calibrating tv - wish i had known this...

[ratso]

... before buying a tv. if you want to REALLY calibrate your tv correctly (and yes, as this explains there is a CORRECT way to calibrate one. whether or not you like it will depend on how much you like the super bright best-buy type calibrations) here is how to do it. cheaper then getting an ISF guy out to your house, and you can do it on all your sets.

(alright, WTH i can't post a link? that's just stupid. OK so go to curtpalme.com go to the faqs/tips/manuals tab and click on the link to "greyscale and colour calibration for dummies."

all my tv's look great now, and i have the graphs to prove it. i would have been a lot more careful about buying a tv with adjustable RGB high and low end, adjustable gamma and a true color management system for the primary and secondary colors. but even just fixing your greyscale will greatly improve your tv's picture.

p.s. although i haven't tried both, i recommend the eye-one sensor. :D

[perkey84]

I perfer to stay lockedup in the house for three days. adjusting it the way that i want it. the tv may look great on one channel but look like trash when you change the channel. just play with it.

[Alex2507]

Should I throw my Avia II Calibration Disc away? :rolleyes: :D

[mike c]

i got an AVIA II calibration disc from SVS (free) ... it was empty :D (save for the colored films)

and because it was free - i didn't have the heart to complain

[Alex2507]

i got an AVIA II calibration disc from SVS (free) ... it was empty :D (save for the colored films)

and because it was free - i didn't have the heart to complain

I paid a little extra for mine to get it quicker and then didn't use it for two weeks. Amazon was selling them for $30 last week, shipped. I paid $50 some months back. :eek:

[mike c]

does it really make a big difference? im kinda hesitating to spend 30 bucks on a "calibration disc"

[Alex2507]

does it really make a big difference? im kinda hesitating to spend 30 bucks on a "calibration disc"

:) Oh my goodness. Yes it makes a big enough difference that comparing uncalibrated TV's is pointless. A calibrated cheap 32" LCD looked better than an uncalibrated 50" Panny plasma in my living room side by side. It does cool audio stuff too. Essential audio stuff. The impact on sound quality and picture quiality provided by a clibration disc and a RS SPL meter have in my case been profound.

I'm having trouble getting my mind around you hesitating to spend $30.
I spent $50 on that but only $207 on a second sub. :eek:

If annunaki is on your ignore list or something you need to make up with him and reap the benefits. Joking of course but he is an information freak of nature regarding this stuff. You have been hanging out in the sub forum too much. Oh my goodness. :)

Read this:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43204

[bandphan]

Id recommend it for any display. ^^ +1. The nice thing about the dyi, if you invest very little you can get results that very close to an actual isf.

[Halon451]

(alright, WTH i can't post a link? that's just stupid. OK so go to curtpalme.com go to the faqs/tips/manuals tab and click on the link to "greyscale and colour calibration for dummies."

That only led me to a bunch of links on Projectors, did I miss something? :confused:

I've got a couple of the recommended discs, plus one that I downloaded (referenced in another thread for "GetGray Calibration Disc"), plus the THX calibration patterns on my Star Wars DVD. I've used them all, and the absolute best settings I've gotten for my set thus far have been decidedly split between each of these - in other words, there is a marginal difference in "ideal" settings for each disc you put in, and could have different effects depending on which source you're calibrating to. There is always this potential. For example, one disc's recommended color saturation levels left people's skin tones too bright and reddish, while another disc's levels left them slightly under-colored. The key was to split the difference and find the settings that were "close" to each of the various discs ideal levels, as much as practical, and then fine tune it visually once you've established a known good starting point, and only by very small increments. And I always set the color temperature to "warm" or 6500K, depending on how it's listed on any given model. :)

[bandphan]

http://www.curtpalme.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10457

here you go buddy:)

[Halon451]

http://www.curtpalme.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10457

here you go buddy:)

Ah, thanks. :) I've actually seen this before, now that I'm looking at it again. Anything labeled "for Dummies" immediately draws me in for some reason... :p

[jostenmeat]

I suffer a bit of neon green every now and then, like in bandphan's link with the RS1 shots. :(

Good thing I don't watch sports on the HT with all that baseball, football, soccer grass... :eek:

outboard VP is expensive. :(

I don't have much to complain about, but I guess I can always find something. :p

I did basic Avia cal every 200-250 hrs so far. But, there's not much dramatic change from default for me, nor after 200 hour increments. The brightness has subtly dropped, but I actually prefer how it looks now. I've heard some folks are using the same PJ, and when nearing 1000 hours, they are dropping to about 100 lumens only... and they like it! :eek:

[mike c]

ok, im ordering one :D

[Adam]

Mike, I'm guessing that SVS would have sent you another one...with the DVD in it this time. After all, you probably account for half of their annual sales. :)

[EJ1]

I find it fun self-calibrating using HCFR software and a colorimeter. The only thing I hate is the repetitive nature of the tests during tweaking.

[mike c]

Mike, I'm guessing that SVS would have sent you another one...with the DVD in it this time. After all, you probably account for half of their annual sales. :)

yeah, they probably would have ... :)

but i can't even form the sentence i would have sent them:

"hey, the disc you sent me FREE was empty... umm send me another one?"

"funny thing ... the AVIA II disc was empty ... yes, i got it sealed ... send me another one?"

they actually sent me TWO discs ... both sealed, i gave one to a friend (who lives far away) [that was the time i bought my 3rd and 4th Ultra and that friend who i convinced to buy 2 for himself (so there were 4 ultras in that transaction)]

i get to have the empty one :D i have reverse good luck ... it's like the equivalent of winning the lottery 10x in your life except i get the crappy end.

[jonnythan]

I borrowed a friend's calibration disc and gels.

Ended up changing the contrast by 1. Brightness stayed the same, and the colors stayed about the same.

You can eyeball it pretty well if you pay attention.

[Alex2507]

http://www.curtpalme.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10457


This looks complicated, confusing and expensive if you factor in not having a laptop. :eek:

They should have a Drywaller's Audioholics:
1. Dith ith a powah kawd.
2. Dith ith a wawll owtlet.
3. Get your tounge outa there you freakin' retard! :D


outboard VP is expensive. :(
I did basic Avia cal every 200-250 hrs so far. But, there's not much dramatic change from default for me,

If you mean a change PQ wise, I think you would notice more of a change if you had a display to compare it against for before and after calibration. I didn't say that very well but I mean in the same room playing the same material at the same time. I'm thinking that you can't mean your values for all the different settings stayed close to default.

I borrowed a friend's calibration disc and gels.

Ended up changing the contrast by 1. Brightness stayed the same, and the colors stayed about the same.

You can eyeball it pretty well if you pay attention.

Maybe you can but not me. There are too many variables that affect each other. I bet you have either been doing this for a while or you are gifted in the visual realm. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that you have some sort of savant thing going on. Like you can calibrate any TV with one eye closed but you can't tie your shoes. :D

I admire your ability. :)

[bandphan]

One of the problems with eyeballing it or using others settings, is that most sets do not roll off the line equal. So two identical sets with the same settings might have different test results.

[Adam]

but i can't even form the sentence i would have sent them:

"hey, the disc you sent me FREE was empty... umm send me another one?"

"funny thing ... the AVIA II disc was empty ... yes, i got it sealed ... send me another one?"

I'm guessing either of those would work just fine. :) You could always try going the other way, such as: "Hey, you sent me an AVIA II disc set with no disc in it! What are you trying to pull, here? Now I feel like I need to take my Ultras apart and see if you left anything out of those." :D J/K.

[Halon451]

I wouldn't trust my eyes to calibrate a TV. Just as each set may deliver differing results in pq and color levels out of the factory, each set of eyeballs processes light information slightly differently too. What may initially seem to be the best settings, going by eyeballs only, could very well be completely wrong for the particular set in question. That's why I strongly advocate using a good source of reference material to dial things in properly for that set, then slowly tweaking it from that point to your satisfaction.

[jberc]

I trust my eyes to calibrate my set. I have set up a couple of profiles. One for movies, one for TV and one for my wife who loves that bright store showroom look.

I also retouch all of our photos on our iMac. I find that my stuff always looks better than if I use Autoeye or the like (if I do say so myself).

It's the same concept. Sure some disc or algorithm can tell me the "best" or most true settings but I prefer to use my eye to get the specific mood I'm going for on each piece of material.

[bandphan]

I trust my eyes to calibrate my set. I have set up a couple of profiles. One for movies, one for TV and one for my wife who loves that bright store showroom look.

I also retouch all of our photos on our iMac. I find that my stuff always looks better than if I use Autoeye or the like (if I do say so myself).

It's the same concept. Sure some disc or algorithm can tell me the "best" or most true settings but I prefer to use my eye to get the specific mood I'm going for on each piece of material.

that why they tell pilots to trust their instruments:rolleyes:

[jonnythan]

Maybe you can but not me. There are too many variables that affect each other. I bet you have either been doing this for a while or you are gifted in the visual realm. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that you have some sort of savant thing going on. Like you can calibrate any TV with one eye closed but you can't tie your shoes. :D

I admire your ability. :)

Hey you leave my shoe-tying ability out of this.

[Halon451]

I trust my eyes to calibrate my set. I have set up a couple of profiles. One for movies, one for TV and one for my wife who loves that bright store showroom look.

I also retouch all of our photos on our iMac. I find that my stuff always looks better than if I use Autoeye or the like (if I do say so myself).

It's the same concept. Sure some disc or algorithm can tell me the "best" or most true settings but I prefer to use my eye to get the specific mood I'm going for on each piece of material.

Anyone can fiddle with a TV or photo to make it look appropriate to thier own satisfaction, but if you're only doing this, then you're missing the point. A properly calibrated TV will not only look better, but if set at the proper levels will last longer and give you better picture detail over the long run - it's a way of taking care of your equipment as well as optimizing the pq. Again, that's why I suggest starting from the "known good" reference point, achieved with standard calibration patterns, then deviate from that to better suit your liking, if it's still to your dissatisfaction. :cool:

In short, I don't trust my eyes to get me to the proper calibration point - I trust them to take me away from it.

And that bright showroom look that your wife enjoys will likely reduce the lifespan of the TV, just so you know. ;)

[jliedeka]

I found a much cheaper way to calibrate my TV. I typed my model number and the words video settings into Google. After reading through a half dozen links, I found the best setting to use.

Allowing for differences in lighting conditions and slight variations between units, I think I wound up pretty close.

Jim

[EJ1]

I found a much cheaper way to calibrate my TV. I typed my model number and the words video settings into Google. After reading through a half dozen links, I found the best setting to use.

Allowing for differences in lighting conditions and slight variations between units, I think I wound up pretty close.

Jim
That's what I do. I find the calibration thread for the particular model I'm interested in over at AVS forums, find settings that everyone seems to love, and use that as a base for tweaking for your particular application.

[jostenmeat]

Just an FYI, some display devices, like the oft touted Epson 1080 UB, are said to have so much unit-to-unit OTB variation, that recommended settings are absolutely pointless.

YMMV.

[bandphan]

^ sooo True

[Alex2507]

I found a much cheaper way to calibrate my TV. I typed my model number and the words video settings into Google. After reading through a half dozen links, I found the best setting to use.

Allowing for differences in lighting conditions and slight variations between units, I think I wound up pretty close.

Jim

That's what I do. I find the calibration thread for the particular model I'm interested in over at AVS forums, find settings that everyone seems to love, and use that as a base for tweaking for your particular application.

One of the problems with eyeballing it or using others settings, is that most sets do not roll off the line equal. So two identical sets with the same settings might have different test results.

The 3rd quote addresses the first 2 quotes in such a pertinent manner that I put 'em all together in this post. If you're new at AH please note that bandphan does this for a living. IMO his advice on calibration is top notch.

