How to Do Hdtv Calibration
A lot of people literally spend thousands of cash for high-definition televisions to get the most advanced technology in picture quality. But there are times when these costly HDTVs would display discolored images, overflowing tints and grays where there should not be any. To get your HDTV back in good condition like when you first bought it, you need hdtv calibration.
Hdtv calibration is a process that involves fine-tuning your HDTV to get the most excellent achievable picture. Typically, there are two methods of hdtv calibration. The first one is by hiring a calibration expert to adjust your HDTV to professional quality standards. A calibration expert possesses invaluable knowledge in getting your HDTV to produce realistic and natural colors. In calibrating your HDTV, calibration professionals use a tool called colorimeter to gauge light output and color values and to adjust your unit’s display to match standards used by television and movie studios.
The second method in hdtv calibration entails using a video calibration DVD in making adjustments to the television’s on-screen display, or OSD, menu. A lot of HDTVs today come with preset viewing modes that can improve the overall picture but not exactly display realistic images. By using the OSD, you can manually modify the image settings to suit your taste.
However, even if you can do major hdtv calibration using the OSD, only calibration professionals can access your unit’s password-protected service mode, which they can use to adjust your HDTV’s display. The service mode contains names and numbers that may be unintelligible to you. When the settings in this mode are not adjusted properly, the HDTV may either cease to become functional or may lose its warranty.
If you decide you want to try hdtv calibration yourself, you can also use the most basic tool in hdtv calibration called THX Optimizer, which can be found on THX-certified DVD movies released since 2000. In hdtv calibration using the THX Optimizer, you simply need to access the tool and follow the instructions on-screen. The tool gives you access to test patterns that help you modify the picture (contrast), hue (brightness, color, tint), sharpness (detail or peaking) and aspect ratio (widescreen or fullscreen).
There are also other hdtv calibration tools available that you can use to calibrate your TV on your own. Some of them feature live action video clips and step-by-step audio guide to help you with the calibration process. Other tools have more comprehensive features included like thorough explanations on home theater aspects, audio and video test patterns that help achieve the best performance, and technical information on hdtv calibration.
