Are your whites blown out?

[EmpireState]

This post is in no way a criticism of Dish Network's HD picture quality, more of a curious question about other people's televisions compared to mine ...

Bright whites in HD on my television are always blown out no matter what HD channel I watch, even OTA channels. If someone is wearing a white shirt, I get a white glare that overwhelms the shirt. I can't see the detail I would expect from a super high quality picture, no folds and few shadows, just a fairly white glare. It's almost like I have the contrast set too high, but I'm using the factory "standard" video setting for my television, not any of the super vivid settings that my TV came with. If I lower the contrast, I'll lose more than I gain in PQ.

I'm curious if other people experience this, especially others with newer better televisions. My TV is 4 years old so it is an antique now compared to the new LCD's and Plasmas out there, can you believe it ... 4 years old!!! My full setup specs are in my signature.

Let me know what you see when there is an image of an all white object lit by the sun or bright light on the screen. THANKS

 

[Mr Zulu]

My guess is that you need to get your hands a calibration disk (best and they're not that expensive) or find out when HDnet is showing its test patterns (second best) or find a movie DVD that has features for optimizing your TV (third best). It sounds to me like your contrast is set too high. Lowering it may initially look like you've lost some PQ which is normal when you change a setting from what you're used to seeing. However, you may just be expecting too much from your older model TV. Calibrating to its correct settings will at least let you know it's set for maximum performance... beyond that, PQ issues would either be the source, transmission medium, or the TV.

 

[rogerpl]

This post is in no way a criticism of Dish Network's HD picture quality, more of a curious question about other people's televisions compared to mine ...

Bright whites in HD on my television are always blown out no matter what HD channel I watch, even OTA channels. If someone is wearing a white shirt, I get a white glare that overwhelms the shirt. I can't see the detail I would expect from a super high quality picture, no folds and few shadows, just a fairly white glare. It's almost like I have the contrast set too high, but I'm using the factory "standard" video setting for my television, not any of the super vivid settings that my TV came with. If I lower the contrast, I'll lose more than I gain in PQ.

I'm curious if other people experience this, especially others with newer better televisions. My TV is 4 years old so it is an antique now compared to the new LCD's and Plasmas out there, can you believe it ... 4 years old!!! My full setup specs are in my signature.

Let me know what you see when there is an image of an all white object lit by the sun or bright light on the screen. THANKS

One tip I read somewhere was to find a scene with a white shirt and adjust brightness and contrast till you see the shirt buttons the way you think looks normal.

 

[EmpireState]

My old TV has controls for Brightness and Picture Up/Down and nothing else. Not even Contrast. So sad. No multi-calibration features like newer TV's.
I'll give Brightness a teak.

 

[tonare1]

HDnet test patterns....

Just looked on HDnet's website for test pattern listing...
any idea when they actually show this or what exactly they call it? Is it on once a week/month at 3:00 in the morning. (I am not joking!) Any advice on when to view/dvr it would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!!!

 

[EmpireState]

Just looked on HDnet's website for test pattern listing...
any idea when they actually show this or what exactly they call it? Is it on once a week/month at 3:00 in the morning. (I am not joking!) Any advice on when to view/dvr it would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!!!

Yes, I would like to know when this is on as well.

Also, I believe my "Picture" setting was a little too hot, lowering it on the KP-46WT510 seems too have helped my whites. --thanks.

 

[Mr Zulu]

It's been a few months since I looked for it. There was a time that it was at a certain time on a certain day each week but when I was looking for it they were showing it random times. There was a place on their website that said when they'd show them but I can't say exactly where to look and I think they just called it the HDnet test patterns. It only lasts 10 minutes and is never actually in the reciever's guide so you do have to get the info from the website.

 

[Mr Zulu]

Regarding lack of a contrast setting, I find that odd. I don't think I've ever seen a TV that didn't have Brightness and Contrast settings.

 

[allargon]

Contrast may be labeled picture or something else. I have one TV that calls color "saturation".

 

[EmpireState]

Regarding lack of a contrast setting, I find that odd. I don't think I've ever seen a TV that didn't have Brightness and Contrast settings.

There is brightness control, but not Contrast. Yeah, it's funny and stupid. At the time I bought it I just trusted in the fact that I was buying a Sony. Back then Sony was still king in my mind. The picture controls leave a lot to be desired. Wish I had a Kuros Plasma from what I hear.

On the other hand, aside from the wash-outs on hot whites from Sat and OTA, the 1080i picture quality is smoooooooth. Blu-Ray discs look amazing. I'd honestly put it up against any LCD, no matter how new under the right viewing circumstances. Yes, I'm a fossil.

