I didn't buy a Widescreen TV just so I could use it in Letterbox mode to avoid funky geometry effects. I like the set a lot, and it was a great value, but if the problems can't be fixed, I might just return it and look for set without such issues.
Any comments or thoughts from you guys would be greatly appreciated, since I'm not very knowledgable about display calibration and I'm too afraid to adjust the set myself (I don't want to screw it up more, LOL).
Thanks for reading, and I hope to hear from you guys soon!
-Colin
My question is simply this ... is a professional calibration worth the money? I've heard of some folks stating that their picture quality, both geometry and picture quality wise, became much better after they had their set calibrated. However, I've also heard that a calibration voids the warranty.
I'm just curious about how the whole process takes place. Do they only use the functions in the service menu to make calibrations? Or do they actually open the set up and adjust the ray tube, screen, magnets, yolk, and other parts physically?
Now, the big question. The set I own is a Sanyo HT30746 30 inch Widescreen CRT HDTV. I've read posts about this television on this forum and elsewhere, and while most people seem to like the overall picture quality, the two complaints that I've heard most are about two things ... the geometry and the overscanning. I've noticed both these issues. The overscanning doesn't bother me much, but I've found myself playing my games and watching my movies in 480p mode in a 4:3 letter box to avoid the "paper roller" effect present on the sides of the screen. This effect is also present to a lesser extent on the top and bottom of the screen. My question is, would a professional calibration fix this? Or is it simply a flaw in the design of the TV itself that can't be fixed at all?
The reason I'm asking this is I really like the TV. I've always been a fan of CRT televisions. I don't like the ghosting affects that take place on cheaper model LCDs, and I simply can't afford an LCD with a fast response time. The picture on my current TV is clear, large, and easy for me to see, and the progressive scanning is much easier on the eyes than my old TV was. But I didn't buy a Widescreen TV just so I could use it in Letterbox mode to avoid funky geometry effects. I like the set a lot, and it was a great value, but if the problems can't be fixed, I might just return it and look for set without such issues.
Any comments or thoughts from you guys would be greatly appreciated, since I'm not very knowledgable about display calibration and I'm too afraid to adjust the set myself (I don't want to screw it up more, LOL).
Thanks for reading, and I hope to hear from you guys soon!
-Colin
