Should I Calibrate My HDTV?
By Adrienne Maxwell
Video reviewers may not agree on everything, but most of us will agree on the importance of calibrating your HDTV. Whether you pay a professional to do a full-scale calibration or simply make basic adjustments using a calibration disc, the difference it can make in your TV's performance is often dramatic. But is it desirable? Do people really prefer a calibrated image to a TV's preset picture modes? Videophiles may offer up a resounding "Yes!" but I've heard from a number of custom installers who perform calibrations, that the average consumer is often less than wowed by a calibrated image.
I put the issue to the test in my own family. The last time a family member purchased a new TV, I headed over with my trusty test discs and ran through a basic calibration. Nothing extensive. I merely switched the TV from its standard picture mode to its cinema mode and then used test patterns from Digital Video Essentials to more accurately dial in the color, tint, brightness, contrast, and sharpness. I also turned off the dynamic contrast/black modes and various other modes that we reviewers rarely leave enabled. When I was finished, I called him in, showed him the pre- and post-calibration options, and let him pick the image he liked better. Which one do you think he chose? You guessed it: the preset mode. To him, that picture looked brighter, with more pop and better detail. He then looked at me and asked, "Is that the wrong one?"
And there's the million-dollar question: "Is that the wrong one?" Reviewers earn their money by evaluating the "rightness" of a TV--in part, its accuracy based on predefined standards. We laud a TV that can serve up a color temperature close to the reference D65 (or 6,500 Kelvin), even though many consumers seem to prefer a cooler (or bluer) color temperature that makes whites pop. We hail a display with accurate color points, despite the fact that consumers often prefer a more-saturated palette. We criticize the presence of edge enhancement, yet many people like the way this artificial sharpening makes the picture seem more detailed. In the audio realm, subjective reactions to a system's performance are expected...even encouraged. Sure, a flat response may be an objective measure of a speaker's success, but we also accept that many people don't like the sound of a perfectly flat speaker. Can we be as accepting of subjective preference on the video side?
The truth is, calibration doesn't have to be about making the TV look "right." It should be about helping your TV perform its best, based on your tastes, your viewing environment, and the type of content you plan to watch. With that goal in mind, isn't it worth a small investment of time (and maybe money) to experiment with the available picture controls in your TV's setup menu? We certainly think so.
Professional Calibration
The decision of whether or not to pay for a professional calibration will likely depend on two factors: how much you spent on the display and how you plan to use it. If you've purchased a high-end projector or TV for use in a dedicated theater room, it's probably worth the extra cash to make sure that the image looks as good as possible. (If you bought the display through a specialty dealer, calibration may be part of the overall package price.) Those predefined standards I mentioned are often most beneficial for viewing film content in a darkened room, so the chances are high that you'll be happy with the calibration results. On the other hand, if you've purchased a mid- to entry-level model that will primarily be used for casual TV watching in the family room, a full-scale calibration is probably not necessary.
The big name in professional calibration is the Imaging Science Foundation, which offers a training and certification program. The cost of a professional calibration through an ISF-certified dealer is usually a few hundred dollars and will vary depending on display type. Consumers can locate an ISF-certified calibrator in their area by visiting the Dealer section at www.imagingscience.com.
A professional calibrator will go through all of your TV's picture controls to fine-tune the image. With the aid of onscreen test patterns, he will balance color and tint, adjust the brightness control to ensure that you're getting the deepest blacks without crushing black detail, do the same for white level with the contrast control, and adjust the sharpness to preserve detail without introducing too much edge enhancement (or artificial sharpening of edges, which can add unwanted noise). After making basic adjustments, the calibrator will use advanced measurement equipment to analyze and correct the TV's color temperature, or color of white, within the limits of the TV's performance. The color of white is crucial because black and white form the foundation of the image, and a skewed color temperature will affect the entire color palette. As I mentioned, D65 is usually the target point for an ISF calibrator, but you can certainly have a say in this process. If you prefer a slightly cooler color temp, the installer can accommodate that request. The ultimate goal is to get the most even color temperature across the board, from the darkest image to the brightest. The last thing you want is an uneven picture--for instance, one that is noticeably blue with dark images and then veers warm (or red) with brighter ones.
The professional calibrator can also measure the TV's color points to determine how "accurate" they are. Is red truly red, or does it look magenta? Green can often be way off the mark in a flat-panel TV. Many higher-end displays include advanced color management systems that help the calibrator independently adjust the hue and saturation of each color point. He can also measure the TV's black level and light output to determine the settings that produce the best contrast and brightness to suit your viewing environment--the importance of which should not be underestimated. LCDs can be excessively bright, which may cause eyestrain when viewed in a darker room.
As I mentioned, flexibility and your personal taste should always be part of this process. If you desire it and the TV will allow it, the calibrator can configure multiple modes to suit different room environments and/or source content--say, a brighter, more vibrant mode for TV watching and a warmer, more natural mode for film content. With the push of a button, you can have a picture that's ideally suited to exactly what you're watching at any given moment.
Do-It-Yourself Calibration
If you opt to forgo a professional calibration, manufacturers have made it easier than ever before to fine-tune the picture on your own. Advanced adjustments that were once hidden in a service menu, accessible only to a professional calibrator, are now in the general video menu for anyone to access. Of course, not every TV has all of these advanced controls; generally speaking, the less the TV costs, the fewer advanced picture controls it offers. So, if you know you want the ability to make advanced adjustments, you should see what's available in the TV's video setup menu before you buy it. Armed with an advanced calibration disc like Avia or Digital Video Essentials, the blossoming videophile or eager do-it-yourselfer can tackle basic and some advanced picture adjustments, including the ability to tweak color temperature, color points, gamma, and more. The lack of professional measurement tools means you have to guesstimate with certain parameters, and the process will likely take some time; thankfully, most TVs have a handy reset button right alongside those advanced controls so that you can undo any undesirable results. Datacolor's Spyder3TV kit ($99) provides an easy, straightforward way to adjust color, tint, brightness, contrast, and color temperature; the package actually includes a small colorimeter, as well a PC software program and a DVD with the needed test patterns. If you just want to perform basic adjustment of color, tint, brightness, contrast, and sharpness, consider the ISF/Monster Cable HDTV Calibration Wizard DVD. Yes, it's a little cheesy, but it does provide a clear explanation of each adjustment and its benefits.
Finally, there will always be people who want to avoid the TV's setup menu as much as possible. To you I say, consider a new EnergyStar TV. For a TV to earn the current EnergyStar certification, it has to meet certain on-mode power-consumption standards right out of the box, so it's less likely that the TV will default to the "torch" mode, as we often call it--the uber-bright, wildly inaccurate Vivid or Dynamic picture mode that used to be the default mode of choice because it gave the TV lots of punch on the showroom floor. Or perhaps consider a TV that features an automatic setup feature: Some Philips TVs include a Settings Assistant Wizard, as do many new LG models. LG's Picture Wizard automatically walks you through a series of photos and lets you adjust brightness, contrast, color, tint and sharpness until they match a "recommended" picture. It truly couldn't be easier to perform a basic calibration.
Once the calibration is complete, my advice is, no matter how you feel about the image at the start, live with it for at least a week or two. Maybe it doesn't seem as vibrant or eye-catching at first; but, after a week of looking at a pleasingly natural image, you'd be amazed how your perspective can change. Suddenly, when you switch back to a preset picture mode, you start to notice all the little inaccuracies that you didn't see before. And if you don't? If you still prefer the preset standard mode to the calibrated cinema mode? Then switch it back. It's your TV, after all, and the only opinion that really matters is yours.
