[Funkoid]

Hi

If this has been brought up before I'm sorry but I did a quick search which didn't return any specific answers to my questions.

So, I’ve read a handful of guides and a very detained on HCFR and have to say I think I’m ready! I've managed to source an i1 off a very good friend of mine so really I’m all set!

I want to calibrate a 37" Panasonic LCD which has an Xbox 360, DVD Player & Sky+ SD box connected to it. The screen in question has a Normal, Dynamic, Cinema and Game mode.

My main questions go kind of hand in hand:-

• Should I calibrate against more than one source?

• Which source should I calibrate from?

My DVD player does reasonable up-scaleing to 1080p and is connected to the screen with a decent HDMI cable so I was considering using that. My Xbox 360 is connected via component outputting at 1080i question is which is the better bet?

I understand I’m going to have to access service menus and alter RGBGain etc but the question is does this generally change for just the one 'mode' or is it a global setting? If you suggest calibrating from more than one source should I use different 'modes' or not and how do you find the balance between sources?

Thanks for any information

[Pecker]

As far as I'm aware you have two choices. You can either calibrate using the source you use most, and hope the others are close, or you can calibrate for each one and go with a compromise.

You'll see I've just had my PJ calibrated (link in sig) and my Region 1 Sammy BD player, Region 2 Panny BD player and UK Toshiba XE-1 HD DVD player now look pretty much identical, with the Sky HD box very close.

I have DVE on Blu-ray Disc (both Region 1 and Region 2) and HD DVD/SD DVD combo, so I'm going to do some demoing of the three formats/players to see how 'different' they are. I can freeze the same frame, for example, on the Sammy & Panny and flick instantly between the two, so any differences will be immediately apparent if they're visible to the human eye.

Steve W

[Mark Hodgkinson]

Originally Posted by Funkoid

Hi

If this has been brought up before I'm sorry but I did a quick search which didn't return any specific answers to my questions.

So, I’ve read a handful of guides and a very detained on HCFR and have to say I think I’m ready! I've managed to source an i1 off a very good friend of mine so really I’m all set!

I want to calibrate a 37" Panasonic LCD which has an Xbox 360, DVD Player & Sky+ SD box connected to it. The screen in question has a Normal, Dynamic, Cinema and Game mode.

My main questions go kind of hand in hand:-

• Should I calibrate against more than one source?

• Which source should I calibrate from?

My DVD player does reasonable up-scaleing to 1080p and is connected to the screen with a decent HDMI cable so I was considering using that. My Xbox 360 is connected via component outputting at 1080i question is which is the better bet?

I understand I’m going to have to access service menus and alter RGBGain etc but the question is does this generally change for just the one 'mode' or is it a global setting? If you suggest calibrating from more than one source should I use different 'modes' or not and how do you find the balance between sources?

Thanks for any information

Seeing as though you have a Panasonic, which can't be calibrated per input/source only per viewing mode, you'd probably best calibrating Cinema/Warm with your DVD player and perhaps a daytime setting with Normal/Warm

[Funkoid]

Originally Posted by hodg100

Seeing as though you have a Panasonic, which can't be calibrated per input/source only per viewing mode, you'd probably best calibrating Cinema/Warm with your DVD player and perhaps a daytime setting with Normal/Warm

Cool thanks so i can use Normal for Sky+, Cinema for DVD & Game for Xbox Brilliant

Thanks guys


Edit - Just had another thought! I can't get test patterns on the Sky+ box! Any ideas if there is a work around for this? Possibly passing the dvd player through it via scart?

[Funkoid]

Originally Posted by Funkoid

Cool thanks so i can use Normal for Sky+, Cinema for DVD & Game for Xbox Brilliant

Thanks guys


Edit - Just had another thought! I can't get test patterns on the Sky+ box! Any ideas if there is a work around for this? Possibly passing the dvd player through it via scart?

Also are there any free test pattern discs out there that are good! Don't want to have to wait for DVD Essentials to arrive in the post!

[mwardy]

If you use the HCFR software they have their own disk. Another useful one is CCCP computer grafica ruspante .

There are English instructions.

[Iain Gibson]

The Panasonic Vieras regretably tend to have global white balance, not independent per source or per viewing mode.

I would calibrate using your DVD player on Cinema / Warm as has been suggested. (It is best to send a progressive signal due to lack of film detection in these screens.) Also beware that sometimes activating service menu switches into a different viewing mode, and so you must make measurements outside of service menu to verify your results.

Good luck
Iain

[Funkoid]

Has anyone had issues with setting R-Gain values ion the menus? It's driving me mad! I modify the value as would be expected and click ok to "write" however as soon as i click okay it defaults back to the original value!!

[Iain Gibson]

I've experienced problems like this. Sometimes you can only write adjustments to one of the colour temp 'memories' e.g. Normal. Try it on each of the presets and one of them should comply!

Iain

Originally Posted by Funkoid

Has anyone had issues with setting R-Gain values ion the menus? It's driving me mad! I modify the value as would be expected and click ok to "write" however as soon as i click okay it defaults back to the original value!!

[Phil Hinton]

Originally Posted by Funkoid

Has anyone had issues with setting R-Gain values ion the menus? It's driving me mad! I modify the value as would be expected and click ok to "write" however as soon as i click okay it defaults back to the original value!!

The software can be best described as buggy in the service menus. We have calibrated quite a few Panasonics now and this is a common issue. Come out of the menu conpletely and then re-enter, it should then take the new settings when you click to confirm.
Also as Iain says, watch for luminance or white balance jumps when you exit the service menu and always double check your results out of the service mode.
Hopefully next years models will have everything in the user menus

[Funkoid]

Yes that was it in the end turned out to only be able to change the settings for Normal / Normal.

I got it as tight as I could within the time frame I had whilst the mrs was out of the house for a few hours, i'll try and get my before and afters up later

I'm still planning on revisiting the results though....

I will post pics here in a few moments.

[Funkoid]

This was before ....

This was after....

[Iain Gibson]

Looks good. Glad you sussed it out!

I

[Funkoid]

Originally Posted by Illuminant AV

Looks good. Glad you sussed it out!

I

I'm planning on returning the i1 i managed to source soon although i'm tempted to have a nother run over the TV with it tomorrow to see if I can try and get the 60% ironed out.

Do you think it's possible to get it bang on all the way through or would you assume its the limitation of the set?

... see now I know its off at 60% it's annoying me

[Iain Gibson]

Originally Posted by Funkoid

I'm planning on returning the i1 i managed to source soon although i'm tempted to have a nother run over the TV with it tomorrow to see if I can try and get the 60% ironed out.

Do you think it's possible to get it bang on all the way through or would you assume its the limitation of the set?

... see now I know its off at 60% it's annoying me

It might be possible to do slightly better, or it might not
Grayscale uniformity is usually affected by Contrast and if you have this too high or too low, that might be the issue. Generally 30-40 ftL is a good range for 100% white to be in.

That said, most screens including yours only have a 2-point grayscale control i.e. RGB High and RGB Low. Not many can achieve an absolutely perfect grayscale at all levels. For perfection you generally need an external processor with 11-point (or more) controls.

You have a dE or about 3.5 at 60% just now. In an ideal world you would want to get this down, but if that proves impossible (without sacrificing the other dEs) then I would not lose sleep over it. It may even turn out to be a measurement error. (The i1Pro is good but occasionally there is some variation between readings taken from the same pattern.)

If you have the chance of another attempt I'd say go for it, it can't hurt. Just write down the current settings in case you can't improve on them!

Cheers,
Iain