A perfect situation would be to have an Intel Computer stick or a mini PC connected to your TV in order to display the test images. If you have a Smart-TV, you can go directly to the websites suggested in this article in order to display the proposed pictures. Because there are so many links to various other sites in this article, embed the URL into text links for most of them so you know where it is you're navigating to. This is the easiest way since there is no need to download or to copy the images. You can also buy calibration discs, like Spears and Munsil HD Benchmark or Disney WOW. These are great resources, but this article is focusing on free, web-based options.
Thx Calibration Disc Download
The first settings to adjust are the brightness and contrast. The best way to do this is with a particular black and white image only. These are the most important calibrations. The colors are set afterward and it will be much easier to do when the saturation and contrast are already set.
In case you prefer to use the Youtube videos to do the calibrations, it is a good idea to stream them from your smartphone to your TV using a Chromecast- stick. In doing so, you do not copy from your smartphone, but the Chromecast takes it directly from your network! It's a first generation video.
There are many terms at play when discussing picture quality and its various aspects. Though many of these terms tend to be easy to pick up and understand immediately, TV manufacturers seem intent on making things more confusing by applying their own proprietary nomenclature to terms like contrast, saturation, etc., or trademarked names to technology like local dimming or backlighting.
We recommend that you leave the Tint setting alone, unless you are using a calibrator disc. It is a rare case in which the tint setting will need much adjustment, but it does happen. If it does, you can also use our same skin color test we mentioned above.
We also recommend the test disc for those still shopping. If you ask nicely, maybe your salesperson will let you play the disc on the TV. This of course assumes the store actually sells the increasingly rare Blu-ray disc player.
All patterns are from the AVS HD 709 calibration package, which can be downloaded in full here. To use them, just display the images on your TV via HDMI or USB, and then follow the instructions we outline below.
To get exactly what the director of your favourite movie intended you to see, you can get third-party products to calibrate your television to industry standards. Here are a few options for next-level calibration:
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THX has released an app for the iPhone and the iPad that is designed to help with the setup of your TV and audio system. Basically, this program is a walk-through of what you would find on a typical calibration disc with similar benefits and limitations. The best thing about this product is that it talks you through the process while displaying the test material. The video tests include both photos and test patterns. Using a combination of photos and test patterns is useful in demonstrating the impact of the control in question on image reproduction. Showing the pattern correctly on the mobile device while looking at it on your display could be very helpful for anyone who does not know what these things are. This solves one of the deficiencies of your typical setup disc that will display the pattern on only the display you are setting it up on and not provide a reference image for comparison.
THX tune-up uses the iPhone or iPad to send audio and video test material to your audio and video products either with an HDMI connection or using AirPlay. HDMI requires a digital AV adapter (part no. MD826ZM/A). AirPlay requires an AirPlay compatible device in your system and you must have AirPlay mirroring enabled on your iPhone or iPad. It would also be possible to use this software with a test disc that you already own that had similar test patterns without using an HDMI or AirPlay connection.
The audio tests found in this product are not very useful. The speaker assignment test is limited to 5.1 or 2 channel sound and provides nothing you could not do with the channel level test in your receiver. The speaker phase test is similar to what is found on the Avia test disc. Unfortunately, the most common phase error I encounter in the field is with the subwoofer and that would not be uncovered with this product. The audio tests included ignore dynamic range compression, speaker timbre, speaker levels, subwoofer positioning, subwoofer integration, equalization, speaker positioning, dialog intelligibility, lipsync and room resonance. The tool also ignores the possibility that the settings in your various sources like your Blu-Ray player or cable box could be corrupting your audio quality which occurs in almost every product on the market when using default settings.
This is an excellent alternative to kits like the SpyderTV which are a total waste of money. Seriously, why would anyone spend even $100 for software that can't even do a full grayscale calibration. Who cares if it comes with a fancy colorimeter. Many TV's come with their black and white levels calibrated from the factory. This includes many budget and mid range TV's. Vizio is one example. Last I heard THX was giving away the blue glasses for free. All you have to pay is shipping. Not sure if this has changed. Now if only more TV's had their grayscale settings visible in the user menu so I can calibrate them with Calman 5...
The real requirement for display calibration is actually very obvious, as without it you will never see images as the production team, specifically the DoP & Colourist, intends. This is true for displays used on film and TV productions, as well as for the home consumer, be it Gaming or Home Cinema use. It is equally true for Medical applications, where medical image assessment requires critical display calibration. 2ff7e9595c
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