TV Calibration; Does your TV need it?

Yes, your TV needs to be calibrated.  For those of you who have no clue what I’m talking about;  Calibration refers to adjusting the color, tint, brightness, and contrast of the TV to get you the best color and HDTV viewing experience possible.  Far too often I see customers who set their color and screen settings to “Vivid” mode just because it’s brighter.  Brighter does not mean better.  In fact brighter can be bad for your eyes and it can cost you money.

“Sounds like an excuse for me to pay you another $50″…

Not necessarily.  Have you ever been watching a football game and noticed that the field loTV Calibrationoks like it’s painted green instead of just growing green?  That’s a symptom of a TV with incorrect color settings.  Have you ever been watching night scene in a movie and noticed that something which should be black looks more like dark grey?  That’s a symptom of a TV with incorrect Contrast/Brightness settings.

Having your TV calibrated will cure all those symptoms, and more.  A correctly calibrated TV will often result in a dimmer picture than the default settings, and if the TV produces less light, it uses less power and can enjoy a longer lifespan thanks to the reduced strain on the light-generating components of the TV.  So not only are you getting a much better image, you could be saving electricity and making your TV last longer as well.  I only say “could” because some TVs have to be set brighter than factory settings to obtain optimal picture quality.  After all, picture quality is the primary reason to have your television calibrated.

At this point I have done over 100 TV calibrations, and I have yet to find a single customer who cannot see the difference once I demonstrate the before/after affects of the calibration.  Because of this I offer a money back guarantee;  If you’re unsatisfied with Install Heroes’ Calibration Service after we perform a calibration on your previously un-calibrated TV, we’ll give your money back.  It’s that simple.  We know you’ll be happy with the TV Calibration Service, and we’re willing to prove it.

So why can’t I just calibrate my TV myself?

In fact you can do a basic calibration yourself, without the help of a professional.  If you Google search “TV Calibration Images” you’ll find a lot of images that can be used to do a very basic calibration on your TV.  Simply burn these images to a disc and play it in your DVD player.  The same sites which contain the images will typically also include instructions on how to utilize them.  The information is a bit too detailed to cover here and now, but it is available online.

Spyder Colorimeter

The difference between this DIY version of a TV calibration and what you would pay a professional like myself to do is that I utilize a Colorimeter.  This device is basically an electronic eye that connects to a laptop and uses proprietary software to help measure and calibrate the TV settings far more reliably than the human eye.

My buddy had his TV calibrated, can’t I just copy his settings?

No.  The reason is that every TV is different, even within the same manufacturer and model.  Even more different are your homes and their lighting conditions.  Lighting in the room has the greatest impact on how your TV will ultimately be calibrated.  This is why movie theaters have no windows, natural light would alter the way the on screen image looks.  Additionally, it is not recommended that you have a calibration done on a TV in a sun-room since the lighting conditions in that room are constantly changing.

Final Thoughts…

Like anything else, there are a lot of varying online opinions about the importance of television calibration.  Ultimately it’s like surround sound;  It’s not necessary, but it will improve your viewing experience.  There are many choices to make when purchasing a new TV or home entertainment system, and they are all very personal choices.  You can be perfectly happy without having your TV calibrated, but those who choose to have it done will never be disappointed with their decision.

So if you find yourself watching the Kentucky Derby and thinking to yourself “those horses just don’t look quite right”; Call and we’ll come to the rescue!

One Comment to TV Calibration; Does your TV need it?

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