I just don't understand the reluctance to spend < $100 (disc & spl meter) to make > $2,000 gear (display, receiver, speakers) work properly. :confused:

[mike c]

well, i still didn't order the AVIA II disc.

but i have updates:
i just realized that i have a copy of the AVIA I disc, with no colored films ... and of course i have the AVIA II colored films, i'll check if those two are compatible.

i also got from an exchange gift today (local AV forum eyeball meet):
Digital Video Essentials

is that good enough?

[bandphan]

DVE will do the job:)

[allargon]

I found a much cheaper way to calibrate my TV. I typed my model number and the words video settings into Google. After reading through a half dozen links, I found the best setting to use.

Allowing for differences in lighting conditions and slight variations between units, I think I wound up pretty close.


Recommended settings help but unless your lighting, room dimensions, furniture arrangements and paint colors are the exact same, further adjustments will still be necessary.

[ratso]

WOW i haven't looked at this thread in a while, and their weren't any responses the last i checked. I would like to clear up a few misconceptions that have been thrown around.
#1 - using the method shown to calibrate your tv is not really beyond the scope of most people that are comfortable fiddling with tv's or computers.
#2 - you cannot calibrate a tv with a 'calibration' disc. you need one for the test patterns on them however, when using the above method.
#3 - most importantly, calibrating a tv is not the same as doing it 'by eye' or following someone's settings! "But it looks good to me" is not the same as CALIBRATED. calibrated (as the guide makes clear) means your tv is set to follow ESTABLISHED settings for color and brightness. when a movie or tv producer films something, their professional equipment (cameras) are also set to these same standards, so your tv has to be also set the same for it to reproduce correctly what was filmed. it should be noted that when some people have their tv's calibrated THEY DO NOT LIKE IT since they are used to pictures that are set to catch their attention (i.e. brighter, more saturated colors, etc.). it's fine if you don't like a calibrated picture - it is, after all, your opinion. but there is only one way to calibrate a tv - either it is set correctly (or at least as close as you can get it) or it is not.

[ratso]

as an example, i also googled an AVS thread for calibrating my new samsung. i put in the supposed 'best settings' that everyone loved. after i bought the equipment to calibrate my tv, i saw myself from the graphs just how far off the settings were - it wasn't even close to being calibrated correctly. most ISF techs will advise people to watch their newly calibrated tv's for a week to get used to the picture. i love how mine looks now, although the darker, more 'film like' picture is different then i was used to.

[bandphan]

WOW i haven't looked at this thread in a while, and their weren't any responses the last i checked. I would like to clear up a few misconceptions that have been thrown around.
#1 - using the method shown to calibrate your tv is not really beyond the scope of most people that are comfortable fiddling with tv's or computers.
#2 - you cannot calibrate a tv with a 'calibration' disc. you need one for the test patterns on them however, when using the above method.
Yes you can, and just as light sensing equipment in curts page does a better job in some cases, there is equipment costing thousands of dollars that do it better than both the aforementioned
#3 - most importantly, calibrating a tv is not the same as doing it 'by eye' or following someone's settings! "But it looks good to me" is not the same as CALIBRATED. calibrated (as the guide makes clear) means your tv is set to follow ESTABLISHED settings for color and brightness. when a movie or tv producer films something, their professional equipment (cameras) are also set to these same standards, so your tv has to be also set the same for it to reproduce correctly what was filmed. it should be noted that when some people have their tv's calibrated THEY DO NOT LIKE IT since they are used to pictures that are set to catch their attention (i.e. brighter, more saturated colors, etc.). it's fine if you don't like a calibrated picture - it is, after all, your opinion. but there is only one way to calibrate a tv - either it is set correctly (or at least as close as you can get it) or it is not.

