How to Calibrate Your HDTV For Better Picture Quality in Minutes!

This is a very basic guide on how to calibrate a new HDTV display.  We offer a step by step procedure on how to take the display out of torch mode and how to disable many of the auto features that cause deleterious effects on picture quality. We also show you how to properly set black level to ensure the best picture quality.   If you just purchased a new HDTV or not happy with the picture quality of your current television, we highly recommend following this procedure to take the right steps towards better and more accurate picture quality.

Check out our YouTube Instructional Video on how to Calibrate an HDTV Display using the Spears & Munsil Blu-ray where I go step by step to help you get your calibration correct.

Basic HDTV Calibration YouTube Video

Steps to Calibrating your HDTV

1. Turn off all video processing enhancing features. Also turn motion enhancement features off or minimum to avoid the unnatural soap-opera effect that they often cause.
2. Get the TV out of Torch mode (dynamic picture setting usually jacks up contrast and brightness settings to look good on a brightly light showfloor).
   
3.   Select a preset to do your calibration - 1. for daytime viewing, 2. for nighttime viewing.  See Choosing the Right Picture Mode
   
4.  Use a calibration disc to properly set black level (we recommend Spears & Munsil or Disney WOW).
   
5. Set color using test patterns but also trust your eye and look for accurate flesh tones.
6.  Check the aspect ratio settings.

Black Level Calibration using Spears & Munsil Blu-ray

• Pluge Low - used to set black level by adjusting the display brightness control.  First turn up the brightness until you see all 4 bars, then drop it down until only the two right bars are barely visible.
• Pluge High - this checks black level with another bright image on the screen.  Go back and forth between Pluge Low and High to make sure the brightness setting is correct.
• Contrast - this is designed to fine tune the brightness and contrast settings of your display. All of the numbered white bars should be visible and distinct from the background. The numbered black bars should be distinct and visible starting at bar 17.  The ramp that goes from white to black should not have an extra-wide black stripe in the center.
• Dynamic Range High - this determines if the display is reproducing all levels above reference white up to peak white. All of the bars except the brightest one should be visible.  If not, adjust the contrast control on your display until the brightest bar is just barely fades into the background.
• Dynamic Range Low - this checks if all of the range possible in the video signal is being sent to the display. Adjust the brightness control until only bars 18 and above are clearly visible and bar 17 is barely  visible.
• Clipping - this pattern is designed to show clipping of the peaks in the luma and RGB channels. If patterns are solid with no visible steps, the display is clipping. Try lowering the contrast control to resolve this but some displays will still clip unless you can do more advanced adjustments that go beyond the scope of this tutorial.
• Sharpness - usually you want to set this control as low as possible or raise it to just below the point where artifacts begin showing up on the test pattern (such as ripples near the hard edges).
• Geometry - use these circle patterns to ensure your display  renders the circles properly for 16:9 and 4:3 signals.
• Color Bars / HD Color Bars - using the blue filter over your eyes, adjust the color and tint controls so that the color bars match the brightness of the white bar beneath them. Check the color temperature setting on your display as well using regular program material to get the most natural flesh tones from people's faces.

Conclusion

It always amazes me when friends or family run out and drop $2k or more on a new HDTV display and just plop it down in their living room and leave it on the factory default settings.  Sure the picture can look good in this mode with an HDTV signal fed to it, but it only takes a little tweaking to make the picture look so much better and more accurate.  Following the instructions in this article and supported YouTube video, takes about 10-15 minutes for an experienced enthusiast and maybe a half hour for a novice.  The time invested is well worth it if you care to maximize performance and life of your HDTV display. 

Please share your experiences running through this calibration and/or your recommendations on our related forum thread below.