View Full Version : THX optimizer & LCD
chancellor
02-09-2005, 01:19 PM
OK, I have a brand new Sony 55WF655, and last night I tried to calibrate it using the THX optimizer in Star Wars Episode II. On the brightness test, I couldn't see the "THX" letters at all, and when I followed the alternate instructions to turn down the brightness until I could barely see the 7th shade of black, I had my brightness set to 17 and it was way too dark. Am I doing something wrong, or is this a quirk of LCD RPTVs?
P.S. - I have the TV in powersave mode to cut some of the brightness and extend the bulb life.
eklektique1
02-09-2005, 04:23 PM
I have the 50WE655. After doing AVIA my brightness is set to 20. May take a bit to get used to it, but it will improve your overall picture to have it darker. I do turn it up to 40 for Xbox, but everything else is 20.
Any of these setup guides, are just that, guides. Once you tweak according to the settings, you're perfectly entitled to vary the settings to match your requirements.
I have head that THX also varies from DVD to DVD. You may wish to consider one of the more specialized DVDs discussed in the FAQ "What you need to do to your new HDTV" and make sure you have any "automatic" settings turned off as that can have a major impact.
chancellor
02-09-2005, 05:45 PM
Thanks for the replies. I just got the TV and haven't had a chance to pick up the Avia disc, so I used THX since I already had it. I'll try over again with Avia, and make sure all settings are turned off first.
Oh, well, I guess that means I'll have to spend more time with the TV....... :D
Seared Steak
02-10-2005, 02:20 AM
I had my tv setup before using the THX from a certain DVD when I was using my player via component. However when I switched to a new DVI player I decided to set it up using the THX from a different movie and yes I did have to make some changes. I say whatever works for your eyes works better than the "guidelines". :sherlok:
Splicer
02-10-2005, 02:58 AM
I had my tv setup before using the THX from a certain DVD when I was using my player via component. However when I switched to a new DVI player I decided to set it up using the THX from a different movie and yes I did have to make some changes. I say whatever works for your eyes works better than the "guidelines". :sherlok:
Agreed. :overclap:
Gee, I got roasted on a different forum by the ISF guys when I suggested that I had adjusted anything by eye. Of course, I paid no attention to them because I think I have pretty good eyes and a pretty good picture.
chancellor
02-10-2005, 10:45 AM
I tried to eyeball things last night, and found that in order to get good blacks (keep the picture from being "washed out"), I had to crank the picture setting (which I assume is basically contrast) way up and lower the brightness. I know blacks are an issue on LCD sets, so I'm wondering if anybody else has found this as a solution? I also turned the sharpness way down to compensate for the picture setting being way up, but to be honest, I don't see that the sharpness setting affects the TV that much.
eklektique1
02-10-2005, 07:10 PM
Your sharpness setting is actually contrast, and picture setting is actually white level if I remember correctly. AVIA does a very good job of explaining them.
Ratman
02-10-2005, 07:24 PM
Normally, contrast/picture is white level
Brightness is black level.
Sharpness is just that...
In my Sony HDTV, "picture" sets the white level, "brightness" sets the black level, and "sharpness" sets sharpness. Sharpness should be turned down completely. Picture might be somewhere aound 50%. Brightness should be set according to the THX, video essentials, or avia guidelines for the black level. Set this way, the picture will be less "bright" than some people are used to or actually want. The solution is to turn picture up slightly and re-adjust brightness. If your Sony TV allows it, select the Pro mode which turns SVM off.
elicross
02-10-2005, 08:05 PM
One thing to keep in mind is that the manufacturer ships the sets with the brightness at a much higher level than is good for the it because it looks good on an electronics store shelf. It looks great, but it will burn out your lamp much more quickly than if you reset it to a darker level.
Turn off all of the lights and try it at the THX level for a while to see if you can accept it. If, after giving it a good try, you still think the levels are far too low, then go ahead and turn up the lamp (and make a note of the nearest big-screen TV repair shop for when the lamp goes out).
chancellor
02-11-2005, 10:50 AM
I have found that cranking the "picture" setting (which I now know is white level), I can deal with the brightness being turned down (which I now know is black level). Don't get me wrong - I'm not talking about keeping the brightness all the way up. It's just that when I ran THX, I came out with a level of somewhere around 17, when I was used to the low 30s. I think I've compromised by setting it in the low 20s, with the picture setting in the 50s (which I'm learning now is normal - the maximum picture setting on the Sony is 64, so 50-55 looks like it's turned almost all the way up, when really it isn't).
I do have the TV in Pro mode, which helps. I also have it in powersave mode which should cut down on bulb wear (there's absouletly no need to have the bulb full strength, seeing as how I'm setting my brightness so low even with it in powersave mode).
I watched CSI last night, which is a very dark show, and did notice the blacks looked better, but when a commercial came on, BAM it looked bright. CSI, however, looked very dark in some scenes (almost tempting me to turn up the brightness).
I think what I've learned is this: for the Sony LCDs, your best settings will have HIGH picture (at or above 50), LOW brightness (around 20) and ZERO sharpness.
Now I just have to figure out the red push problem so I can get the color setting right.......
Matt27
02-11-2005, 03:12 PM
RYR and RYB in the service menu will get rid of the red push completely.
You need to use a calibration disc with color filters such as AVIA or DVE.
eklektique1
02-11-2005, 05:19 PM
Matt,
Do you have experience with Service Menu on Sony LCD?
chancellor
02-12-2005, 10:37 AM
After reading some tweak threads in the AVS forum, I decided to venture into the service menu, and set AXIS to 0. This seems to have eliminated the red push. I was a bit nervous, but it really wasn't that hard (especially since I was only changing one setting).
P.S. - I also discovered I had my DVD player set up wrong. A word of advice - make sure all automatic and picture enhancing settings are off on you DVD player as well as your TV before tweaking. The problem I had with the THX optimizer was that I had the black setting wrong on the DVD - it wasn't the TV at all. Doh! :whistle:
