Pro Calibration process

The calibration process, tools and the final quality will vary person to person. The adjustments and results will also vary by display and source. Some displays I work on will be calibrated solely in the user menus while others will include factory menus. It all depends on the flexibility and limitations of the product in question. Some displays will also never look very good. I personally choose not to work on those.


I also work with surround sound when I calibrate a home theater. I believe a real home theater system includes surround sound. I also find the improvements in audio from a professional audio setup are generally larger than those with video. The whole process typically takes me 4 to 6 hours to complete and I use about $40,000 in tools to complete the task. The difference in performance between what you can do and what I can do is going to be huge based on my experience.


Questioning the value of these services based on whether some factory menu is used or not is a false measure of its value. The experience, tools and skill of the professional versus yourself is where the real value lies. I also find many of my clients are spending more money on things that will not deliver the greatest improvement in their system. Someone like myself who regularly works with both video and audio can help guide you on what to purchase for your situation that will deliver the best results at your price point. It is very common for my clients to even save money if they include me in the initial purchase decisions. This can result in a much higher performing video and surround system for lower cost than you would get doing this alone.


More details on what I do is available at www.accucalhd.com/faq.htm , www.accucalhd.com/services.htm and www.accucalhd.com/audiocalibration.htm .

What "pro calibrators" do depends on the individual and perhaps the company for which they work.


Professional calibrators, IMO, should:


Prepare themselves for a job with a good bit of research on the product before showing up. They should know what is possible both in the user and service level controls.


Spend some time understanding the needs, expertise, and expectations of the user(s).


Educate the user on best practices with respect to user controls.


Review the system design and connections and recommend changes that might enhance performance.


Make initial measurements and record existing values for parameters to be adjusted.


Perform any minor maintenence that might be needed such as cleaning that can affect performance.


Evaluate the viewing conditions and make recommendations and changes that might enhance performance or viewing.


Perform needed adjustments in either consumer or service level settings to bring the display as close as possible to standards or the desired performance.


Review the results and provide data, before and after settings, and a summary of the work done and system performance.


Extend the process to multiple sources as needed or desired.


Be accessible to the user to respond to questions and provide follow-up services.



Just my view.