Calibrating Your HDTV
In 2010, 65 percent of households owned a high definition television, up from 52 percent in 2009. These popular televisions cost hundreds of dollars, but if you own one and haven't calibrated your television, you're not getting your money's worth. Adjusting contrast and brightness can make a noticeable difference in your picture quality. A professional can calibrate your television for a few hundred dollars, but you can save money by doing it yourself.
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Instructions
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Turn on the HDTV and leave it on for about 30 minutes to warm it up. LCD televisions tend to warm up faster than others.
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Insert a DVD that contains a free THX test pattern into your DVD player. Many DVDs, including Toy Story and The Incredibles, have this.
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Select "Setup" from the main menu of the DVD, then select "THX Optimizer," which is normally at the top of the screen.
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Adjust the contrast until you can see all eight boxes on the screen, ranging from very white to gray. If all boxes are visible, your contrast setting is correct.
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Set the brightness on the next screen by adjusting it down until the seventh box at the top of the screen is barely visible. Double check the contrast after this step. It may have been changed by this adjustment.
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Tips & Warnings
Calibrate your HDTV at night for best results.
References
- Photo Credit Polka Dot Images/Polka Dot/Getty Images
