Tips and Tricks

Although HDTV’s can look great right out of the box, most of the time some simple tweaks need to be done to optimize the picture.  HDTV’s tend to produce a cooler image (with emphasis on blue) with standard settings.  This may look good on display at the electronics store, but for home viewing this is undesirable.  Here are some suggestions to optimize your HDTV experience:

Tip #1: HDTV Calibration

Calibration is the process of fine-tuning your HDTV’s settings to provide the most accurate picture possible.  This ensures that you, as a viewer, will be able to see a movie exactly the way the director intended.  Basic calibrations can be done by anyone using a special DVD.  More in-depth calibrations can be done by a professional.

For a basic calibration, take a look at your DVD collection.  DVD’s mastered in THX™ usually include a feature called the THX Optimizer™.  This is a free calibration tool that handles Brightness/Contrast, Color/Tint, and other basic performance benchmarks.  For more information on THX Optimizer™, please visit the link below:

http://www.thx.com/home/dvd/optimizer/index.html

Test Pattern Used for HDTV Calibration

Tip #2: Brightness and Contrast

Brightness controls the black level of the picture while Contrast controls the white level of the picture.  Incorrect settings can really degrade the image quality.  Low brightness eliminates shadow detail while high brightness washes the image out.  Low contrast makes an image look weak and dark while high contrast can make the white portion of the image bloom.  These settings are simple to dial in using a calibration DVD.

Tip #3: Color/Tint

Color and Tint controls the saturation and the hue of color images on your HDTV.  If you are using a DVI or HDMI connection, these settings can usually be left alone.  This is because a digital signal will display the color/tint level exactly as it was meant to be displayed.  For Component Video connections, the color and tint can shift or weaken since it is an analog signal.  Adjust the settings as needed either through preference or through a calibration DVD.

Tip #4: Color Temperature

Color Temperature describes the appearance of white light within an image, expressed in Kelvins.  A warm color temperature tends to take on a pinkish hue while a cool temperature will appear blue.  The recommended color temperature for HDTV is 6500K.  Some HDTV’s will have a setting known as 6500K or D65.  Selecting this setting is usually recommended.  For more advanced users, the color temperature can be set manually by adjusting the separate R, G, and B gain/drive settings.  An easy method is to set the display’s color setting to zero so a black-and-white image appears.  Adjust the R, G, and B settings up and down as needed until the black and white image looks perfect and free of any color (i.e. a blue hue).  Once set, you can raise the color setting back to normal.  

Tip #5: Native Display Settings

Nearly all HDTV’s have a Native Display resolution.  This means that the display device has a fixed pixel count.  The most common native HDTV display resolutions are:

1280x720
1280x768
1366x768
1920x1080

HDTV’s will always look their best when they are fed with a signal equal to or close to their native resolution.  If your HDTV has a native display resolution of 1280x720, 1280x768, or 1366x768, feed the TV with a 720P signal.  If your HDTV has a native display resolution of 1920x1080, feed the TV with a 1080i signal.  Most HD capable satellite and cable boxes allow you to manually select the signal output between 720P and 1080i. 

Tip #6: Bad Signal Diagnostic

Diagnosing signal problems can be difficult.  A bad HDMI or DVI cable will result in signal drop-outs and pixilation.  These symptoms can also result from a bad HDTV signal feed from the cable or satellite provider.  To pin-point where the source of the problem lies, tune through multiple channels.  If the problem persists on all of the channels, you most likely have a bad cable. 

A bad or low quality HDTV signal can be checked using the CBS™ HD test.  CBS™ will only allow their HD signal to be re-broadcast if the signal is not manipulated by the cable or satellite operator.  Tune to the CBS™ HD channel.  This channel should be crystal clear and free of distortion.  If this channel appears distorted, there is likely a problem with your HDTV signal.  Please contact your cable and satellite operator if this is the case.  They can remotely check the HDTV signal strength for you.

HDTV Guide by Nick Blas
CablesonDemand.com Technology Editor