HD XMAS Test card

dreadline · 25-12-2008, 10:09 AM

its on anytime so get it moved across to your planner. very cheesey music but does all the tests

djphatic · 25-12-2008, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreadline

its on anytime so get it moved across to your planner. very cheesey music but does all the tests

thanks for the heads up!

mattclarkie · 25-12-2008, 10:44 AM

Thanks for the heads-up. I accidentally deleted the testcard about a month ago.

I needed to shift my brightness from 50 to 54, obviously the backlight has started to dim.

thewhofan · 25-12-2008, 12:16 PM

Can anyone explain to me how to use the test card? what part of the image do I use for brightness, contrast, colour?

ayrshiredude · 26-12-2008, 11:09 PM

where is the Testcard?

dreadline · 26-12-2008, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayrshiredude

where is the Testcard?

Have you sky anytime enabled ?

If so it should be in your anytime recordings

press tv guide/red button (anytime) then if it is there highlight it and press record. It shold then move across to your planner

ayrshiredude · 26-12-2008, 11:21 PM

I have it turned off but might turn it back on now I know about this.

dave_a · 27-12-2008, 9:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thewhofan

Can anyone explain to me how to use the test card? what part of the image do I use for brightness, contrast, colour?

Would be helpful if someone can explain for me too. Cheers

STEVENM1000 · 27-12-2008, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave_a

Would be helpful if someone can explain for me too. Cheers

Yes I could do with the idiots guide please as to which buttons you press on the Sky remote to be able to test/adjust the settings

Tikkaspecial · 27-12-2008, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreadline

Have you sky anytime enabled ?

If so it should be in your anytime recordings

press tv guide/red button (anytime) then if it is there highlight it and press record. It shold then move across to your planner

Not in my Anytime menu.

dave_a · 27-12-2008, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tikkaspecial

Not in my Anytime menu.

Its on the 3rd page of mine

Tikkaspecial · 27-12-2008, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave_a

Its on the 3rd page of mine

3rd page (for me):

The Sound of Music
Noel's Christmas Presents
Johnny Cash
Spider-man 3 (sic)
The Simpsons Movie
Riverdance in Geneva

dave_a · 27-12-2008, 2:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tikkaspecial

3rd page (for me):

The Sound of Music
Noel's Christmas Presents
Johnny Cash
Spider-man 3 (sic)
The Simpsons Movie
Riverdance in Geneva

My 3rd page is

Johnny Cash
HD Test Card
Spider-Man3
The Simpsons Movie
Don't Forget The Lyrics
Riverdance in Geneva

Wonder if they tailor anytime??? Sound of Music and Noel are on my page 2

wendle · 27-12-2008, 3:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave_a

My 3rd page is

Johnny Cash
HD Test Card
Spider-Man3
The Simpsons Movie
Don't Forget The Lyrics
Riverdance in Geneva

Wonder if they tailor anytime??? Sound of Music and Noel are on my page 2

My 3rd page is different yet again:
The Sound of Music
Noel's Christmas Presents
Johnny Cash
Spider-man 3 (sic)
The Simpsons Movie
Don't Forget The Lyrics

No HD Test Card on my anytime!!

RayP · 27-12-2008, 3:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thewhofan

Can anyone explain to me how to use the test card? what part of the image do I use for brightness, contrast, colour?

I'm no TV engineer but I've been using Test Card F (of which this is a variant) for many years to setup my picture so here goes with the Eejits guide.

Firstly you're going to need your TV remote, not the Sky one. That's where all the colour, contrast and brightness settings are. My guidance is based on a plasma display so it may work out differently for LCDs.

I suggest you pause the playback once it starts as it's only 3 minutes long.

Colour. First turn down the colour to zero so you have a black and white picture.

Contrast. Next adjust the contrast until you have the brightness at the level you want. This is not a typo. Contrast works differently on digital displays.

Brightness. Notice at the top right and bottom left you have a grey scale of 8 blocks. Adjust brightness until you can just see the small grey box in the whitest block and also the grey block in the blackest block. Then turn down brightness until the grey block is barely visible.

Colour. If you are happy with the b/w picture now increase the colour until the red block starts to flare and then reduce it slightly. Also check the skin tone on Santa is natural. Too little colour is better than too much.

Leave Tint and Sharpness alone. They should be at their zero values.

Picture Size / Position. If you have picture size and position controls adjust the picture until the two grey side bars are equal distance from the picture edge and likewise with the grey scale / colour bars top and bottom.

This broadcast also includes lip sync test. A caption appears top centre when it's playing. I found a value of 40ms was okay on my system.

If anyone knows of any more technical tests including the vertical bars then feel free to post. I've found that increasing sharpness doesn't add any extra detail. It just adds extra picture noise.