The only users settings that work well are DNices refernence settings on the elite kuros/ and non elites, (in an darkened room) becuase the sets have almost unmeasurable variance off the line;)

[ratso]

"Yes you can, and just as light sensing equipment in curts page does a better job in some cases, there is equipment costing thousands of dollars that do it better than both the aforementioned."

well, actually Band you are correct. a more expensive meter should be able to get you closer to the correct settings. however from what i've read even a cheap meter like my eye-one will get you 90% of the performance of a professional one, at least thats what is claimed (and the graphs/results obtained after calibration seem to back it up seeing as how i got my samsung pretty damn close to spot on with only normal fiddling).

i would also guess that kuros settings found online are closer to spec then most online settings seeing as how the kuros is a pretty high end set to start with (a lot higher end then most people have sitting in their living rooms).

and although a few people who have a lot of calibration experience can 'eyeball' the proper settings (i would imagine Bandphan could do a pretty good job), the human eye is not the best instrument in the world to use to calibrate a picture - it actually does a pretty poor job. if anyone has access to a lightmeter, try it for yourself - calibrate your tv with a disc 'by eye' and then use the meter to see how close you were. a pretty humbling experience for 99% of us.

[bandphan]

try it for yourself - calibrate your tv with a disc 'by eye' and then use the meter to see how close you were. a pretty humbling experience for 99% of us.

dont worry my display has been properly calibrated, for each source and night and day lighting conditions. I whole heartedly agree that eyeballing it doesnt work, but the 2 aforementioned discs (and others that are avialble) are a good place to start. Ive been lucky to sit in on a few ISFs and while the picture is vastly improved, it still boils down to the quality of the display.

[ChrisW123]

Or you could get lucky like I just did and find the optimal calibration settings by Googling your model + " video settings" like someone suggested a few pages back. :)

I was lucky in that my settings list came from CNet and they mention that their calibrations are done by experienced people using the best equipment so... may save some of you some time if you get lucky!

[Alex2507]

Or you could get lucky like I just did and find the optimal calibration settings by Googling your model + " video settings" like someone suggested a few pages back. :)

I was lucky in that my settings list came from CNet and they mention that their calibrations are done by experienced people using the best equipment so... may save some of you some time if you get lucky!

The experienced people here at AH say that TV's come off the line with their base settings so varied that a proper calibration will result in widely varied values rendering the values from a different TV worse than useless unless you have a Pioneer as has been pointed out a few pages back. ;)

[ratso]

correct alex. as i said in another thread, if it was as simple as just copying someone elses settings, no one would actually have to pay for it would they?

[ChrisW123]

The experienced people here at AH say that TV's come off the line with their base settings so varied that a proper calibration will result in widely varied values rendering the values from a different TV worse than useless unless you have a Pioneer as has been pointed out a few pages back. ;)

Alex, are you saying that the settings that CNet determines as "optimal", may not be optimal for my TV because the TV they calibrated is physically different from my TV? I hope that isn't what you are saying. :D

[jonnythan]

I dunno how it is for digital display technologies like plasma, but I know that every CRT TV and monitor I've owned has had hardware knobs or dials on the inside somewhere that change brightness and something else. It's perfectly conceivable that there is variation in the baseline settings of the panels coming off the production line.

It's also conceivable that there are slight, but significant, variations on the brightness or color of the backlight bulbs for LCDs.

Also, color rendition and brightness vary by source. I had to change my plasma's picture settings quite a bit when I upgraded my HD cable box to a DVR.

[bandphan]

Alex, are you saying that the settings that CNet determines as "optimal", may not be optimal for my TV because the TV they calibrated is physically different from my TV? I hope that isn't what you are saying. :D

Yes, almost every display made has variance, so there isnt "optimal" , can it look good, yes, is it optimal, maybe not.

[Alex2507]

Alex, are you saying that the settings that CNet determines as "optimal", may not be optimal for my TV because the TV they calibrated is physically different from my TV? I hope that isn't what you are saying. :D

I am slowly but surely getting out of my depth here so I may as well go all in. I'm not sure what physically different in bold letters means to you. What I mean is that if you take two Vizio TV's of the same model right from the factory and run a pluge pattern on them, they will look different even though the numerical value for contrast is the same. Likewise the black bars used in the brightness calibration will look different even though the numbers match. After getting both sets adjusted for optimal contrast and brightness the two TV's will look the same but will have different numerical values (numbers) for each of those two settings. Now if you go to adjust the red/green/blue business to make white and calibrate them the same way I understand from doing my reading here in this thread that the numbers would have absolutely no chance of matching.

