[clev12]

I recently bought a 46" 1080p LCD, arrives on Thursday. I don't have any plans to buy BD until the prices come down substantially (which could mean the end of this year). So until then my only HD source will be through cable? Should I do a calibration now (or an NTSC-based calibration) or wait until I have BD?

 

[GeorgeAB]

If you want a more correct image on your new TV, use a test pattern DVD to adjust the controls for signals from your DVD player. This will educate your eyes for likely settings to use when viewing other devices than your DVD player. You can fine-tune the settings for HD programs later when you get a BD player and HD test disc.


Otherwise, a pro calibrator can setup your HD inputs with a pattern generator. Fine tuning will need to be done later when you acquire a BD player.


Best regards and beautiful pictures,

G. Alan Brown, President

CinemaQuest, Inc.


"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings


Calibration as a service has been available since well before HD showed up on the scene. It has little to do with HD or SD as entities. It has everything to do with a person wanting the image to be as accurate as possible.


It mattered before HD ... and it still matters now ... for those that care about such things.


If one thinks that calibration is only important for HD material, then it is time to seriously think about the whole concept. Likely come to a conclusion that you might not be a candidate for professional level calibration.


Regards

 

[clev12]

It's not that I think professional calibration is only important for HD. It's just that, based on my understanding, it doesn't make sense to calibrate now given that my home theater (from a visual standpoint) is incomplete, and what is proper for SD may not be proper for HD. I don't have a money tree in my home, so I don't have the luxury of having a professional calibration done whenever I please.

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings


It's usually possible to talk with the calibrator to make an "arrangement" to come back later when you upgraded ... all under the same price umbrella. You don't have to have a money tree ... you just have to ask.

Regards

 

[GeorgeAB]

I detect a note of irrational cynicism in the "money tree" remark. Professional calibration is no more of a luxury than the TV is, and it costs far less in most cases. It's a technical option you decide to allocate resources for. You decide if it's a priority over other lifestyle options, like any other expenditure. No one has unlimited financial resources.


Some consumers resent the fact that a megabuck video component doesn't come from the factory fully optimized for their use. I've seen this resentment grow into an undercurrent of victimhood focused toward professional calibrators. They have been characterized as predators and charlatans, even in this forum. How dare someone suggest my TV doesn't look as good as it could!


All this emotional component clouds rational thought processes. Either a TV owner values the benefits of calibration sufficiently to budget and schedule for it, or focuses on other personal priorities. No mythical tree of money ever need be required.

 

[clev12]

There's a commercial that I hear on the radio every day endorsing ISF calibration. There's a guy with a cheesy, faux British accent. When I read your posts, I imagine that guy's voice (except he sounds like he's about to have an orgasm when he talks about the improved picture).


Anyway, I went ahead and decided to get a professional calibration done. I'm a television junkie and I want the best possible picture, especially since I paid so much for the TV and the new audio equipment. The friendly advice that I received from someone in the know was no less helpful than the unnecessary snark and condescension. Just so you know.


I'm not a Luddite, yet in spite of my considerable educational background, there's a lot that I don't know about certain subjects and I like to consult the experts, even the smug ones.