Samsung DLP (1 Viewer)

How hard is it to calibrate these yourself out of the box?
We have one scheduled to arrive for tomorrow, but don't know what to do or how to do it.
We know of a fella that will charge us to come up and do it himself ($150 IIRC), but would like to avoid that route if at all possible.

What kind of stuff will we need, etc.
Basically if someone can post a quick how-to, that would be great!
We are trying to get it set up for HDTV. Will I need a Video Essentials disc or AVIA? And where is the best place to aquire these?

Thanks in advance.

Anyone?

You should be able to find Avia from any major web site and even places like Best Buy.

This disk includes a tutorial on how to adjust the audio and video settings.

However, the Samsung DLP units are said to be fairly good out-of-the-box.

You really should only do a rough calibration at first. As the TV settles in over the first month, heating/cooling will cause small changes that require re-adjustment.

But television calibration is NOT for the amature. There are lots of settings 'hidden' inside a service menu that you can actually use to damage your set. (I think the DLP units are less-risky than traditional CRT sets, but dont bet on it). It takes lots of training and practice to learn how to calibrate one kind of television. Suddenly there are Plasma, LCD, DLP sets each with their own issues. There are many settings that are dependent on each other (adjust one, go to the next, go back to the first and re-adjust, go to the third, go back and adjust the first and second again). This is why nobody is giving you a tutorial - it's just too much to describe.

A full ISF calibration takes about 3 hours and costs about $400. The guy offering to come out for "IRRC" may be just setting the color-temperature. My advice: save up for a few months and get a ISF-Certified calibration in a few months. People who have had this done have nothing but praise for how good things look.

As I said, the Samsung DLP units are said to look good without immediate adjustment. So sit back and enjoy.

PS: Another thread states that DVD's look better when the player is producing 480i instead of 480p. Give this a shot.

Thanks bob!
So if we just left it the way it is out of the box for a while, no harm can be done?

thanks again

No damage can be done (burnin, etc) with the user settings of the DLPs. There is some debate as to whether or not any damage can be done even from the service menu- I tend to think not.

Nobody (who is sharing) has really cracked into the HLN service menu. You can get a phone calibration from an ISF guy who frequents the AVS forums. The people who have shelled out for these settings seem pretty happy.

Markd

Bingo, that is who I was referring to; Josh Lehman, who is an ISF/HAA consultant.
Since he is in the Atlanta area, he could actually come up to our house and do it himself, although it would be a bit more.

The advice that is most often given for new RPTV owners is to turn down the brightness and contrast. These are usually set extra-bright at the factory in case the unit was used for a floor-model so it 'stands out' on the shelf.

I dont think the DLP units have the same issues as the CRT-based units. But check the settings when you get it home. Make sure your room is dark, the TV is left on for 30 minutes before fireing up Avia or doing any adjustments.

I have been flamed in the past for recommending people go to another forum, but I have to do it again. Since I have been thinking about buying a Samsung DLP, I have been following the info about it.

Go to www.avsforum.com and go to the forum for rear projection units. There are pages of information there about this line of Samsung TVs including how to get into the service menu, what the menu items mean, and what the adjustments do.

Now, flame away.

SMK

Steven - I apologize if you have been flamed. It's part of my job to prevent that.

AVS fourm is a site with lots of good people and info. My guess is that some of the stronger personalities over there have rubbed people the wrong way. (We get a lot of flame-scared people from other sites which may be behind lingering resentment.)

Another site with some good info but not as busy is www.HDTVoice.com. They have separate forums for each brand. Look for posts by "LowPro". He seems to know his stuff and has some inside contacts.