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Which is Higher After Calibration- Brightness or Contrast? (1 Viewer)

James Edward

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May 1, 2000
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855
Just curious- every few months I go through VE just to check on my set's calibration(Tosh 57HX81).

I invariably wind up with my brightness level a couple of notches above my contrast level. The set looks good, and things look 'real'.

However, I work for an A/V installation company, and the guys I work with prefer a picture with a much higher contrast setting vs brightness. And almost every manufacturer seems to have video presets that set contrast higher than brightness. To me, these settings seem 'cartoonish', for lack of a better word.

Where do your settings wind up? Currently, I'm at 48 for contrast, 51 for brightness. I have gradually gone up in contrast in the 3 years I've owned the set.

I realize that all sets are different, and my settings don't correspond to others, but I'm mainly curious about the contrast vs brightness issue. Thanks...
 

Michael TLV

THX Video Instructor/Calibrator
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Normally brightness is boosted a bit and contrast is much lower after a pro calibration.

IF the A/V install company is just doing it to eye with no objective test patterns, then they are simply delivering what they think the client wants ... just like the TV makers ... meaning it is more or less worthless what they do for settings.

High lightout means better ... sure crush all the white detail ... but give them that full 2000:1 contrast ratio ...

Regards
 

Dave Miller

Supporting Actor
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They do that b/c they want the average joe to walk into Best Buy and say "Wow, that's a bright picture!"

My Tosh 65H80 has been professionally calibrated and my contrast is in the 40's and my brightness is in the 60's. YMMV.

I'll give you the exact numbers when I get home.

Peace,

DM
 
Joined
Dec 14, 2004
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I personally think that the bigger question is what would your preference be...technically accurate or pleasing to you.

I invariably take the latter, and don't really care for the end result of "proper calibration", favoring a bit less brightness and a bit higher contrast than recommended. After all, it's my set and I want to be happy watching it.
 

James Edward

Supporting Actor
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May 1, 2000
Messages
855


Is this because something is done in the service menu making the controls intrinsically different than those of an uncalibrated set? Or is it simply that the proper calibration of a set yields settings in which contrast is lower than brightness...

BTW, I have had my set calibrated twice in the three years that I've owned it- and I will admit to liking my contrast up from where the ISF tech had it.
 

Michael TLV

THX Video Instructor/Calibrator
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Greetings

In the end it is your set. Most calibrated units I do end up with every setting at the mid point ... 50/50/50/50 ... since I do all my changes in the service menu.

Recommended light output for contrast on a cRT based unit is 20 ft-l based on a 100% white windowbox. This is usually bright enough for most folks, but in the day time ... it can be bumped up to 30 ft-l ... the only real penalty is that your set does not last as long ...

In some ways, if we ignore the contrast item, I can properly set the grayscale of your set at any light output you want ... be it 12 ft-l or 80 ft-l ...

The candle is simply burning much faster when the light output is cranked ... (and you get all that softness of the image stuff)

Regards
 

jeff hedderson

Auditioning
Joined
Jan 14, 2005
Messages
11
contrast and brightness interact with each other.After b/c are set the color will be effected.In order to get these set wright you need a semkie gray scale,then a simkie color scale.I use a product called digital video essentials.It comes with all you need to set up everything video and audio.bought it from ebay.It made my system 10 times better hope this helps.
 

ChrisWiggles

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James: it seems you are focusing on whether the number for B is higher than C or not. It's really irrelevant. It doesn't matter *what* the number are, as long as you've used a disc to match the display to the source to achieve correct black and white levels.
 

Doug Pyle

Second Unit
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I have it both ways, and use the set's four memorized settings. The "pro" one is as technically correct as I can get it without ISF calibration, by using DVE as my guide. I prefer technically accurate when the source is good. Great for DVDs. But with many broadcast or standard cable stations, its garbage-in, garbage-out no matter how nicely done the settings are. So, the other 3 options (except "vivid"!) are handy to overcome the various flaws of the signals. Same is true when I can't get the room dark as I like. I've tweaked each non-Pro setting according to taste given the common signal problems I encounter over standard cable stations.
 
Joined
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I guess that's one of the reasons I tend towards less brightness, I'm rarely at home during daylight hours and when I am the TV is usually just background noise. So when night time comes and I sit down to enjoy a TV show or film, the room is usually as dark as I'd care to have it.
 

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