I found this on an ISF Calibrators Website; it gives his experience & professional insight to the various brands of HDTV's on the market and those currently looking at new sets might find this interesting. This is not the calibrator I used and I know nothing about this guy but he does seem informed; he is located in Alanta and this is his website:
http://www.advancedtechservice.com/setinfo.htm
HITACHI
2000-2002 model Hitachi sets may or may not be very, very green when taken out of the box. Either way, the color temperature isn't even close to industry standards and the picture is poor. When calibrated, Hitachi sets are outstanding. It is possible to completely eliminate the green with a slight compromise to mid bright scenes (30-60 IRE) which will be just a touch cooler than 6500. A complete lack of red push on earlier models (fixable on 2003 models) allows beautifully saturated colors without glowing red faces. The automatic convergence feature can "learn" what I will do in a service-level manual convergence. Focus can be improved slightly. If you have a Hitachi set, you really MUST get an ISF calibration. I reviewed one of the 2003 sets and considered it my favorite RPTV of the year. Because these sets aren't as popular as some brands, many ISF techs will not have much experience with them. I was taught by Hitachi factory service reps.
Color temperature is "global" on Hitachi sets, meaning "cool" or "warm" in the user menu affects all inputs and all input scan rates. Unfortunately, if you optimize one scan rate (like 480i using S-video), there will be serious errors in the others. Some customers have me optimize the "Cool" color temperature for broadcast TV viewing at 8000 degrees, the "Medium" setting at D6500 for 480i or 480p (DVDs) and the "Standard" setting at D6500 for 1080i high-definition sources.
There is now a fix for the Hitachi "screaming lime green" problem that I reported in my review of the 2003 set.
The newest (57S500, etc) sets are even further out of calibration (from the factory) than the old ones, but will track a grayscale, when calibrated, just as well as a Sony---something Hitachi has never before accomplished.
Hitachi's excellent plasma sets have excessive edge enhancement that can be reduced by calibration. Their newest rear-projection LCD sets are filled with bugs and defects. I neither recommend nor calibrate these at this time.
LG Electronics
LG sets require a special factory remote control to access the service menu for calibration. Few techs have that. I do. LG's LCD sets cannot be calibrated with conventional color analyzers. I depend on a $10,000 spectro-radiometer for accuracy on direct-view LCD sets.
LOEWE
The DirectView Loewe sets are very friendly when it comes to optimization. Having reviewed one recently for TPV Magazine, I am very familiar with all possible tweaks. Although these sets are pretty close to perfect as delivered, they can be made better and there are several adjustments in the service menu of significant value to you. The 38" direct-view set I reviewed had the most beautiful picture I've ever seen on a television. Loewe sets are very easy to calibrate.
Loewe's new plasma sets actually have the ability to calibrate themselves, but this requires special equipment and knowledge. I am equipped to auto-calibrate all inputs of these sets.
MITSUBISHI
The Mits sets have superb HD performance but suffer much red push with DVDs. This is correctable. There are hazards in calibrating Mitsubishi sets. One error can erase the main eprom causing a service nightmare. Some techs don't know about this. Make sure yours does!
Current Mits sets appear at first glance to be properly calibrated, but they tint gray badly as light levels drop below 20IRE to near black. This can be fixed to allow shadow detail to look truly gray.
PANASONIC
The newer Panasonic RPTVs feature low prices and good potential. After calibration, they will track gray with near perfection but suffer from annoying red push and a lousy internal scaler. I can cure the red push problem, but you'll have to live with the scaler. 480i must be calibrated separately from 480p/1080i. Panasonic sets typically have poor geometry and noisy scalers. Geometry and convergence are difficult and time consuming and must be done on a "per-hour" basis.
Panasonic makes some of the best performing plasma sets but none are properly calibrated. I have found several "pitfalls" in their service menus that could cause serious calibration errors for the inexperienced technician. My latest Panasonic information came directly from their top factory technician.
From a calibration standpoint, Panasonic's "PRO" plasma models are better than their "HOME" models.