Hope that helps.

thewhofan · 28-12-2008, 7:34 PM

thanks for that, I'll give it a go tonight.

tmurphy · 28-12-2008, 11:17 PM

The BBC have been showing there new HD test card during the Preview hours, details can be found here:-

BBC Internet Blog

Be warned the instructions are pretty in depth!

Tony

Johndm · 29-12-2008, 7:41 AM

Some DVD's have a THX optimizer on the main menu......its far better than the Sky effort!

Terminator 2 has it.....and EVERYONE has a least one copy of that movie don't they?.....

mattclarkie · 29-12-2008, 7:47 AM

The Bourne Conspiracy game has the THX, so you can optimise use that, and it should be in HD seeing as the game is 720p.

jwalsh82 · 29-12-2008, 9:55 AM

Hmm this isn't on my Anytime menu. Gutted.

RayP · 29-12-2008, 9:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johndm

Some DVD's have a THX optimizer on the main menu......its far better than the Sky effort!

Terminator 2 has it.....and EVERYONE has a least one copy of that movie don't they?.....

The problem with that is that many displays have separate settings for each input and if you've had your screen calibrated each input has to be treated separately. But where all inputs share the same settings it's a good suggestion although I still think you glean more info from the test card.

I do have T2 but still like to see the BBC Test Card F. I guess I'm just old-fashioned.

Martin J. · 29-12-2008, 7:36 PM

The problem with most displays is the contrast level, but both the Sky and BBC HD test cards just rely on setting it by eye "whatever looks right". That really doesn't help much. Neither does setting the colour according to "personal taste".

Both cards are useful when it comes to brightness, but the BBC's frequency patterns are compromised by the 1440 broadcast resolution.

Other than an ISF calibration, a sensor and some software might be a better alternative for those who have invested a proportionate amount in their displays. Something like a Spyder (useful for computer monitors too) and CalMAN or even the freeware ColorHCFR.

jingle68 · 29-12-2008, 9:41 PM

well i followed your 'instructions' with the Sky HD card & when i had finished my picture looked cr*p !

Ive got a calibration blue ray dvd on order, will have a go with that. If it still looks rubbish, i will get it set up professionally cos im useless

ps, its a Samsung 8 series lcd.

GazandMatt · 02-01-2009, 7:57 AM

I never got this on my anytime, would someone please supply a picture of it? I know its not as good as testcard f but I would like it for my computer desktop to use next year! Thanks.

Johndm · 02-01-2009, 8:48 AM

Just rechecked my 42" Panny with the improved THX optimizer on T2 Blu Ray.

I have the US version of T2, not sure if the UK version has the optimizer on though.

RayP · 02-01-2009, 9:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GazandMatt

I never got this on my anytime, would someone please supply a picture of it? I know its not as good as testcard f but I would like it for my computer desktop to use next year! Thanks.

This isn't the BBC Test Card but it should be just as useful.

http://feldoncentral.2150.com/HDNet/...Pattern_01.jpg

mudstuff · 02-01-2009, 10:25 AM

A couple of interesting links in here, thanks. I wonder if I could ask a question too as this seems a good place for it.

I have an EyeOne Display 2 and used to use my laptop to play blurays on my HDTV. I used the supplied software and the EyeOne and got a great result with really good blacks and nice accurate but vivid colour.

I now use a Panasonic BD30 connected up to the tv and therefore it is not "properly" calibrated. I find that blacks are not as dark as they were via the laptop and regular sky via scart has better contrast than the bluray player. I find it quite noticeable when watching a letterboxed film in the dark as the black bars are not as black as the bezel and I know they looked better via the laptop.

So I was wondering exactly what the software mentioned on in this thread will do - they mention support for my EyeOne.

Do I hook the EyeOne up to the laptop and then measure from the tv and this software tells me what to change on the tv or is it the same as what I had done before?

I hope that makes sense. I basically want to improve the contrast and accurately profile the tv for all sources.

I eventually plan to have a HTPC under the tv which will accept my satellite feed and play bluray etc and so that will be calibrated with the eyeone and software. I'd like to know if there's anything I could do to improve the result for other sources though, especially my BD30.

dwhite · 02-01-2009, 11:15 AM

Mudstuff,

Have a read of the link in the first post of this thread. It is a well written and clear guide to greyscale calibration, why to do it, how to do it, etc. Its based on using the HCFR software and does support eyeone (not sure if thats a 2 or not). Interesting read anyway even if you don't/can't calibrate your greyscale.

mudstuff · 02-01-2009, 12:26 PM

Exactly what I was after thanks. I wondered if there was a way to improve the display quality with current kit. So I just need the DVE Bluray along with my EyeOne and laptop? Thanks.

I've scanned through some of the article, I assume it goes into good detail? I don't think there's much I can change unless I go into the service menu so hopefully it explains what all those settings are for...