My old rear projection has held up, but it's coming to the end of its life. I'll just put a new TV on the long list of things I want.

 

[EmpireState]

Contrast may be labeled picture or something else. I have one TV that calls color "saturation".

Yep, it was "Picture". I just lowered the setting by a few notches and it looks better.


I've also heard there are dealer codes I can enter to get me more calibration options, but I haven't tried to find them.

 

[KKlare]

Often Picture or Contrast adjusts the white level.
Often Brightness adjusts the black level.
Some sets don't just set the endpoints, rather are a mix, especially with DNIE or other dynamic adjustment.
Set the black level to give dark or black in the darkest part of the image.
Set the white level to give you reasonable illumination.
You may need to iterate.
Good luck and glad you got something on scale.
-Ken

 

[EmpireState]

Thanks Ken,


I guess more than anything, I was looking to hear if I was the only one with the problem. Everyone else's new TV's are fine?

If anyone else sees too much white on the super white images and scenes, let me know.

-thanks

 

[caam1]

On most sets "Picture" does the same thing as "Contrast". If you have one of the newer THX certified DVDs, select the "THX Optimizer" and there is a series of test patterns. One with different levels of white is specifically for adjusting the contrast or picture control.

 

[cparker]

When my whites look strange I use a little OxyClean. Fixes 'em right up

 

[Ben Bassinger]

ISF calibration

Using a test disc is great for setting up a dvd player, but the only way to properly set-up your Satellite input is buy having your tv calibrated by a professional. Test discs only work for the input that your dvd is on. (HDMI, component, S-vid ect). Many dvd players have their own picture adjustments and therefore you cannot just copy the settings over from your dvd test pattern. Especially if your not even using the same type of input(HDMI). Spend the money to have a professional do it. It's the only way to have the correct settings and color temperature.

 

[bhenge]

Using a test disc is great for setting up a dvd player, but the only way to properly set-up your Satellite input is buy having your tv calibrated by a professional. Test discs only work for the input that your dvd is on. (HDMI, component, S-vid ect). Many dvd players have their own picture adjustments and therefore you cannot just copy the settings over from your dvd test pattern. Especially if your not even using the same type of input(HDMI). Spend the money to have a professional do it. It's the only way to have the correct settings and color temperature.

I agree with Ben, a good calibration disc can set up your DVD player and a ISF calibration can set up your TV... the problem that remains is that each channel broadcast on Satellite (and even each program broadcast on each satellite) has different qualities. So while one channel with a particular program can look stunning, another program on another channel can stink. HD seems to have minimized the change between HD channels due to more standardization, but even there the differences are notable... especially when viewing live versus recorded programs. My set allows me to save 4 groups of settings so I have a group for ISF, HD, DVD, and SD. Even then I have to tweak the settings a bit when the source program is way out of spec.

 

[langlin]

Yep, it was "Picture". I just lowered the setting by a few notches and it looks better.


I've also heard there are dealer codes I can enter to get me more calibration options, but I haven't tried to find them.

Empire, the Sony KP-46WT510 is using CRT (Cathode Ray Tubes) and after years of use many CRT's lose the ability to display whites which require to most electrons to be "boiled" off the cathode of the tube. When the tube gets starved for electrons the whites bloom and go out of focus. You can turn down the contrast (picture) and improve is a little but the only real answer is to either replace the three CRT's (not recomended) or get one of the newer displays. I replaced a Toshiba 65" CRT rear projection with a Samsung DLP 72" rear projection and the difference is night and day. You probably also paid twice as much for your old Sony than you will have to pay today, they are twice as good for about half the price, go shopping and have fun.

 

[JoeSp]

One of the things that you cannot do is improve the PQ of E*s HD settops because they all crush whites and blacks. So eventually you end up increasing brightness to improve definition but what you end up doing is overdriving your whites so that when something is white on your HDTV it shows up as being oversaturated. It does not sound like you need new CRTs as if you did you would not get the overblooming effect on whites that you are describing. You would be getting the opposite.

On the old Sony's you still have a brightness control (turn that down a few numbers) and if you do not have a contrast control then you should have a control that says Black on it. Black is the same thing as contrast. So, to improve your picture right now dial down your brightness setting and dial up your Black setting in the interim until you get your hands on a calibration disc. Another thing you could do is set your set to the 'film' mode. This will do the same thing as I have suggested.
Mr Zulu is correct -- you need to get a calibration disk and use it to improve your picture.

 

[vegassatellite]

Found this little gem on the net.

Smart Calibration, LLC - Adjusting Display with HDNet Test Patterns