HDTV calibration

[miggs29]

Still having troubles with the calibration.

Does anyone have some settings that I can try? I have done a lot of adjustments and nothing seems to work. Also, I am on the second HDDVR from DTV and maybe is me, but everytime that I change the channel, there is quite a delay before the channel changes. Is that normal? I see a flickering in the picture when changing the channel. The picture is OKone the channel is changed, but it is kinda annoying.

Please help

 

[mtrycrafts]

Still having troubles with the calibration.

Does anyone have some settings that I can try? I have done a lot of adjustments and nothing seems to work. Also, I am on the second HDDVR from DTV and maybe is me, but everytime that I change the channel, there is quite a delay before the channel changes. Is that normal? I see a flickering in the picture when changing the channel. The picture is OKone the channel is changed, but it is kinda annoying.

Please help

What kind of trouble in calibration? Are you using a calibration DVD?

 

[Hi Ho]

What exactly doesn't look right? You really need some sort of calibration disc with test patterns to do it right. Even then, you may feel compelled to tweak it a little bit to your liking.

The long delay and flickering you experience when changing channels is normal depending on the settings you're using on your DVR. You probably have multiple resolutions selected in the DVR settings. If that is the case, when you switch from an HD station to an SD station (or vise versa) the box changes its output resolution and it takes a few seconds for the TV to sync up again. If you uncheck all but one resolution (1080i) it should reduce the delay when changing stations. It still won't be instant.

 

[bandphan]

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=893827


you might some unfo there

 

[miggs29]

What exactly doesn't look right? You really need some sort of calibration disc with test patterns to do it right. Even then, you may feel compelled to tweak it a little bit to your liking.

The long delay and flickering you experience when changing channels is normal depending on the settings you're using on your DVR. You probably have multiple resolutions selected in the DVR settings. If that is the case, when you switch from an HD station to an SD station (or vise versa) the box changes its output resolution and it takes a few seconds for the TV to sync up again. If you uncheck all but one resolution (1080i) it should reduce the delay when changing stations. It still won't be instant.

You are aboslutely right. I did have all the resolutions selected on the DVR. I will try that to see if that is the case. Regarding the calibration. I used the THX optimizer in one of my movies. I guess I need to invest on a real calibration disk. I called one of the local stereo shops in town and they quoted me a start up fee on $500 for the calibration and I really don't want to drop that kinda cash if I can do it myself.

Thanks a lot for you help!

 

[jamie2112]

You are aboslutely right. I did have all the resolutions selected on the DVR. I will try that to see if that is the case. Regarding the calibration. I used the THX optimizer in one of my movies. I guess I need to invest on a real calibration disk. I called one of the local stereo shops in town and they quoted me a start up fee on $500 for the calibration and I really don't want to drop that kinda cash if I can do it myself.

Thanks a lot for you help!

Holy cow 500 bucks to calibrate a system...Sign me up......I am in the wrong line of audio work. That is the most absurd thing I have heard in a few days

 

[Jack Hammer]

That's fairly common from what I've seen with set top cable boxes. Most I've seen also do it with analog tv's too. It used to drive me nuts when I was at someones house and I'd change the channel.

I've always used the built in tv tuner in my tv for cable and OTA. I've never had any issues, but not all providers are the same. There still is a little delay, though when you change. And if you have the sound going through the avr there still is a little on/off sound with some clicking noises between channels with some units.

How'd those picture settings work for you, did you try them?

Jack

 

[Hi Ho]

That's fairly common from what I've seen with set top cable boxes. Most I've seen also do it with analog tv's too. It used to drive me nuts when I was at someones house and I'd change the channel.

I have yet to see a cable box that allowed one to slect a single resolution and have everything output as such. They will always switch between either 1080i or 720 (whichever is selected) and 480i/p for standard definition. Cable boxes don't have scalers. That causes the delay and momentarily scrambled screen.

DirecTV and Dish receivers allow you to select a single resolution and have all SD programing scaled. I haven't seen SD on the DirecTV DVR enough to know how good it scales but my Dish DVR has an excellent scaler in it.

 

[miggs29]

That's fairly common from what I've seen with set top cable boxes. Most I've seen also do it with analog tv's too. It used to drive me nuts when I was at someones house and I'd change the channel.

I've always used the built in tv tuner in my tv for cable and OTA. I've never had any issues, but not all providers are the same. There still is a little delay, though when you change. And if you have the sound going through the avr there still is a little on/off sound with some clicking noises between channels with some units.

How'd those picture settings work for you, did you try them?

Jack

This seems to be working the best.
: STD
contrast:85
Brightness: 49
Sharpness:20
Color: 45
Tint:47/53
Backlight:6
Color Tone:Normal

DETAIL SETTING
Black adjust: Low
Dynamic Contrast: Low
Gamma: -1
Color space: wide

WHITE BALANCE

R-offset: 16
G-offset:11
B- offset:15
R-gain:15
G-gain:12
B-gain:15

MY COLOR CONTOL

Pink:15
green:14
Blue:15
White:15

Thanks to all who wrote me back!

 

[MDS]

I have yet to see a cable box that allowed one to slect a single resolution and have everything output as such.

Scientific Atlanta 3250 HD. There are no user adjustable settings and it scales everything to 1080i. When I get a new TV shortly, I'm going to see if Time Warner has a newer box that allows you to set the scaling options just so I can see if there is a difference between the cable box and the TV doing the job.

 

[Hi Ho]

It's all Motorola boxes here. There aren't technically any user adjustable settings but I know the service menus inside and out from dealing with them every day at work. They give two options for HD output (1080i or 720p) and 480i or 480p for SD. The delay between stations is rediculously long.

 

[MDS]

It's all Motorola boxes here. There aren't technically any user adjustable settings but I know the service menus inside and out from dealing with them every day at work. They give two options for HD output (1080i or 720p) and 480i or 480p for SD. The delay between stations is rediculously long.

I'm not 100% sure but I think TW is now using the Motorola boxes too (at least for the DVR service if you sign up for that). I may swap mine when I get a new TV just to play with it. I know how to get into the service menu for my current SciAtlanta box but it doesn't offer any options. It doesn't have HDMI outputs and if you use component video cables it automatically scales to 1080i. No way around it unfortunately. I've had the box for several years now and I'd bet the newer SciAtl boxes behave differently.

 

[bandphan]

my current motorola dvr(the most current version) gives the option to set output of 480i,480p,720p,1080i and sd override 480i/480p

 

[darien87]

You are aboslutely right. I did have all the resolutions selected on the DVR. I will try that to see if that is the case. Regarding the calibration. I used the THX optimizer in one of my movies. I guess I need to invest on a real calibration disk. I called one of the local stereo shops in town and they quoted me a start up fee on $500 for the calibration and I really don't want to drop that kinda cash if I can do it myself.

Thanks a lot for you help!

$500 for a calibration!?!?

Yikes. But I did notice there is some variation between calibrators when I was shopping around for mine. Most stayed around the ISF recommended price of $250. But one guy I called did charge $400.

I would also recommend you check out the AVS thread that was already mentioned. I used that calibration before I had my Samsung professionally done, and I'd say it got me to withing 75-80% of where the TV needed to be. When the calibrator came, the TV was already close, he just had to give it that little extra to get it as good as it could be.