How long should i go with new RPTV without Calibration? (1 Viewer)

[Wes_R]

I bought a sony 51", gonna be here tommorrow, very eager and asking alot of questions AND learning alot here reading through threads...

I'mma be very eager to play my xbox on it (given i have the cables by tommorrow), AND i know the bestbuy delivery guys arent gonna do jack shit but plug it up and turn it on and off.

Ive been reading through threads here and my safe option once recieving IS turning down the contrast and brightness a little. WE ALL Know this and is stressed throughtout the forums.. But my question is.. How long should i go with this "preliminary calibration" before finally calibrating with AVIA??

Im sure to recieve a copy of avia within the next week or so, im just hopin thats not too long.

 

[Neil Joseph]

I assume you have read (at least partly) throught he "burn-in" thread here. Yes, by all means, turn the contrast down significantly especially if playing console games on it and get the calibration done as soon as you get the disk.

 

[Allan Jayne]

Turn the contrast down to about a fourth* of its range, then adjust the other controls so it looks reasonably decent, the rest of the calibration can wait at your convenience.

Video hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/video.htm

*If you were doing just ordinary TV viewing without playing video games, 1/3 of the contrast range would be safe.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

Ditto what Allen said. Turn down contrast (called "Picture" in the sony menu system) to 1/3 to 1/2 for regular viewing, 1/4 or so for gaming. You save settings separately for each picture mode (Pro, Movie, Standard, and Vivid), use Movie and Pro to store your settings, avoid Vivid. This way you can toggle between your game and regular viewing settings with just one button on the remote.

 

[Wes_R]

and this will be sufficient enough until i recieve my avia dvd?

i greatly appreciate the help

 

[ChrisWiggles]

Lowering your contrast will be sufficient until you get Avia. You won't be correctly calibrated, but you want to reduce the risk of burn-in in the interim.

 

[ThomasEdison]

I have the same TV that Wes just purchased. It does have the Vivid, Standard, Movie and Pro modes. It seems 'Vivid' is probably the least healthy mode for the TV. Too bright. I usually watch in 'Standard' or 'Movie' which don't seem all that bright to me. Do I still need to calibrate these or would I do fine just to avoid using 'Vivid'?

 

[Wes_R]

i really dont think its a good idea for us to go long without calibation..

i would think a week is enough without proper calib.

Do you like the tv thomas? And what do you have hooked to it?

 

[ThomasEdison]

I love the TV. I have had it almost 6 months. I have my Sony 5 disc DVD changer, Sony VCR, Charter HD Cable Box and my Playstaion 2 connected to it now.

I mostly watch DVDs and a little TV. I rarely play Playstation on it in fear of messing it up and have thought about taking the Playstation off completely. I am very careful with it. I never watch anything in 'Vivid' mode and if I have to pause a movie for anything I always make sure I turn off the TV even if I'm just going to get a drink.

Now that I've been reading up on calibration I hope it's not too late for me. The picture still looks just as good as it did when I bought it and I also purchased the 4 year service plan from Circuit City. The salesman told me that if in 4 years I didn't think the picture looked as good as the day I bought it they would replace it.

How complicated is this Avia calibration to perform? Has your TV arrived? Do you like it? Know any tricks on cleaning the screen without streaking? I haven't cleaned mine yet and it doesn't look bad but I will need to soon.

 

[Wes_R]

thats very good news regarding your tv, but bad news on my end is..

today bestbuy delivery dumbasses damaged the tv befoe bringing it to my house.

so tommorrow they are bring the newer updated model of the 510 seres which is KP...520 (this years updated model). Same everything except looks and an added hdmi input.

So TOMMORROW, which is like a whole lot of hours from now, i'll finnaly be getting a tv.


Now cleaning, i would do it like i do my computer monitor and tinted windows.. warm water and mild soap soaked/squeezed into a greaseless dishrag that way it wont drip into any seams. Keep a dry towel in hand to wipe off access. No windex, no harsh chemicals.. I only use like a litle bit of dawn on my computer monitor..

as far as the avia, im not sure as i dont have a copy yet, but im sure by the end of the week or next week i'll know.
And i know it'll be worth the investment.

And i even rushed to gamestop to buy the monster 400 cables ($39, $25 cheaper than bestbuy) I traded in my rf unit for $2 credit and that help a teenie bit. Beats $66 dollars!

 

[Neil Joseph]

The first time you go through AVIA, DVE, VE or any other such calibration disk, take the time to play through the entire video calibration section, listening to the commentary on exactly how to calibrate each setting. Don't rush it. It should take an hour maybe to go through the entire thing.

When you get comfortable on how to do each adjustment, you can whip through it in 10 minutes or so.

 

[ThomasEdison]

Sorry about your TV Wes. Sounds like you came out on top, though. You'll have to let me know how you like the new model.

I found some solution from Monster that I may order. I think it's call iclean. They say it doesn't run when you spray it on and it comes with a special cloth that does not scratch.

And thanks Neil for the info on Avia. Definately going to have to pick up a copy.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

Thomas, don't turn off the tv for the few minutes it takes to get a drink, that's worse than leaving a stationary image on it. The number two killer of electronics is frequent on-off cycles. I'd rather switch to another input that has a moving image on it (which is why I leave my HD box on all the time the tv is on--I leave it tuned to HDNet which is always 16/9 and never has nasty station bugs, and switch to it's input when pausing a dvd for more than a couple of minutes).

And do reduce "picture" for all modes, the lowest factory default setting is still 50% which is really too high for gaming.

 

[ThomasEdison]

Thanks for the advice Steve. I never thought of that.

I am ordering the Avia DVD today. Amazon has it for $35 but I'm going to see if I can get it cheaper on ebay. If anyone knows the best deal please let me know.

Hey Wes, let me know how you like the new TV. I haven't seen the new model yet.

BTW, Steve, what is the number one killer of electronics?

 

[Wes_R]

^-- my guess would be surge shock to electronics due to unprotected outlets or nonsurge protection.. i dunno.

yea, ill be getting it around 1-4pm central, if they dont FUCKING BREAK IT!
i'll post pics and give a light synopsis of it for ya.

but like i said, it should be the exact same as the 510 series except for looks and an hdmi output along with dvi. Same dimensions and everything. All this according to the bestbuy reps, and my internet research.



How is the stock sound coming from the set?
I know its only 2 speaker at 20w a piece, whats your opinion on it?

 

[ThomasEdison]

You know, I couldn't tell you. I had read reviews before I bought it saying that the sound was not very loud, not enough volume. I've honestly never used it. I would check it out real quick and let you know but I'm at work and by the time I get home you should already have yours.

I kinda wished you could get them without speakers and save a little money if you are planning on using your external speakers. I have seen a few that have hookups in the back to use the stock speakers as your center channel.

I bet you are so excited. When I bought mine I couldn't wait to get it home I took a truck there and picked it up that night. I left after I bought it but before I picked it up to go to the dentist and it's all I could think about. Thinking about how much fun I was going to have playing with it that night.

It was a few days before I could even watch a movie on it from playing with all the settings and constantly switching between DVDs...

What components are connecting to yours? Do you have a separate system for sound?

I can't wait to hear about yours and I would love to see some pictures of your set-up when you get it up and running.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

#1 killer of electronics=falling off the delivery truck .