What kit is required for front projector calibration?

[VirusKiller]

Simple question really. Let's say you wanted to D65 and grayscale calibrate your projector at home (with or without an external VP). What would you need, how much would it cost, and where would you get it from?

[Mr.D]

simply put :

You need some way to read the colour and brightness characteristics of the display. Either a hardware colorimeter or a usb sensor and some suitable PC based software.
The hardware sensor is usually very expensive : (over 5k) , a PC based system can be as expensive but there are also some cheaper options ( the Spyder2 sensor and Calman for example).

You need some way of modelling the characteristics of your display to give you an idea of how to proceed with adjustment. ( usually software).

You need reliable test patterns to provide a reference to read from (DVE , Avia ...I prefer Getgray for simplicity).

You need to be able to access the RGB bias and gain controls on the display : some have them available in the user settings , most require service menu access.( its not always possible to get access to RGB bias and gain controls on every display) The ae900 is quite good in this regard I believe. ( panasonic displays generally are in my experience).

You need to have some understanding of what it is you are adjusting. Its not rocket science but for the best results it helps to know exactly what you are adjusting for.