How to Calibrate an HDTV
It makes zero sense to spend the money on an HDTV without calibrating the unit to ensure you are viewing the best possible picture. There are calibration devices and software on the market that can calibrate your HDTV for you, but you can also perform the task manually yourself with a DVD or Blu-ray disc and, as of the date of this publication, a $2 pair of glasses.
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Instructions
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Warm up your HDTV for 30 minutes. Turn it on and let it run for better color accuracy.
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Go through your DVD or Blu-ray discs and find one with the THX Optimizer feature. Most movie discs come with this optimizer already included in it as of October 2011.
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Insert the disc and go to your player's set-up menu and select the "THX Optimizer." You should see eight white boxes.
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Adjust your contrast to the highest setting until you cannot decipher the white boxes anymore. Slowly lower your contrast until the boxes become clear again. According to Will Greenwald in "PC World" magazine, "The ideal setting is just where you can start to tell the differences between the eight boxes, to the point that a notch above makes them blur together."
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Switch to your brightness setting once you've calibrated your contrast and maximize your screen's brightness. Reduce the brightness until you can barely see the ninth box on both the top and bottom of the screen. Greenwald states, "The ideal setting is just where the box[es] [are] distinguishable, but still very dark, and the eighth boxes are visible."
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Put on your blue filter glasses. (These can be purchased online and at some electronic and photography stores). Switch to the "Color/Tint" test pattern in your THX Optimizer and view the screen. Adjust your color setting until all of the words "color" look exactly alike. Switch your gaze to the words "tint," and adjust your tint setting until they are identical, as well.
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Keep your HDTV's aspect ratio set at "normal" or "direct." Any other setting can distort your picture and affect the high-definition quality.
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Tips & Warnings
Every TV setup is different.
References
- Photo Credit flashfilm/Lifesize/Getty Images
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Comments
View all 27 Comments-
Katherine Williams
Feb 18, 2009
thanks just forwarded to my husband, good tips -
msmabry
Feb 16, 2009
Helpful tips! 5*
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rspears01
Feb 16, 2009
Great article! Very helpful and useful! 5*
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rspears01
Feb 16, 2009
Great article! Very helpful and useful! 5*
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Brad Merritt
Feb 16, 2009
Great advice. Like anything on the market - when you purchase new products when they are hot - there are always bells and whistles that go with them - Unfortunately HDTV's need all kinds of work when you get them home. This is great advice, and I recommend that you pick up a calibration unit when you drop the money on an HDTV.
