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.