Avia Calibration Question (Blooming) (1 Viewer)

[SteveK]

I have an Avia question. I've calibrated my Sony Wega using the Avia calibration disc (basic menu settings only). Most of the levels were very easy to determine the proper setting (or at least the proper range). However, I found the "Picture" or "Whiteness" test much more subjective. Even when turning it all the way up, I did not notice any blooming on my TV. Not wanting to overtax my new television, I would estimate I have the "Picture" setting no more than halfway up (the Sony Wega doesn't show numbers or percentages for some reason). I hope I have the terminology correct, as I don't currently have access to my TV, but it's the setting that determines the whiteness level. Particularly for DVD, this seems to result in some very dark images, particularly for indoor shots. Daytime outdoor scenes seem perfect; however low-lit scenes seem VERY dark.

Do I perhaps have the whiteness level down TOO low? Is there another test other than the pulse/needle test that would give me a more precise result than the blooming test?

On a perhaps related issue, my Panasonic DVD player has a "black level" menu setting. The user's manual recommends it being set to "darker" for component video and "lighter" for S-Video or composite video. I am using component connections and do have it set to darker, and I also calibrated using these settings. Would I be better off using the "lighter" setting instead of "darker"?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Steve K.

edited to eliminate redundancy

 

[Paul Clarke]

Hello,

Yes, usually the first thing people notice when making these set adjustments is that very thing---Dark scenes look very dark. This is not a bad result but it is if in these 'dark' scenes you are missing detail and they are 'objectively' over-dark.

You should adjust it to what pleases you visually. It is always easier to 'objectively' set the brightness level with the high avg. output and low avg. output pluge screens than to adjust the contrast or picture level. On some sets the pulse needles will not bend and the raising of contrast or picture levels will not induce blooming. Without these 'objective' results you are left to make a reasonable 'guesstimate' unless you have appropriate equipment.

I think as long as your picture or contrast levels are not too high (usually past 50%), you can experiment with what pleases you overall. Bear in mind that brightness and picture have an effect on each other so check each change to picture/contrast for it's effect on brightness/black level.

The Panny's recommendation may not be appropriate for you and your situation. I would set it to light and see how much of an effect there is. You may find it solves the problem.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

If you are losing too much detail in dark scenes turn up Brightness, not Contrast (or Picture, as Sony calls it)
Leave your Picture setting at 50% or less.
Keep in mind that you are not supposed to be able to see everything in very dark areas of the screen.
If calibrating with the black level enhancement turned on on the player results in non-dvd sources looking too washed out, with dark grays instead of true blacks, turn off the black level enhancement and recalibrate.