AVIA settings? (1 Viewer)

[Jeremy Scott]

I just got a copy of AVIA and i did the test settings for video.

i dont really understand the color decoding tests, but i got my settings like tint, color, and detail lower then usual, can someone clear these color decoding tests up for me....they all seem kind of hard to do for me.
the picture looks alot less brighter, less color, but maybe that is a good thing, right?


thanks.

 

[Gary Seven]

Not sure which color test you refer to... the first where you calibrate hue and color or adjusting red push. Anyway, I'll start it with the contrast.

Contrast should be adjusted to the point before blooming. This will probably put the picture at a less bright image than you are used to. This helps see more detail.

Brightness or black level should be adjusted just as they say. You want solid blacks while still seeing detail. Too little black and the blacks will look a little greyish or like black with a white transparent film over the image.

Sharpness should be enough to see details without seeing halos. Adjust with color off or way down.

Color and hue is calibrated using two of the blue filters held together. Adjust color so the blinking color boxes blend in the back ground. Same with the hue.

Finally, red push is calibrated using the red filter. Red push happens after you calibrate your color and hue. It usually leaves flesh colors too red. This is red push. Simply lessen the color till flesh tones are natural. Using AVia, look through red filter and try to get a shade of red close to about 15%.

After calibrating, it is normal to have a softer image than before. Generallly you should watch your films in subdued light (the theaters are dark, if you notice). Same with your TV. You will see better image detail with a properly calibrated set.

Unfortunately, calibration can also show the short comings of a TV set. Recently I went over a friend of mine's house to calibrate his TV and found his hue nor sharpness would not adjust properly. It tuened out to be a pretty shitty TV. Stay away from Advent TVs... they are pretty bad. At least this one was.

 

[Dave H]

Using Avia, I keep my red push between 10-15%. I find anything over that makes fleshtones too reddish.

Regarding sharpness, I would say to pay greater attention to the frequency patterns at the top of the screen to make them an even brightness.

 

[ChrisWiggles]

Sorry, but Gary has it all wrong.

Follow the instructions as explained in Avia. If you get a little lost, replay the instructions, they are quite clear.

Using the moving black bars, you want to adjust brightness(black level) until the brighter bar is just barely visible, and the darker moving bar is no longer visible.

You want to set contrast (white level) BELOW the point of blooming on a CRT display, but you do NOT calibrate to the point just below blooming. You calibrate to when the white portion juuuust appears white, and is no longer a shade of gray. This is usually WELL below the point of blooming.

These two controls interact, so you will need to go back and forth a couple times to get things spot on. This will likely be dimmer than you are used to, but is correct. Also calibrate with whatever room lighting you use normally.

Sharpness is sort of a ballpark setting, and is explained well on the Disc. You want it high enough such that the lines aren't blurry, but not so high that there are halos. You can also look at the frequency sweep to help set this.

Setting color saturation and balance, you utilize the blue filter. These also interact with each other, you will need to switch between the two, but the bars should be the same blue, and the flashing should be minimized, as explained on the disc.

You cannot correct Red Push without access to a TV set's color decoder (which is quite rare, only then through the service menu). There are a couple other DIY type solutions with some resistors i recall, I have no idea as to their success. This pattern is a Color Decoder CHECK, not a calibration. Do NOT adjust grayscale to compensate for red push. Most likely you will have to live with it, as it is inherent in the color decoder itself.

Red Push issues are covered well by Guy, as linked at the top of this forum:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=57788

 

[ChrisWiggles]

To clarify my statement that "you cannot correct red push without access to a TV set's color decoder," you CAN sacrifice some overall color saturation to reduce the perceived effect of red push.

To altogether correct red push (if it is a problem) requires modifying the color decoder settings.

 

[JohnSni]

ANother question....I just did a cal on my Tosh 57H83 last nite with Avia and am confused about the contrast. Do I have a CRT? My tosh is a brand new rear projection television. If this is not CRT what do I calibrate to?

 

[ChrisWiggles]

That is a Rear Projection CRT. You should follow the instructions that Avia gives with regard to CRT displays. You may also want to check the convergence.

 

[Dave H]

Regarding brightness,

Do you set it so you can see the *entire* brightest bar? Or, do you set it (say one notch lower) to where you can only see part of the brightess bar?

Setting it to where I can see the entire brightest black bar means I can very, very faintly see some of the darkest bar (which is supposed to be invisible).