HDTV Calibration Device

[Nick]

Is SpyderTV the next best thing to professional calibration?

From Courant.comYour poor, defenseless new HDTV has been the victim of sabotage. Factory conspirators
have cranked up settings for brightness, contrast, color and sharpness so you can't miss
the picture in the brilliance of the store's fluorescent-fired showroom.

You fall in love, reach for a credit card and bring home the TV. Now, in the softer lighting
of your den, the picture suddenly looks as if it has spent the day at a Red Bull keg party.
It's so fired up, hyper-bright, and the colors are so over-saturated that it's more than in-
accurate: It's potentially dangerous, shortening the life of your plasma or the lamp in your
DLP set. Even more alarming, you might even think this is the way an HDTV should look.

SpyderTV could be the most elaborate way for do-it-yourselfers to get the best picture.
...
More @ www.courant.com (http://www.courant.com/technology/hc-hunt0518.artmay18,0,2120214.column?track=rss)

[HIPAR]

This is one for the MythBusters.

--- CHAS

[purtman]

This is one for the MythBusters.

--- CHAS

Why do you say that?

[4DThinker]

My Samsung 40" 1080p LCD was WAY to bright when first turned on. Sure enough the default contrast, brightness, and sharpness settings were all max. about an hour with my AVIA home theater DVD and all was pretty.

As for Mythbusters, I think that's a great on to send them. The myth being that all HDTVs are preconfigured to look best in bright showrooms but have settings that will require "calibration" when you get the set home. Who knows, it may not be a myth.

[Jim5506]

I thought the Mythbusters comment was in relation to the price of the aforementioned device and whether it is worth it.

[HIPAR]

I thought the Mythbusters comment was in relation to the price of the aforementioned device and whether it is worth it.

Actually the myth is about the showroom factory settings. My Sharp needed more brightness in my room and turning it up required a tweaking of the contrast. The color looks fine to me right out of the box.

I've been adjusting sets by eye since my dad bought a Zenith back in the early 60s and have always had positive comments about PQ. Those were simpler times .. everything is too technical today. Someday I'll get some sort of calibration device. Maybe it will transform my 'viewing experience' from mediocrity to gee look what I've be missing.

--- CHAS

[Jim5506]

My Hitachi RP-CRT was set at 100% brightness, 100% contrast out of the box. Turned it down to 45 and 50.

[braven]

My Mitsubishi RP-CRT came set on torch mode (100% contrast) out of the box too.

[machavez00]

My Mitsubishi RP-CRT came set on torch mode (100% contrast) out of the box too.

My father in laws DLP as well. It seems to be the default setting (63) for Mitsu sets. I set everything to the mid point and turned sharpness to 0