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So I got my set yesterday and using a THX optimizer disc set my video settings to the following values for each input:
Picture mode: Custom
Iris: 2 [or 3] for controlled movie room lighting; 3 or 4 for daytime TV
Picture: 90 [increased from 60 or 65 improved overall picture, lower Iris if too bright]
Brightness: 34 [40 with antenna input]
Color: 35 [35 - 40 for different TV programs]]
Hue: 0
Color Temp: warm-2 before calibration, [warm-1 after calibrating it to D65 reference]
Sharpness: 28 [ increased for TV after correcting picture level]
Noise Reduction: off
DRC: High Density
DRC Pallette: reality 20, clarity 40
Black Correction: off
Adv Vid- Advanced Iris: low
Adv Vid- Gamma: off
Adv Vid- Clear white: off
Adv Vid- Live Color: off
The picture then looked pretty good but with some red push; so I tried to lower that using the umr gwii tweaks and GWIV tweaks thread info but the service menu has changed. I poked around anyway and came up with the following change that seems to lower red-push. Unfortunately it looked to me (using only the THX optimizer color bars) like it added a slight amount of green push at the same time it lowered the red push. I have neither the service manual nor the test equipment to properly calibrate the color decoder but I am going to post what I tried anyway. If you try this it will be a little like taking painting advice from someone who has always been blind but I don't know if we could ever convince a real calibrator to post the correct fix. Maybe we will get lucky and umr will pity us and give us a clue after he has cal'ed an A10.
*** Warning: messing around in the service menu can damage your TV which would not be covered by warranty ***
Before messing around in the service menu you should read the info posted for the earlier GW tweak threads. It would also be a good idea to get a service manual from Sony parts first. [Manual does not explain service mode settings.]
Red Push Lowering:
(step -1) Start with a TV where all needed inputs have already been configured to best custom mode settings
(step 0) If necessary turn off TV and wait for bulb to turn off
(step 1) Press the following 4 key sequence without a pause:
(display) (5) (Volume +) (Power)
(step 2) Wait the normal turn on time for the debug screen to appear
(step 3) Select the desired input (ex. Press TV/Video) with a signal present- preferably a color test signal
(step 4) Press (jump) twice to get to service data screen
(step 5) Press (2) eight times to get to CST category
(step 5a) write down the current setting for CH_ITU_MODE1
(step 5b) press (6) until CH_ITU_MODE1 is set to 0000
(step 6) Press (1) once to get to CHAXIS 1 item
(step 7) Write down current setting
(step 8) Change the item value from 46 or 3c to 3b by pressing (6) to decrement the value. Observe the effect on the display, press (3) to increment setting back if desired
[edit: I am currently using the 17 setting for all inputs with 0]
(step 9) To save the new value press (mute) (ent) and wait for write to complete, skip this step if no change is desired [setting will stay without write until the set is unplugged]
(step 10) Press (jump) to return to the debug screen
Repeat steps 3 through 10 for each input and resolution, skipping steps 8 and 9 if the value is already decremented. I only needed to change one SD and one HD value for the other inputs to show the new value.
(step 11) From debug screen press (power) to turn the TV off and wait for the bulb to go out
[edit: if you power off without returning to the debug screen then when you power on the service menu will still be visible, you need to repeat the mistake to get the service menu to disappear. There is more info on this later in the thread]
[edit: removed factory reset procedure, here is Dark Rain's warning about factory resets:]
I have now calibrated my grayscales using a spider2express plus the HCFR software and the getgray DVD. Thanks to Dark Rain's info below on setting grayscale. Here is a link to the HCFR thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&post8935559
Picture mode: Custom
Iris: 2 [or 3] for controlled movie room lighting; 3 or 4 for daytime TV
Picture: 90 [increased from 60 or 65 improved overall picture, lower Iris if too bright]
Brightness: 34 [40 with antenna input]
Color: 35 [35 - 40 for different TV programs]]
Hue: 0
Color Temp: warm-2 before calibration, [warm-1 after calibrating it to D65 reference]
Sharpness: 28 [ increased for TV after correcting picture level]
Noise Reduction: off
DRC: High Density
DRC Pallette: reality 20, clarity 40
Black Correction: off
Adv Vid- Advanced Iris: low
Adv Vid- Gamma: off
Adv Vid- Clear white: off
Adv Vid- Live Color: off
The picture then looked pretty good but with some red push; so I tried to lower that using the umr gwii tweaks and GWIV tweaks thread info but the service menu has changed. I poked around anyway and came up with the following change that seems to lower red-push. Unfortunately it looked to me (using only the THX optimizer color bars) like it added a slight amount of green push at the same time it lowered the red push. I have neither the service manual nor the test equipment to properly calibrate the color decoder but I am going to post what I tried anyway. If you try this it will be a little like taking painting advice from someone who has always been blind but I don't know if we could ever convince a real calibrator to post the correct fix. Maybe we will get lucky and umr will pity us and give us a clue after he has cal'ed an A10.
*** Warning: messing around in the service menu can damage your TV which would not be covered by warranty ***
Before messing around in the service menu you should read the info posted for the earlier GW tweak threads. It would also be a good idea to get a service manual from Sony parts first. [Manual does not explain service mode settings.]
Red Push Lowering:
(step -1) Start with a TV where all needed inputs have already been configured to best custom mode settings
(step 0) If necessary turn off TV and wait for bulb to turn off
(step 1) Press the following 4 key sequence without a pause:
(display) (5) (Volume +) (Power)
(step 2) Wait the normal turn on time for the debug screen to appear
(step 3) Select the desired input (ex. Press TV/Video) with a signal present- preferably a color test signal
(step 4) Press (jump) twice to get to service data screen
(step 5) Press (2) eight times to get to CST category
(step 5a) write down the current setting for CH_ITU_MODE1
(step 5b) press (6) until CH_ITU_MODE1 is set to 0000
(step 6) Press (1) once to get to CHAXIS 1 item
(step 7) Write down current setting
(step 8) Change the item value from 46 or 3c to 3b by pressing (6) to decrement the value. Observe the effect on the display, press (3) to increment setting back if desired
[edit: I am currently using the 17 setting for all inputs with 0]
(step 9) To save the new value press (mute) (ent) and wait for write to complete, skip this step if no change is desired [setting will stay without write until the set is unplugged]
(step 10) Press (jump) to return to the debug screen
Repeat steps 3 through 10 for each input and resolution, skipping steps 8 and 9 if the value is already decremented. I only needed to change one SD and one HD value for the other inputs to show the new value.
(step 11) From debug screen press (power) to turn the TV off and wait for the bulb to go out
[edit: if you power off without returning to the debug screen then when you power on the service menu will still be visible, you need to repeat the mistake to get the service menu to disappear. There is more info on this later in the thread]
[edit: removed factory reset procedure, here is Dark Rain's warning about factory resets:]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dark Rain /forum/post/0
I've read about people doing factory resets on other Sony TVs and it made several changes to the service menu that weren't there before. This may not apply to the A10, but I would rather be safe than sorry. It may also void your warranty if you have to call Sony to get it fixed.
I have now calibrated my grayscales using a spider2express plus the HCFR software and the getgray DVD. Thanks to Dark Rain's info below on setting grayscale. Here is a link to the HCFR thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&post8935559