TV calibration

[RCBH928]

I got a SONY crt. I keep switching between its 3 image modes to find the best fit picture. I am not really sure which one is best.

Here, playing Eternal Darkness using component wires via Wii, the game is too dark.

1) In the first screen is the dark game with "standard" mode. Its bald , this is the normal mode.

2) 2nd shot is from the "bright" mode", I believe i made this custom, where I raised the brightness to use on dark games, or older games like some n64 games look much better on this mode. Other games look over exposed, too much light

3) 3rd shot.This is probably the worst mode, its called "Vivid" . I am not sure what is the use of this mode, but I noticed it pulls in a lot of BLUE into the picture. Using this mode, I noticed that more texture and details show playing video games. Textures that aren't seen in "standard" mode.

I am not sure which mode to choose , or how to calibrate the tv. I want your opinion on this. For eternal darkness, I find the 'Vivid" mode working best as you can see.

[CRTGAMER]

The four modes are just presets of the brightness, color and contrast. You can individually adjust them in the TV settings menu. There is also a hidden Service menu to really fine tune the settings, but I would avoid it. There have been instances of bricking a WEGA when a wrong setting is applied.

I usually just use Standard Setting and kill the room lights and close the blinds to get the best view.

[Zing]

At the most basic level:
- adjust the "brightness" down just until blacks are black, and not grey.
- adjust the "contrast" (sometimes called "picture") to a level where whites do not "bloom" (causing white areas on the screen to grow in size) and the picture is not distorted.
- adjust "color" down so the red is not glowing, a common problem on all TVs.
- tint is usually fine right in the middle, unless you find that skin tones look overly green.

Otherwise, you really want a calibration DVD. The basic Avia disc is what I use. You can also use the THX calibrations built into the Star Wars DVDs.

[MrPopo]

You also have to consider that some games are intentionally darker than others. Many PC games have a screen for setting brightness on first launch where you adjust a slider up and down until a particular graphic is just barely visible on the screen.

[RCBH928]

At the most basic level:
- adjust the "brightness" down just until blacks are black, and not grey.
- adjust the "contrast" (sometimes called "picture") to a level where whites do not "bloom" (causing white areas on the screen to grow in size) and the picture is not distorted.
- adjust "color" down so the red is not glowing, a common problem on all TVs.
- tint is usually fine right in the middle, unless you find that skin tones look overly green.

Otherwise, you really want a calibration DVD. The basic Avia disc is what I use. You can also use the THX calibrations built into the Star Wars DVDs.

i will try your idea

[executioner]

Try using a free calibration disc like the AVS HD 709 if you don't have have an thx optimizer disc at hand.

http://www.avsforum.com/t/948496/avs-hd ... alibration

Be sure to write down you settings and try using some media other than games to test your settings.

If you have a ps3 or bluray player you can think of investing in one of these:

Disney WOW http://goo.gl/Ss4Pk Also available in DVD.
Digital Video Essentials http://goo.gl/zBDx9
Spears & Munsil High-Definition Benchmark http://goo.gl/m6dHr

I personally have the disney one and is good for beginners and has some advanced features I haven't used yet. When people come over they always make good comments on both of my hdtv's picture quality.

[RCBH928]

Thanks for the tip, I am not sure why they don't just pre calibrate all TVs.

I wanted to try the AVS HD 709 but it seems to be for HDTV's while I have an SD cry SONY WEGA

@Zing
I tried your method , I think I got a better picture. Its not as dull as the standard and not as sharp and extreme as Vivid settings. I am using it to play this game.

The problem is that with N64 titles you need to pull the Brightness waaaay up to get a good picture. Didn't test the current setting on the N64 games yet

[isiolia]

Thanks for the tip, I am not sure why they don't just pre calibrate all TVs.

Couple reasons.

First, because properly calibrated screens don't tend to "pop" as much, especially on a showroom floor under bright fluorescent lights. Defaults are usually set to make you see a bright, crisp, vivid picture because that's what most people think looks good - nevermind if detail is blown out and flesh tones are way off
Properly calibrated audio is more balanced than most of the cars you hear rolling around with the subwoofer rattling the trunk too.

Second, because hardware can be slightly different, and changes over time. Doing a proper calibration at the factory would tend to require running the TV for tens or hundreds of hours first, and it'd still probably be off in a few years.

[MrPopo]

They do precalibrate TVs; to the conditions of the store, which are very different from the conditions in your home. Proper TV calibration is very dependent on the lighting conditions of the room you're in, and can also vary depending on the content you are consuming on it. That's why many TVs have presets for "lights on, regular TV", "lights off, movies", "lights on, sports".

[RCBH928]

There should be automatic calibration with a light censor on each TV that can figure the lightening of each room

Would it make sense for some one to use different setting for different uses? Like different calibration for video games, TV watching, bluray? or is it usually just 1 setting