Maybe what cNet is suggesting is a very general set of settings like turning on/off certain filters, using Standard Mode as opposed to Vivid Mode and maybe even giving you a static image with which to set the brightness with. I really don't know but if you go back to the first post in this thread and read all the way down to where that link is provided for the site mentioned by ratso (nice name :)) you can see that there is in fact a lot more to this than a quick search is going to uncover. In fact that is way out of my depth but recently I discovered that you can get the highly recommended Avia II disc for less than ever:

http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=86611

Man, I am all typed out. I hope it was worth it. :)

Edit: cNet has no idea what our lighting conditions are.
Maybe I'm a cellar dweller and you're in a penthouse with windows everywhere.;)

[Midcow2]

i got an AVIA II calibration disc from SVS (free) ... it was empty :D (save for the colored films)

and because it was free - i didn't have the heart to complain

ARRRG _ I just bought an SVS and didn't get the Avia II.

I just bought an Avia 2 for $30 and a Radio Shack SPL digital meter which should arrive later this week or next.

I really like my SVS sub , but it is too subtle right now and I decided it is time to tune things beyond the Audessy.

Later,

MidCow2

[mike c]

ARRRG _ I just bought an SVS and didn't get the Avia II.


i ordered ultras ... 2-4 of them :D

[bandphan]

Do i dare say Pioneer Elite??;):p

Ps gen 9 on the way gen 8 to the bedroom

[Nemo128]

So, should I go with this very involved method or pick up Avia II and call it a day?

I don't have lots of hours to sit around playing with calibration.

[bandphan]

So, should I go with this very involved method or pick up Avia II and call it a day?

I don't have lots of hours to sit around playing with calibration.

Avia will give good results, not as accurate but close. After 100-500 hrs check and redo:)

[Nemo128]

Avia will give good results, not as accurate but close. After 100-500 hrs check and redo:)

Nice. I keep looking for the thread I saw on a Avia II sale. Know where that was?

[annunaki]

I would say it depends on the individual and the set in question Nemo. Avia or Avia II can usually get someone within 5% (or better depending upon the set) of a full ISF calibration when properly used. By properly used, I mean really paying attention to the included tutorials and going from there or having a trained calibration buddy run the disc for you.

If a set's greyscale is way off, obviously the only option is a full ISF. However, with a well done set, Avia get one very very close if done correctly.

My Sony 34" XBR is done with Avia, sure the colors are slightly oversaturated (mainly red and a bit of green), but it is not worth the $300-$500 for a 5% or less increase in accuracy. Of course, I do have some limited calibration experience.

I may pick up a device (light meter/colormeter) when I have some extra cash, but for now what I have is close enough.

For a person with some of the new Samsungs, 650 series on up, movie mode is essentially an ISF set up from any of the reviews I have seen. Run the Avia disc for small fine tuning and you would be all set.

[Nemo128]

I would say it depends on the individual and the set in question Nemo. Avia or Avia II can usually get someone within 5% (or better depending upon the set) of a full ISF calibration when properly used. By properly used, I mean really paying attention to the included tutorials and going from there or having a trained calibration buddy run the disc for you.


Sounds good. Right now, I only have the XBox360 as a disc source. Is that a problem?

TV is a Pana 50PZ850. I hope it has the proper adjustments for this.

[annunaki]

Baseline measurements in Standard mode for color temp/grey scale are usually fairly good with the Panasonic sets. The PZ850 will allow one to bring the color saturation pretty close with the Avia disc if one understands how to use it correctly.

The grey scale deviations will require equipment but they are typically fairly good with the Panasonic sets.

The 850 has the most amount of adjustment out of any of the Panny plasmas.

