RPTVs Trying to watch dark senes! (1 Viewer)

[RichardA]

Well I got the Tosh 50H82 and I pretty happy with it, but I'm having a real problem getting a decent picture during the dark scenes in movies and TV shows. I see the ghosting and the halo effects and I can live with them, but the picture gets so dark that sometimes I can't see the detail. When I play DVDs I put the player on cinema mode which lightens it up a bit, but what can one do when watching regular TV. Tried watching The WestWing yesterday and the inside the building scenes were very dark.

Do satellite viewers have this problem?

Richard

 

[Richard Travale]

Have you calibrated with Video Essentials or Avia?

 

[WillieM]

(IMHO)I would go 1 step further and have the set calibrated by an ISF certified tech (cost $200-$350).

After spending all that jack on an RPTV and DVD player, it would be a shame not to get the best possible picture and have the CRT's not last as long as possible.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Even after calibration, Richard, your set will be massaged to look better on DVD-Video than it will on standard NTSC television. Both my displays look dark on NTSC television. But I calibrated them to look good with DVDs and in a darkened room. You sometimes have to revise your expectations from a monitor.

 

[John Chevalier]

Too tell you the truth, I would rather watch a movie that was a little darker in dark scenes. It gives the added realism of being in that situation. I mean, if your out in the woods, you really shouldn't see much.

 

[Steve_L_B]

Could this problem be caused by calibrating with Avia while having the "Enhanced Black" setting on the DVD player "on"? I know that this sets the black level to 0IRE. The NTSC black level is specified as 7.5IRE. IMHO, if you watch a OTA/Cable TV and DVDs, it's probably best to turn this setting off and recalibrate the black level.

 

[Brent Hutto]

I would not recommend setting IRE 7.5 on your DVD player. Most people find the picture looks better with the "enhanced" setting of IRE 0. Personally, I find it looks much, much better.

The preferred solution is to use a second stored setting on your TV to hold a calibration with IRE 7.5 for when you are watching non-DVD sources. I think that's much more sensible than letting limitations in the broadcast protocols dictate a poorer picture on DVD.

Then again, I bought my new TV specifically for watching DVD's so maybe I'm just picky...

 

[David_MSP]

Richard,

I don't have too much to add, but did want to say that I was watching the same show last night and felt the very same way. I have a Toshiba 57HX81 that has been calibrated by myself (user accessible settings only) with Video Essentials. I have a Toshiba DST3000 DirecTV box for my regular TV viewing and a Sony ES9000 DVD player. For me, the problem with dark scenes tends to happen mostly with TV viewing and not while watching DVDs. The good news for me is that I have Gregg Loewen coming over tomorrow evening to do a complete ISF calibration and hope to discuss this darkness problem with him further.

 

[Steve_L_B]

Brent,

The preferred solution is to use a second stored setting on your TV to hold a calibration with IRE 7.5 for when you are watching non-DVD sources. I think that's much more sensible than letting limitations in the broadcast protocols dictate a poorer picture on DVD.

Yah, your right. I keep forgetting that most newer RPTVs allow this, my three year old RPTV does not.

 

[John Royster]

could your gamma be off? Try some test patterns and make sure you see full detail from 7.5 IRE to 100. You may need to lower it. I have a mitsubishi and a gamma adjustment of just a few clicks in the service menu helped tremendously.

whites were too white, blacks were too black. decreased gamma and all is beautiful.

 

[Manuel Parrado]

To all concerned:
I have the same problem and noticed there is a very good thread on this subject in the avs forums:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=165004
Regards

 

[RichardA]

Ok thanks for all the replies. I see that this is a common problem, but on my TV 50H82 the only options I have to change the picture are Brightness, Contrast, Sharpness and Tint. How does one change the IRE? Do I need Video Essentials or Avia?


DVDs are fine and I know how to adjust the gamma on the DVD player. I see no gamma option on the TV.


Thanks

 

[Manuel Parrado]

This will most likely be something you will have to adjust in the service menu, Richard.
If the set is still under warranty, you might want to wait until it isn't, as going into the service menu could void the warranty. Many people do it anyway (I will wait, myself).
I'm sure there are a lot of people in this and other forums that know how to take care of it.

Good luck.