Is it worth becoming a TV calibrator

[andykara2003]

Hi all, I'm considering whether I might get into TV calibration as a part time small business - would anyone be able to shed any light on the pros and cons and if it's actually worth it? I'd do proper training of course, and have some money to put into some decent calibration equipment.

My concerns are:

1: Are there too many calibrators out there already? There are excellent calibrators out there like Vincent from HDTVtest who already have great visibility. Also, I realise this is quite a niche interest and I'm not sure how big the pool of people is who would actually want the service. On the other hand, I'd be happy with just getting a couple of jobs a week as I have other work.

2: Would I be able to start a business straight after doing a course or would I need further grounding in the business and a wide knowledge of the various sets out there?

3: Would it be best to go for a THX or an ISF based course and which is the best route?

Many thanks, Andy.

 

[Foster1984]

I looked at it a few years ago, but ultimately decided against it as a profession; though I might still pursue it from a purely hobbyist perspective. My reasons for choosing this are pretty much my answer to your question 1.

1: The main issue is the extremely niche market that it caters for. I have worked for a number of TV retailers and during that time most people came in and usually asked only one thing..."Whats the cheapest big TV you have?". Due to this, the cost of calibration would have been maybe 50% of the cost they paid for the TV, therefore the buyer wouldn't be interested in having it done; since they weren't even giving the TV's performance any real thought anyway. For those that do want to have it done and making an investment in their equipment, there are already quite a few calibrators with established customer bases that fully cater for the available market; so supply current outstrips demand.

2: You could start working immediately after becoming certified, however it is a job where word of mouth and recommendation are very important. When you are going to be handling people's very expensive possessions they want to know you have the experience and not just the knowledge.

3: Personally, I think that ISF is more respected with the "people in the know" (those you would get more business from). THX is a more recognised brand by Joe Bloggs on the street, but they wouldn't be your main market.

Hope that has helped a bit in your decision making.

 

[andykara2003]

Thank for that, your reply was really helpful & confirmed my suspicions. Looks like I'll drop the idea!