Silly question about calibration

[stavvy]

Now I know myself that this is a silly question but I'll ask it out of interest.

When you have your tv screen calibrated by a professional, are they changing just the picture settings that anyone can change in the picture menu e.g. contrast, brightness sharpness etc or do they have equipment that allows them into some sort of 'secret' configuration menu that allows them to change many more parameters? A menu that would be all too easy for the average customer to use to ruin their tv?

I would like to think it was the latter given the cost of calibration! I'm interested as I had a go at calibrating my tv using the DVD essentials disc and was fairly impressed with the resulting picture. A lot darker than what I was originally using but after time I got used to it and appreciated the realistic colours it produced. Given my impression I would certainly be interested in professional calibration, but only when I get a new TV. I dont think my current set up would justfiy the cost.

 

[alex30]

Hi,

I don't think your question is silly. In fact I had wondered the same myself and so did some research.

Depending on the brand of TV the professional calibrater should be able to access settings that you cannot. Also he will have special devices for measuring colour levels to balance them up. Likewise for gamma level (which you may not be able to access)

I downloaded a set of consumer caliration files and burned a calibration disc but what concerns me is that can only be used to calibrate the HDMI input to the TV and not the aerial input and the two are not identicle in response. Also it is pretty limited in scope.

 

[Vincent_Teoh]

Not a silly question: unless you've experienced a proper calibration process, it's not easy to know what it entails.

In recent years, TV manufacturers have catered to the demands of video enthusiasts, and gradually increased the number of picture-affecting controls in the user menu, which in the past used to be hidden in secret/ service menus. In other words, most (if not all) of the calibration controls are now available in the user menu, and of course can be adjusted by owners.

However, it's not just as simple as adjusting the controls using a test disc like Digital Video Essentials (DVE) or by eye. A professional calibration makes sure that any adjustment is done towards the goal of hitting a common standard used in the video and broadcast industry, so that viewers will be able to watch movies the way directors intended for them to be watched.

For example, on a 2014 high-end Samsung LED LCD TV, the full calibration process includes:

1) Adjusting [Backlight] and [Contrast] to get sufficient light output for your viewing environment, which is comfortable enough to watch while minimising clouding;

2) Adjusting [Brightness] to make sure you get the deepest black level without crushing shadow detail;

3) Adjusting [Sharpness] to make sure the image is sufficiently sharp without excessive edge enhancement;

4) Adjusting [Picture Size] to make sure you're getting 1:1 pixel mapping without overscan for 1080 source;

5) Turning off all unnecessary noise reduction, dynamic contrast, gamma stretching, and edge enhancement controls;

6) Adjusting the [White Balance] controls to calibrate greyscale, so that images remain tint-free throughout bright or dark scenes;

7) Adjusting the [Colour Space] controls to obtain accurate primary (red, green, blue) and secondary (cyan, magenta, yellow) colours, and any other colours in between;

8 ) Adjusting the [Flesh Tone] control to make sure skin tones look natural and realistic;

9) Choosing the correct [Smart LED] option to obtain deeper blacks without introducing significant fluctuation in luminance; and

10) Choosing the correct [Motion Plus] option to improve motion clarity without introducing artefacts or soap opera effect.

Obviously all of these adjustment controls are available in the user menu, and accessible by anyone, but points 6, 7 and 8 require specialised equipment and software to make sure you're hitting the target correctly, or else you won't get an accurate image. Points 2, 3 and 4 can be done using test discs like DVE, while most calibrators do point 1 scientifically too using a light-measuring meter. Points 9 and 10 come from how experienced the calibrator is with the specific model.

