Televisions and all video display monitors are calibrated to the same standard so that movies made in different locations look the same at every mastering facility. Television production studios, live concerts, and Hollywood filmmakers all use televisions properly calibrated to 6500 degrees Kelvin. Your television will not be properly set up out of the box. Most TV sets are far too bright in order to attract your attention when they re set up in a retail display environment. This may catch your eye at the store, but it will give you a very compromised picture at home. What you should have is the closest picture to the one they saw when your DVD was mastered or your favorite TV show was edited.

Why isn't my TV perfect “out of the box”? Reference display monitors are very expensive. Far more expensive than the TVs we use in our homes. Even those displays are affected by shipping, the quality of AC power, video cables, and the magnetic pull of the earth.

Will my TV last longer? Yes. Overly bright sets age more quickly.

Will my set still get “burn-in”? Not Likely. Burn-in is minimized by proper calibration. TVs do not have “screen savers”, so proper calibration will most likely prevent this “burn-in” of TV station logos and video game patterns.

How long does it take? Around 2 hours. I can also correct convergence and geometry for an hourly rate.

Will my DVDs and Satellite look better? Absolutely. Many of the artifacts present in the DVDs you watch or the satellite pictures you receive are due to improper calibration. At Direct TV headquarters they are watching calibrated sets. When DVDs are mastered, it is done on calibrated sets. The producers aren't seeing the artifacts you are. Are they still there? Yes, but proper calibration “hides” a good bit of this.

Can't I buy a test DVD and do this myself? No. Some basic adjustments may be made from the TV's menu, but you will not be able to set the “color of gray” which is the most important adjustment a display needs. The color of gray is made up of even amounts of Red, Blue, and Green, which combine to make gray. If your color is out of balance, you will always have a tint in your gray colors. Black will not be black, and your color temperature will be incorrect. To set this properly you need test equipment and access to the TV's service menu. This cannot be set up correctly just by sight.

My TV looks pretty good. Is it correct out of the box? I have never seen a display that was not in need of calibration “out of the box”. Even if it is fairly close, accuracy is extremely important and close isn't good enough.

I have an inexpensive set, is it worth the extra expense? I have done many inexpensive sets including Sony, Samsung and Panasonic and they all were vastly improved by calibration. I have a 20” Sony Wega set in my office that looks fantastic. You might be surprised how good your small set can look. One of the best sets I have calibrated was a $300 Sony 24” TV!

Will my set be too dark? Too soft? It will be softer and darker than it was before calibration. Most sets have added “edge enhancement” which is basically noise added to the edge of your picture. Most TVs also have too much 'brightness” which exaggerates artifacts in your TV's picture. You will get used to the more accurate picture after viewing it for a few days. If you watch your TV in a bright room, I can create a setting for daytime viewing with added brightness.