As many know, one great way to setup your HDTV without a full blown calibration is to use a basic test disc. Here are a couple I recommend:
Now, for software:
Pattern Generation:
Generators:
Meters:
Notes on 3D:
- DVE - Very good for sharpness and contrast, as well as brightness and has some resolution patterns. Good color filter
- Spears and Munsil - Has all the goodies like DVE, but also offers a lot of Chroma and Luma tests for things like RGB vs ycbcr and 422 vs 444 output from source devices. As well as testing how your display handles it.
- Disney WOW - Easier menu's than DVE so it is more first time friendly, and has nice extra's
Now, for software:
- Chromapure - I was originally a Calman user, and I know a lot of folks like Spectracal, but from a support and ease of use standpoint, I enjoyed my switch to CP and intend to stay with them. Look hard at both before buying a package with one or the other, because meters are often locked and you are stuck once you jump in. Tom Huffman is a great guy and still answers ALL of my stupid questions via email
Pattern Generation:
- Blu-ray player - By far the cheapest way to run patterns, because you already have it and pattern discs are FREE! Biggest issue here is, ensuring the BR player is setup in a way it is not influencing the video output with color errors. As of now, Oppo 93 in source direct is OK, the newer Pananasonic's with all the crud cut off, in Normal Mode and Chroma Off, and some of the Sony's. Not sure on other models.
- AVS709 - Been around for a long time, and used by many. It offers patterns setup for all 3 software suits. My only issue with AVS709 is that the grayscale windows are like 15%, which are just too big for modern day plasmas causing ABL to kick in, especially on gamma readings. Works fine for LCD's of course. They do have some average picture level patterns to combat this, but Ive not been happy with those results.
AVS HD 709 - Blu-ray & MP4 Calibration
- GCD - Enter the new guy. This is being worked on at AVS now with a couple of guys (one I've worked with on Samsung issues and calibrations who is very very smart), and Tom Huffman. I think this will be the next big thing in freebies. It offers grayscale/gamma windows at a smaller 10% size, which matches the Accupel, and should work better for plasma. It also offers what I think may be a better selection of patterns that are 1% size, and should work well for plasma gamma calibration and avoiding the ABL kicking in. This is a must for calibrating newer plasmas with a 10pt gamma adjustment. It was created as more of an indepth color management tool, so it has color patterns of different saturation and luminance, just about all you need. These guys are complete nerds, and I love what they have done.
GCD - Gamut Calibration Disk (you can download this directly from Chromapure's website)
- Internal CP patterns - Chromapure software has a set of internal patterns, which uses the output on your laptop as the generator. These have been tested as well, and work fine, you just have to be sure your laptop video card, as with the Blu-ray player, is not mucking up the output signal. You only want to use these free patterns if you have a reference output.
Generators:
- DPG1200 ($699) - I have the 1000 version of this and it is a good model IMO, especially for the novice who may not want use test discs, or do friend's and family's sets. Only problems I see with it are, that it is a WD Live player by nature and is shipped to you working properly. If you goof around and update its FW, it can mess up the reference output. Also, it outputs RGB 444 only, which some displays have an issue with. Many displays that receive an RGB input, convert them to ycbcr, then back to RGB (I know I know, but it's not my fault). Also, the good majority of your source devices like DVR's are ycbcr 444, or can be set to either like your Blu-ray player (some models anyways). IMO, the advantage of the GCD now, since it has smaller patterns for plasma, is you can output a good ycbcr signal to your set, and calibrate to it, as opposed to the RGB from the DPG. All that being said, Ive been using the DPG for almost a year, and it works great.
SpectraCal CalMAN DPG-1400 Digital Video Pattern Generator - Pattern Generators - Home AV
- Accupel ($1399 to $1699) - Cream of the crop in the $1000 range, but I dont feel you need this unless you are anal , or you plan to do calibrations you charge for. Test disc, or DPG is fine for the rest of us. I had a 4000, which was the RGB/DVI version, and its a lovely machine. The new 5000 is even better. Another cool thing is that Chromapure can auto control patterns in the Accupel, so you just set it up to run and let CP do the controlling for each pattern and each measurement. The Accupel can also output 3D, which is very helpful.
AccuPel Video Test Pattern Generator
Meters:
- Staying in the $1000 range, the I1 Pro is still one of the hot tickets out there and is very durable and accurate. It's biggest issue is the need to take a dark reading, and low light issues.
- Previously, the best plan was to have an I1 Pro and a cheap colorimeter like the Chroma 5, and profile the C5 to the I1. This gave the C5 better accuracy, but you had it's low light capabilities and did not have to take dark readings every 10 minutes.
- Now bring in the new D3 Pro that came out last year. Ive had mine awhile now, and the I1 and C5 are gone. The D3 Pro is fast, can read low light well, enough to measure MLL on a Kuro, and is very accurate for the amateur. I do not miss the I1 Pro at all, and have been happy with the D3 results. Of course you can always spend $10k-20k on meters like the pros , and folks are still using the I1 Pro coupled with a D3. Just depends on your needs.
Notes on 3D:
- Many meters can't read low enough at low stimulus with the glasses over them, so eyeballing is necessary
- You do not need a 3D signal generator like the Accupel to do 3D, just use your normal Blu player and test disc, and put your display in 2D-3D mode, and then make adjustments.
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