Warmest regards
Vincent

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Not a silly question: unless you've experienced a proper calibration process, it's not easy to know what it entails. In recent years, TV manufacturers have catered to the demands of video enthusiasts, and gradually increased the number of picture-affecting controls in the user menu, which in the past used to be hidden in secret/ service menus. In other words, most (if not all) of the calibration controls are now available in the user menu, and of course can be adjusted by owners. However, it's not just as simple as adjusting the controls using a test disc like Digital Video Essentials (DVE) or by eye. A professional calibration makes sure that any adjustment is done towards the goal of hitting a common standard used in the video and broadcast industry, so that viewers will be able to watch movies the way directors intended for them to be watched. For example, on a 2014 high-end Samsung LED LCD TV, the full calibration process includes: 1) Adjusting [Backlight] and [Contrast] to get sufficient light output for your viewing environment, which is comfortable enough to watch while minimising clouding; 2) Adjusting [Brightness] to make sure you get the deepest black level without crushing shadow detail; 3) Adjusting [Sharpness] to make sure the image is sufficiently sharp without excessive edge enhancement; 4) Adjusting [Picture Size] to make sure you're getting 1:1 pixel mapping without overscan for 1080 source; 5) Turning off all unnecessary noise reduction, dynamic contrast, gamma stretching, and edge enhancement controls; 6) Adjusting the [White Balance] controls to calibrate greyscale, so that images remain tint-free throughout bright or dark scenes; 7) Adjusting the [Colour Space] controls to obtain accurate primary (red, green, blue) and secondary (cyan, magenta, yellow) colours, and any other colours in between; 8 ) Adjusting the [Flesh Tone] control to make sure skin tones look natural and realistic; 9) Choosing the correct [Smart LED] option to obtain deeper blacks without introducing significant fluctuation in luminance; and 10) Choosing the correct [Motion Plus] option to improve motion clarity without introducing artefacts or soap opera effect. Obviously all of these adjustment controls are available in the user menu, and accessible by anyone, but points 6, 7 and 8 require specialised equipment and software to make sure you're hitting the target correctly, or else you won't get an accurate image. Points 2, 3 and 4 can be done using test discs like DVE, while most calibrators do point 1 scientifically too using a light-measuring meter. Points 9 and 10 come from how experienced the calibrator is with the specific model. Warmest regards Vincent

What sort of money do you charge for calibration Vincent? :cheers:

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Not a silly question: unless you've experienced a proper calibration process, it's not easy to know what it entails. In recent years, TV manufacturers have catered to the demands of video enthusiasts, and gradually increased the number of picture-affecting controls in the user menu, which in the past used to be hidden in secret/ service menus. In other words, most (if not all) of the calibration controls are now available in the user menu, and of course can be adjusted by owners. However, it's not just as simple as adjusting the controls using a test disc like Digital Video Essentials (DVE) or by eye. A professional calibration makes sure that any adjustment is done towards the goal of hitting a common standard used in the video and broadcast industry, so that viewers will be able to watch movies the way directors intended for them to be watched. For example, on a 2014 high-end Samsung LED LCD TV, the full calibration process includes: 1) Adjusting [Backlight] and [Contrast] to get sufficient light output for your viewing environment, which is comfortable enough to watch while minimising clouding; 2) Adjusting [Brightness] to make sure you get the deepest black level without crushing shadow detail; 3) Adjusting [Sharpness] to make sure the image is sufficiently sharp without excessive edge enhancement; 4) Adjusting [Picture Size] to make sure you're getting 1:1 pixel mapping without overscan for 1080 source; 5) Turning off all unnecessary noise reduction, dynamic contrast, gamma stretching, and edge enhancement controls; 6) Adjusting the [White Balance] controls to calibrate greyscale, so that images remain tint-free throughout bright or dark scenes; 7) Adjusting the [Colour Space] controls to obtain accurate primary (red, green, blue) and secondary (cyan, magenta, yellow) colours, and any other colours in between; 8 ) Adjusting the [Flesh Tone] control to make sure skin tones look natural and realistic; 9) Choosing the correct [Smart LED] option to obtain deeper blacks without introducing significant fluctuation in luminance; and 10) Choosing the correct [Motion Plus] option to improve motion clarity without introducing artefacts or soap opera effect. Obviously all of these adjustment controls are available in the user menu, and accessible by anyone, but points 6, 7 and 8 require specialised equipment and software to make sure you're hitting the target correctly, or else you won't get an accurate image. Points 2, 3 and 4 can be done using test discs like DVE, while most calibrators do point 1 scientifically too using a light-measuring meter. Points 9 and 10 come from how experienced the calibrator is with the specific model. Warmest regards Vincent

What sort of money do you charge for calibration Vincent? :cheers:

Not to worry I have just read on your page.

 

[stavvy]

wow! thanks for the detailed responses! i am now much more informed!