Whats the best non ISF method of calibrating an LCD TV?

[richardstringer]

What's the best non ISF method of calibrating an LCD tv? Are the software options like these any good? :

I'd like something pretty accurate and to be honest, dont mind spending £200 on ISF calibration, but my tv is only a Samsung LE32A556, but i'm getting a Toshiba Regza 46ZV555D 46" LCD tv soon and would love it to be calibrated so I get accurate colours, sharpness and contrast etc...

 

[ukdan]

Have a good read of the 'Grey scale for dummies' thread down the page.
Should explain all thatyou need.

 

[richardstringer]

Jesus, thats a very technical and long winded guide. I don't really think its worth it, because if displays need calibrating about every 3 months, then it'll be a hassle. Plus my tv only cost me £600 anyway. Do you know if the Spyder and Pantone software is any good?

 

[ukdan]

Jesus, thats a very technical and long winded guide. I don't really think its worth it, because if displays need calibrating about every 3 months, then it'll be a hassle. Plus my tv only cost me £600 anyway. Do you know if the Spyder and Pantone software is any good?

It does look daunting at first but if you follow the guide step by step, after a while it becomes second nature.
I have been playing with it only a short time, and i was not very knowlageable (sp?) in this area but you get to learn the terms quite quickly and get great results.
Eventualy you won't need to go to the guide once you have learned how to use the software.
The software that comes with the spyder or eye1 pantone etc. is useless imho.

 

[richardstringer]

Yeah but it's obviously very expensive to calibrate your monitor or tv then, because you need a colorimeter, and the chepaest decent one, the Eye-One costs over £200 in the uk, and that's without the software added. I wouldn't even dream of using the ColourHCFR software because it doesn't tell you whats going, what to do or anything, and i've got ADHD so trying to concentrate, read and understand the guide is very difficult indeed. So that leaves the cheapest version the CalMAN software, which is £290 ($475). Then there's the fact that i'd need to buy a calibration dvd like the 'Digital Video Essentials' one to get a greyscale pattern, and the whole calibration thing would cost me over £500.

For a tv costing only £600, thats definately not worth it in my eyes.

 

[dwhite]

You can get the eyeone from around £130, also did you actually read the dummys guide to greyscale, it is based on using free software and also has links to a free DVD Iso, which I beleive is actually produced by the same people who produced the free software.

 

[richardstringer]

Yeah I did read the link. I read and then said that the free software doesn't tell you whats heppening, what the results mean or anything. It said you have to figure that out for yourself, which makes it very difficult for me, seeing as i've got ADHD and have a hard time understanding and concentrating. The eye-one doesn't come with software does it? Its only the colorimter itself isn't it? I didn't every bit of the dummies guide because I got half way down and then started seriously losing concentration.

Have seen the Pantone Eye-One Display 2 software though, and read good things from people who've used it. Thats the one with the Eye-One colorimeter and Pantone software. Its £165 from ILGS.co.uk so I might go with that. I also saw the Lacie Blue Eye software which has the Eye-One colorimeter too.

 

[dwhite]

Ok then if thats what you think. I personally found the guide to be very informative and did explain everything and why you were doing it.

The eyeone does come with software, but the software can only be used to calibrate laptops or PC's, as it produces a color profile for windows so doesn't actually adjust any of the TV settings. Its this software, that I would say just gets on with it and doesn't tell you anything about what its doing or why, all it does is ask you to place the sensor on the monitor, then flashes a few different backgrounds and then adjusts the color. Thats it no explanation, nothing.

 

[richardstringer]

So which is the software that calibrates your tv too then?