THX Video Calibration

[filecat13]

A few weeks back, I replaced my failing projector with a Mitsubishi HC9000D. What a big projector! Forget about using a typical mount with this thing; the old mount would have pulled right out of the ceiling.

Anyway, it looked good right out of the box, and I thought with the Spears & Munsil disc from my Oppo BDP-93 I could fine tune it to near perfection. I soon found out I was way over my head, and having neither the expensive equipment nor the technical knowledge for such a full-featured unit, I decided a pro calibration was the smart thing to do.

I contacted some ISF guys in LA to get some estimates on both time and cost, and while doing so stumbled into the THX Calibration Certification that I didn't know existed. Long story short, I hired the THX guy and got a great calibration experience.

Yes, not just a great calibration but a great calibration experience.

It was a very collaborative process with a lot of dialog, some hands on participation, and a wealth of history and knowledge that made the process informative and understandable. I came away knowing a lot more about why things are done, how the standards became the way they are, and what I can do going forward to keep things looking great.

Plus, I got a nice acrylic plaque that says THX Calibrated Video. :)

I got the final endorsement I needed when watching The Dark Knight Rises with the Ms: "The picture looks amazing." She even thought the system sounded better as a result of the superior picture. ;)

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

A few weeks back, I replaced my failing projector with a Mitsubishi HC9000D. What a big projector! Forget about using a typical mount with this thing; the old mount would have pulled right out of the ceiling.

Anyway, it looked good right out of the box, and I thought with the Spears & Munsil disc from my Oppo BDP-93 I could fine tune it to near perfection. I soon found out I was way over my head, and having neither the expensive equipment nor the technical knowledge for such a full-featured unit, I decided a pro calibration was the smart thing to do.

People need to understand that a disc based calibration can be easy(and barely get you in the ballpark), or it can be profoundly difficult and complex(which leads to a home run knocked out of the park). Once you have to enter the deep menu's to adjust things like gamma, then most people are already far over their heads.


I contacted some ISF guys in LA to get some estimates on both time and cost, and while doing so stumbled into the THX Calibration Certification that I didn't know existed. Long story short, I hired the THX guy and got a great calibration experience.

Yes, not just a great calibration but a great calibration experience.

It was a very collaborative process with a lot of dialog, some hands on participation, and a wealth of history and knowledge that made the process informative and understandable. I came away knowing a lot more about why things are done, how the standards became the way they are, and what I can do going forward to keep things looking great.

Plus, I got a nice acrylic plaque that says THX Calibrated Video. :)

I got the final endorsement I needed when watching The Dark Knight Rises with the Ms: "The picture looks amazing." She even thought the system sounded better as a result of the superior picture. ;)

The interesting thing I have found, is most folks have never seen a properly calibrated projector or flat panel. It looks very different than a uncalibrated or under calibrated projector or set. When I have calibrated friends sets, at first they hated it because they say it was too dark. Turn off the lights, and the picture looks marvelous.

[recoveryone]

Sir TT, you should have added this info with your hometheater argument, as many do not even use a disk base calibration setup. Thus your point of an actual HomeTheater that will meet the specs needed to support a properly calibrated audio and video system

[Ronaldjenkins]

Sir TT, you should have added this info with your hometheater argument, as many do not even use a led lighting (http://www.niceledlights.com) disk base calibration setup. Thus your point of an actual HomeTheater that will meet the specs needed to support a properly calibrated audio and video system

Hello man I need new home theater with awesome sound quality. Please help me with reliable brand which lasts long. Money is not an issue

[bfalls]

I'm sure your calibrator also schooled you on the importance of not only calibrating your electronics, but also your environment. Proper lighting, room treatments, listening/viewing distance, noise abatement. I've taken a couple of ISF courses over the years pertaining to audio and video setup. I had purchased some gear hoping to go into ISF calibration as a side line, but it's not too popular in my area.

A good IFS calibration is well worth the cost. Since they calibrate using the TV internal adjustments, they can adjust each input so the calibrated settings are the default, making it easy to get back to them should the kids decide to do some adjustments.

The calibrator normally uses a signal generator as the source to calibrate each specific input. This ensures the TV displays each source accurately. However, it assumes the source is perfect. Since many BD player have their own internal video adjustments the final result may not be. This is where I believe a good disc calibration comes into play as a last step for the BD/DVD/CD player. It will also account for any differences introduced by cabling ensuring the entire signal path has taken into account. I've used my Sencore P403 for HD video calibrations. The connections are a little dates with DVI instead of HDMI, but still does a good job using adapters.

[filecat13]

I'm sure your calibrator also schooled you on the importance of not only calibrating your electronics, but also your environment. Proper lighting, room treatments, listening/viewing distance, noise abatement.

Actually, I got to show him a thing or two on environment. I don't have the knowledge or equipment for a projector calibration, but I've got the construction skills and tools to build my own room. After I got a JBL Synthesis® One Array system, it sat in the boxes for over three months while I converted slightly more than half of the lowest level of the house into a home theater. I paid a pro with the knowledge and experience to help me develop the room's parameters, then went to town: freestanding, insulated, air-gapped walls; dedicated 20 Amp circuits; 100% light controlled (only one door, no windows); dedicated HVAC system; built in equipment closet with front and back access; quartered ceiling; can lights and LEDs, plus floor safety lighting; pre-wired for 11.2 (currently 7.1); acoustic treatments at critical points, both absorbers of different depths and diffusers; light-sucking black velour fabric near screen and on front half of side walls; dark, dark, flat brown paint on all walls and diffusers and the first two quadrants of the ceiling; well, you get the idea.

Then I installed the sound system and screen, and then I got the full Synthesis® calibration.

After that, I was so pumped up I started on the rest of the lower level, turning it into a music, gaming, and fitness room.


A good IFS calibration is well worth the cost.

Yep. Or THX.


The calibrator normally uses a signal generator as the source to calibrate each specific input.

He had that and, as I'm sure you know, a whole lot more. He brought in a giant, multi-level rolling box full of equipment. After I saw everything, it confirmed my decision not to buy the gear and try to learn to do it myself. I don't need to spend that much time and money.