Thinking of putting together a calibration system for hire, any interest?

noiseboy72

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Hi All.
It appears that over time I've amassed all the components to do a basic calibration of an HT system. I've got the Xrite i1 Pro meter, Chromapure software, a calibrated USB mic and the REW software. I've got the software loaded onto a dedicated laptop and some 5M cables for USB and HDMI connections into the system.

I'm thinking that other members in the UK might like to hire the kit to calibrate their own TVs and audio. I'll put together a short user manual to allow a basic calibration based upon the THX calibrator course I attended.

Before I go about putting it into a flight case and getting a small mic stand, I thought I would see what the interest was likely to be. Thinking maybe £50 for a weeks rental?

Please let me know your thoughts

TiA
 
i think thats a very good idea if you already have the gear.
so for example could i calibrate my tv, pj and audessey amp with the kit you have along with a basic guide for £50 then just send it back.
i`ll keep an eye on this thread for when i get new displays
ta
ben
 
Thanks Ben.
Yes, that's the plan. Will see how much interest there is before proceeding.
 
That’s a very good idea but you have to consider this:
1. Are you using standard calibration or the new automated one supposed to be faster
2. it needs to be super easy to do and I mean SUPER EASY...or it will not work...
Most people me included have no idea but happy to learn if easy...
3. Consider some kind of live support at a fee with clear parameters...advanced helpline if you want
4. Liaise with some distributors at point of sale...why not do it via calman at a reduced negotiated fee based on volume ?

There is definitely a business idea there and a need to fulfill..
 
I'm not seeing this as a business as such. It's more of a service to forum members.

Calibration is often seen as something of a black art, but in many cases a methodical approach can easily achieve a Delta E of less than 3 - which is the threshold of perception of change. Setting brightness and contrast is very easy to do and the software makes even setting a 10 point primary grey scale fairly simple. Setting secondary colours is harder but they don't normally screw the colour balance too badly. If flesh tones look accurate and the black level is correct you will normally see a big improvement.

Same with the audio. I don't think you will be able to do much more than measure the system and set levels and move things around physically, but tweaking sub placement can bring huge gains.

If I get a few potential takers, I'll invest some time into writing up some instructions.
 
Anyone interested in home calibration could buy themselves an X-Rite i1 Pro and use the free and very good HCFR calibration software. That's what I did. When I bought my i1 it was only just over £100. (I bought it from one of the European Amazons' e.g. France or german, cannot remember which one as they had a special offer on at the time.)

The main investment in calibration though was time in learning how to do it rather than the £100 for the colour meter. It is a fairly straightforward process that you can pick up from tutorials on the web and just by following the software but I must have spent at least 10 hours getting to understand it reasonably well. Your first calibration will take a few hours. Generally, just getting the greyscale and gamma correct using the 10 point white balance controls gets you 90% of the way there.

Unfortunately there is not any easy way to get people to be able to calibrate for themselves - they have to learn the basics of what a calibration is, how to do it, and understand the controls on their Tv e.g. what the Bias and Gain controls are for on a 2 point white balance.

I would not provide any live support because you could spend hours trying to explain this stuff to someone on the phone.
 

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