It features tests and patterns similar to theAVIA disc, although it's a little more technical in nature. There are close to 200 separate test patterns and calibration routines on theAVIA disc-more than most users will want to go through, to be honest.Suffice it to say that whatever you want to adjust, you can find thatcalibration somewhere on the AVIA disc.Īnother popular calibration disc is Digital Video Essentials(DVE), from Joe Kane Productions. What kind of calibrations are we talking about? Here's a top-leveloverview of what you can calibrate and test with the AVIA disc:
(An AVIA PRO six-disc test suite is also available that sells for $400 it's for hard-core professionals only.)
You also get a box full of colored filters to help youcalibrate your display's color and tint levels. My favorite calibration DVD is Ovation Multimedia's AVIA Guide to Home Theater.The AVIA disc includes a 40-minute guide to home theater basics, a variety ofvideo calibration patterns and tests, and an equally large number of audiocalibration tests. How detailed you goin calibrating your system is up to you. The adjustments can be as simple as tweaking thestandard brightness, contrast, color, and tint controls, or as complex as makingfine adjustments to the set's technical service menu.
When you follow theinstructions on the DVD, you end up adjusting your TV and audio system toproduce the optimal results. This is why proper calibration of your system is facilitated byproper use of a calibration disc.Ī calibration disc is a DVD that contains dozens-if nothundreds-of test patterns and calibration tests. Your eyes and your ears can deceive you, especially whenyou're focusing on one particular element of your system'sperformance.
Proper calibration of your audio and video components is difficult to do byeye or ear alone. Calibrate your system to these standards and you'll have aterrific looking and sounding home theater system.īut what are these standards-and how do you make the appropriateadjustments? Read on to learn more. There are also similarstandards for audio quality from your system's speakers and audiocomponents. Adjust the system the same way in your living room, andyou'll find the long-term listening experience quite unpleasant.įortunately, there are specific standards designed to help you get theoptimal picture quality on your new big-screen TV. Most dealers pump up the bass andoverpower the rear speakers in an attempt to impress you with room-shakingsurround sound. (It's a fact that theset with the brightest picture in the showroom sells the best.) Unfortunately,this hyper-accentuated picture is not the right picture for your living room.You want a picture that looks more natural, which will require some readjusting. They crank up the brightness and colorlevels to look their best in the brightly-lit store-and to look brighterand more colorful than the competitor's sets. Did you like the way the demo big-screen TV looked in the dealer'sshowroom? Or the way the speakers sounded? Think that's the way your newsystem should look and sound in your home?Īlmost all new television sets come set up by the manufacturers to"pop" on the showroom floor.