[Phil Taylor]

I borrowed a friend's calibration disc and gels.

Ended up changing the contrast by 1. Brightness stayed the same, and the colors stayed about the same.

You can eyeball it pretty well if you pay attention.

I was a video engineer for TV production for 18 years prior to starting my home theater biz and I developed the ability to set-up cameras, tape (yes tape) decks and, later on in my career, digital media playback devices to within a fine blonde hair of true by eyeballing the signal. Of course I'd check them against our waveform and vectorscope monitors for final reference but I was always right there and often dead-nuts-on. If you know what to look for you can get it very, VERY close without paying for calibration. But of course I've had many years of experience training my eyes what to look for... ;) It's kind of a curse in a way as when I go out to a bar or to eat and the place has TVs they never look right to me... and I can't help but nitpick the signal... and it bothers me... :( :( and when I go to a B&M store to check out new models of TVs I'm really bemused at their signal quality and settings... but I try not to lose sleep over it... ;)

Anyways - sorry for the rant - if you feel it must be absolutely perfect then by all means pay for the calibration gear and software or hire a pro to do it for you.

[annunaki]

It's kind of a curse in a way as when I go out to a bar or to eat and the place has TVs they never look right to me... and I can't help but nitpick the signal... and it bothers me... :( :( and when I go to a B&M store to check out new models of TVs I'm really bemused at their signal quality and settings... but I try not to lose sleep over it... ;)


I feel your pain. I do not like looking at overly bright and saturated displays, I get frustrated that someone made such a good purchase and then dropped the ball on not having it operate at optimum.

[Alex2507]

Nice. I keep looking for the thread I saw on a Avia II sale. Know where that was?

Avia II disc for less than ever:

http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=86611



That may be what you're looking for but Amazon has always had them for around $40.

[Nemo128]

Ordered, thanks!

Is the XBox 360 fine to use for Avia?

[annunaki]

Ordered, thanks!

Is the XBox 360 fine to use for Avia?

It will work fine, especially if it is the highest quality source you have.

[Fowl]

Ok Guys, here is the predicament. I bought a 50" Pioneer Kuro about 3 months ago and although I have fiddled with it somewhat I don’t think the setting is correct. I went and bought a disc, but it was designed for older sets, not a very good disc, so I chucked it.

I live in the Cayman Islands so I have never seen the Avia II disc you guys mention, I would have to order that from the states. I really do not wish to spend over US$3K on a TV and not have it display picture properly.

So what do you guys suggest? Do I order the Avia II disc or Google for a suggested calibration?
If I order the disc I would have to wait about two weeks for it to get here. Any good suggestion from Bandphan or any of you other members that have had success calibrating the Kuro is more than welcome.

Today is a good day to go fiddling with the set as it is a holiday. I await your suggestions.

[Nemo128]

Ok Guys, here is the predicament. I bought a 50" Pioneer Kuro about 3 months ago and although I have fiddled with it somewhat I don’t think the setting is correct. I went and bought a disc, but it was designed for older sets, not a very good disc, so I chucked it.

I live in the Cayman Islands so I have never seen the Avia II disc you guys mention, I would have to order that from the states. I really do not wish to spend over US$3K on a TV and not have it display picture properly.

So what do you guys suggest? Do I order the Avia II disc or Google for a suggested calibration?
If I order the disc I would have to wait about two weeks for it to get here. Any good suggestion from Bandphan or any of you other members that have had success calibrating the Kuro is more than welcome.

Today is a good day to go fiddling with the set as it is a holiday. I await your suggestions.

I would suggest searching for settings before dropping money on a disc. As more knowledgeable people here will tell you, the Kuros have little variance among plasmas from the factory. You will most likely get great settings by using someone else's config. Just search for your model number without a specified size and I bet you'll find good settings.

If you're still not satisfied, order an Avia II from Onecall.com like I did. It was $25 shipped.

[Fowl]

Been searching havent found any yet, If you can help me I would be grateful. My TV is a Pioneer Kuro PDP 5020FD.

