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[sasimirobot]

So I finally broke down and bought a Sony-Wega 29" HDTV and want to know if ISP Calibration is a must. When I watch DVDs on my upscaling Xbox media center they look fucking good but I notice too much red on movies like "Apocolypse Now".

Is it worth the money, how much of a difference am I gonna see? Are games going to look better also?

 

[Dilbert]

Buy a copy of Avia's Home Theater Essentials and calibrate it yourself. Red push is common on many TVs, and it's easy to set the levels correctly with some test signals.

The problem with ISF calibration is that it's only good for a certain period of time...then you need to do it again. With all due respect, if you're playing DVDs on an XBOX of all things, you won't notice the difference between a do-it-yourself calibration and a professional calibration.

 

[sasimirobot]

I also read that calibration makes the CRT tube last longer and prevents "burn-in".

How would I change the red-levels if my only options are color/brightness/contrast by using the DVD essentials? I thought those things are hidden in service menus only.

I wouldnt knock the Xbox media center, but I havent found an upscaling DVD player that works through component cables yet so I dont know what I am missing I guess.

 

[madara]

Question better asked at home theater forum but I've see $150-300 figure. Depends on credentials of caliberater. Usually less "guns" on tv lower price.

 

[Naked Snake]

Isn't Digital Video Essential better than Avia's? It sure is more "current" at least.

DVE is a nightmare to navigate through though.

 

[tmdorsey]

Rear projection CRT tvs usually benefit the most from ISF calibrations in my opinion.

 

[DCX]

In most cases, DIY is the way to go unless you have a big problem that you can't fix, alignment issues etc.

DCX

 

[crumbs]

I've had Avia for a couple of years, but I bought it for the audio portion. The video section works well for CRT sets, but was useless on my Dad's new rear projection DLP. I haven't tried Digital Video Esstentials yet, so hopefully it's better for fixed-pixal sets. As for ISF calibrations, I don't think it's worth it on a 29 inch television.

If your comfortable playing with the set and maybe going into the service menu, you can use DVE or Avia to fix the red push you described. If you go through their adjustments, you'll probably turn the contrast down, which would "extend" the life of the set.

 

[Dilbert]

How would I change the red-levels if my only options are color/brightness/contrast by using the DVD essentials? I thought those things are hidden in service menus only.

Actually, those are the main controls you need to adjust things. Service menu access would help, but you'd really have to know what you were doing to take advantage of it. If you use the basic controls to limit the brightness (reduce burn-in, extend life of tube), set black level correctly (bring out the most detail), and adjust color to minimize red push (which is far more visible to the eye than green or blue push), you'll be much happier.

Isn't Digital Video Essential better than Avia's? It sure is more "current" at least.

DVE is for digital televisions: LCD, LCD projection, DLP, LCoS. I'm guessing he has a direct-view HD CRT.

I've had Avia for a couple of years, but I bought it for the audio portion.

Heh...the audio calibration was a fun afternoon.

 

[mrmyth]

I also read that calibration makes the CRT tube last longer and prevents "burn-in".

Just turn down the contrast. Comsumer TVs ship with the Best Buy showroom settings as default. They're trying to stand out by making the picture bright and loud at the expense of the tube life. You want to bring contrast down so that white looks white, but not blinding. The picture may look dull initially, but when your eyes get used to it, you'll actually see more detail.

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

Isn't Digital Video Essential better than Avia's? It sure is more "current" at least.

DVE is a nightmare to navigate through though.

They released a newer version a little while ago that is supposed to be for the newer HD sets. I haven't seen it (don't have a HD set so no need to buy it) but I hear it's pretty good.

In the 1950s, the “TV GUY” brought your new set home and tuned it for you. Then came the 1970s where we drifted into “plug and play” with the viewer doing all of the tuning. By the 1990s, component video was making its way into the home, and we released Video Essentials to help you get it right. Now…. it’s time for the next generation, as home entertainment setup has evolved into Digital Video Essentials. The DVE calibration disc looks at system setup from the point of view of creating a canvas for works of electronic art. We’ve created NTSC, PAL and HDTV versions of DVE that provide a unified set of instructions and test patterns that work with all three formats. From acoustic and visual environment of a high quality system, to audio and video setup, Digital Video Essentials is the “TV Guy” of the 21st Century.

from the www.videoessentials.com website. The site also has a glossary of terms. very useful.

 

[Naked Snake]

DVE is for digital televisions: LCD, LCD projection, DLP, LCoS. I'm guessing he has a direct-view HD CRT.

I'm pretty sure it's made with CRT sets in mind as well, I used it many times.