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How to set up your HDTV like a pro

Don't stick with the shop's settings

You may also need to turn the contrast down a little if there’s a colour cast at high levels, until that disappears – fixing it completely is something that usually requires access to the service menus of the set, and a colorimeter, with associated software tools.

AVS Black and White Test

This screen shows both black levels and maximum white
Click for full-size image

Colour and sharpness

If you want a simple straightforward adjustment of colour, then that’s what the girl in the BBC testcard is for - make her skin tones look natural, and you’re almost there. It’s not the most scientific way, though.

Most test pattern sets will include a set of colour bars, designed to be used with a blue filter, like the ones shown in the screenshot below. The blue used is typically ‘Tokyo Blue’, or code 071 for lighting gels. A swatch book of filters or a set of small sheets will cost around £10, so it’s probably just as effective to buy a test DVD that comes with a filter.

Look through the blue filter and pay particular attention to the sections with the blue and white patches. The filter strips out the other primary colours, and the colour is set correctly when it appears that the blue and the white patches on the screen have the same brightness – though you may need to tweak to personal taste.

Colour Bars

Colour bars are used with a blue filter to set the colour correctly
Click for full-size image

After colour, turn your attention to sharpness. On the BBC testcard, the gratings to the right are used to check this - other discs have their own, specific patterns. Turn down the sharpness to avoid the blurring round the edges of fine lines, such as those in the gratings, and the worst of the moiré effects in large shaded areas. But keep an eye on the edge of solid blacks, to make sure they’re still well defined – turn sharpness down too much, and they’ll become fuzzy.

Some of the tests for this – such as the one on Sony Blu-Ray discs – also include markers for overscan; you can use this if your TV has settings to control the picture size, or a simple on/off for overscan, to check that everything is being displayed.

If you’re using a standard flat panel, that’s more or less it for DIY setup. A colorimeter like the SpyderTV can help you achieve more accurate colour setup – but at around £100, plus your time, if you only have one set to adjust, it may be better value to invest in a professional ISF calibration, if you feel that a visual setup isn’t good enough. ®

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