[Nemo128]

I've jacked this guy's thread enough already.

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51056

[Alex2507]

I can't understand spending thousands on a display and not spending $25 on a calibration disc. I have met people who bought HDTV's but won't spend the extra to get HDTV channels from their cable companies. It would be like spending thousands on speakers but refusing to get a $50 SPL meter.

What is going on? I hate starting off The New Year being this befuddled. :confused:

[Nemo128]

I can't understand spending thousands on a display and not spending $25 on a calibration disc. I have met people who bought HDTV's but won't spend the extra to get HDTV channels from their cable companies. It would be like spending thousands on speakers but refusing to get a $50 SPL meter.

What is going on? I hate starting of The New Year being this befuddled. :confused:

You know what they say Alex, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. =)

[Fowl]

I can't understand spending thousands on a display and not spending $25 on a calibration disc. I have met people who bought HDTV's but won't spend the extra to get HDTV channels from their cable companies. It would be like spending thousands on speakers but refusing to get a $50 SPL meter.

What is going on? I hate starting off The New Year being this befuddled. :confused:

I did not say or even imply that I would not purchase the disc. All I said is that I have not seen it in Grand Cayman and it would take about 2 weeks to get here. I wanted suggestions before ordering the disc.

[Alex2507]

I did not say or even imply that I would not purchase the disc.


I didn't mean to target you with that post.

You may need to wait until bandphan posts a bond before you hear from him. If he didn't get arrested last night I certainly expect to hear a story involving public nudity.

[Livin]

so this begs the question...

DVE of AVIA?

assume both bluray and reg dvd available... are they going to be about the same?

[bandphan]

I didn't mean to target you with that post.

You may need to wait until bandphan posts a bond before you hear from him. If he didn't get arrested last night I certainly expect to hear a story involving public nudity.

Bond, BSO was hanging at the pub with me:p And yes chicks doing nude handstands capped the "morning off", however i was quietly involved with my harp;)

just invest a little time and money in the AVIAII disc and you will more than likely be very satisfied. Id also at the least do a day and night settings as the difference, imo worth it:)

[Fowl]

just invest a little time and money in the AVIAII disc and you will more than likely be very satisfied. Id also at the least do a day and night settings as the difference, imo worth it:)[/QUOTE]

I ordered the Avia 11 disc from Onecall.com today. I should be here sometime next week. Hope this disc proves its worth. Will let you guys know.

[hyghwayman]

I borrowed a friend's calibration disc and gels.

Ended up changing the contrast by 1. Brightness stayed the same, and the colors stayed about the same.

You can eyeball it pretty well if you pay attention.

I had similar findings:), but also found grey scale on my TV was spot on:D.

[hyghwayman]

I ordered the Avia 11 disc from Onecall.com today. I should be here sometime next week. Hope this disc proves its worth. Will let you guys know.

Congrats,

While your waiting for your disc, you could try the Cnet.com way.
Picture perfect: HDTV tune-up tips (http://www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1-5108543-1.html?tag=main.optimize)

Then see how far off or precise your eyes are when your disc arrives.

hyghwayman

[Fowl]

Congrats,

While your waiting for your disc, you could try the Cnet.com way.
Picture perfect: HDTV tune-up tips (http://www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1-5108543-1.html?tag=main.optimize)

Then see how far off or precise your eyes are when your disc arrives.

hyghwayman



Got an email from onecall yesterday they cancelled my order. Why you may ask? They do not accept international credit cards:mad: Now I need to find somewhere else to get the disc. I will try the suggestions on the link you sent me, but will still pursue the Avia 11 disc

[Fowl]

Got an email from onecall yesterday they cancelled my order. Why you may ask? They do not accept international credit cards:mad: Now I need to find somewhere else to get the disc. I will try the suggestions on the link you sent me, but will still pursue the Avia 11 disc


Too bad for onecall, I took my order elsewhere. I ordered the DVE bluray disc from amazon. It should arrive at my destination by the 23 Jan. Now the waiting begins.