PIONEER
The Pioneer Elite CRT based RPTVs are probably the most tweakable sets on the market. If you have the time, virtually everything can be adjusted in the service menu so that "0" or center/default positions of all user controls are actually optimum. Having recently reviewed one of these sets, I have a number of secrets to best performance.
The newer Elite sets are often fairly close to 6500 degrees in color temp--FILM, but other modes are so blue (cool) it's off the scale of my color analyzer. You can elect to just calibrate FILM for $325, or you could opt to tweak the whole works requiring about 6 hours and more money. 480i has separate color temp offsets from 1080i/480p so you'll need to do both if you have a HD tuner and an interlaced DVD player. My setup can optimize all user settings at their "0" position.
SAMSUNG
The Samsung DLP rear projection TVs present quite a challenge to the patience of any ISF tech. Not only is special equipment required for accurate color analysis and setup, so is the patience of Job. A DVI connection to your set-top box is highly recommended over component video. The internal scaler is terrible. Generally, I neither recommend nor calibrate earlier Samsung DLP sets. Newest ones are better. The base price for Samsung DLP is $325.
SHARP
Sharp is particularly famous for its DLP projectors. I have the equipment to calibrate the 9000 thru 12000 models properly. Sharp LCD sets come terribly out of calibration and require special equipment (which I have).
SONY
Recent (pre 2003) Sony RPTVs will track a gray scale flawlessly except below 20IRE as you approach black. Here they quickly dive toward blue and nothing can be done to compensate. In spite of this, the set can look very good and the slight blue tinge to dark things just above black is rarely noticeable. There are some internet tweaks for Sony set.
I have just finished reviewing a 2003 projection set which tracks gray better than any previously tested RPTV. Factory grayscale was way off the mark, though. Red push is still there, but correctable. As for the new 04 sets, it seems Sony gets the prize this year for the best inexpensive RPTVs. If you're spending less than $2500, be sure to check them out.
I have the special equipment needed for accurate calibration of the 10HT/11HT projector and the new WEGA plasma and LCD sets, one of which has resided here for months now. The new rear-projection LCD sets are capable of a stunning picture once the dreadful factory calibration is fixed. Because of the LCDs Sony has used, some of these sets give very inaccurate color readings with just about all color analyzers. This means that your chance of getting even a remotely accurate calibration requires that the tech has some very sophisticated measurement devices. I now have a $10,000 spectro-radiometer that accurately calibrates even these tough sets. Only a handful of ISF techs in the country have this capability, and NONE in the Southeast.
The direct-view Sony sets can be calibrated to a degree of accuracy unlike anything I've ever seen short of a $2000 computer monitor. From the factory, they're usually off quite a bit at low light levels. These sets can look so good, you owe it to yourself to have yours tweaked to perfection. Even convergence is possible (and definitely needed) on the latest models. Caution though: There are pitfalls in calibrating these sets which are little known in the ISF community and absolutely critical for an accurate calibration. Having owned one, I've become very good at tweaking these direct-view sets and offer many services at the standard price. Even calibrating all additional scan rates will only cost you $50 extra.
TOSHIBA
Earlier "Theater-Wide" sets (like the TW56X81) have a service mode as well as a design mode. The design mode is incredibly complex but allows optimization of geometry, color, tint, contrast, etc for each scan rate so that as you switch sources, your picture remains optimized without having to change the user controls. I have extensive experience with the Toshiba sets (having owned one) and am familiar with all the internet "tweaks."
All Toshiba sets are in dire need of calibration. Older HD sets track 6500 degrees perfectly. Newer (02) sets require MUCH more work but can be made to track fairly well. Focus and convergence need work.
Latest 03 Toshiba RPTVs are much improved and can be made almost as good as Sony and Hitachi. I finally have the "secret codes" for separate calibration of the 1080i scan rate.
Toshiba's DLP sets don't track a grayscale well and generally aren't good candidates for calibration UNLESS you can see a distinct reddish or greenish color tint to black and white pictures or color pictures with the COLOR control all the way down.
