How to Calibrate an LCD HDTV
The factory settings on your LCD TV are not set to the optimal levels for viewing in your home. They are typically set for viewing in a store and that means various settings, like contrast and brightness, are often set way too high for home viewing. Properly calibrating your LCD TV ensures you are viewing the best possible image on your set.
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Things You'll Need
- Calibration DVD, such as "AVIA Guide to Home Theater" or "Digital Video Essentials"
- 6500 K light bulb and lamp.
- DVD player connected to your LCD TV
Instructions
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Intial Steps
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1
Purchase a home theater calibration DVD. Two of the most common discs are "AVIA Guide to Home Theater" and "Digital Video Essentials." As of February 2010, both discs could typically be found for around $40 at most online retailers. You can calibrate your TV without one of these discs, but unless you have a finely tuned eye, you will not get the best possible image quality.
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2
Create optimal lighting. Place a lamp with 6500K bulb directly behind your TV. This will improve picture quality and reduce eye strain while watching your TV in a darkened room.
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3
Choose the proper viewing distance. Sit at eye level with your TV, preferably directly in front of. Sit the appropriate distance from you TV for the size of your screen. For the proper distance, use the calculator in the Resources section. This is the optimal position from which to calibrate your TV.
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4
Dim the backlight. Go into the Setting menu of your TV and turn the backlight all the way down. LCD backlights can wash out black levels, and since we want a proper calibration, the light should be turned off. You can turn it back up later if necessary.
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5
Insert your home theater calibration disc into your DVD player and make sure your DVD player is properly connected to your LCD TV. Follow the disc's on-screen instructions to begin calibrating your TV.
Calibration
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6
Calibrate the black level on your LCD TV. Using the test patterns on your disc, adjust the "Brightness" setting on your TV until the black ares of your on-screen test image look as close to true black as possible.
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Calibrate the white level. Again, using the test patterns on your calibration disc, adjust the "Contrast" setting on your TV until the whites areas of the image appear to be true white. You may have to repeatedly adjust both the "Brightness" and "Contrast" settings until you find the optimal balance between black and white for your TV.
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8
Adjust the color and image quality. Use your home theater calibration disc to adjust the "Sharpness" setting to increase the overall image quality. Finish calibrating your LCD TV by using the disc's test patterns to adjust the color settings. Color settings are typically labeled as either "Tint" or "Saturation" in your TV Settings menu.
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