First, let me say that display calibration is not for everyone; I’d say roughly less than 5% of consumers that purchase or use displays. There are many sources that offer (ISF) display calibration - a significant number of which I would not recommend (and until I’ve been convinced otherwise this includes Best Buy.) Also, do you have any color vision deficiencies, i.e. color blindness? Does your viewing environment contain strong colors*, i.e., strong or intense hues? If so it is very unlikely that you will receive the full benefit of a professional display calibration. Furthermore, without an accurate color reference most people would never know that the grayscale tracking of their display is off by more than a ΔE of 20 or 30 or a CCT of a few hundred Kelvin, especially with all of the other factors at play.
Chromatic Adaptation
http://www.colorcube.com/illusions/chrmadptb.htm
About the “Ideal Viewing Environment”
http://www.cinemaquestinc.com/ideal_viewing.htm
*(The reason the color of your viewing environment is so important is that most people with normal vision experience a phenomenon known as chromatic adaptation. Chromatic adaptation and a viewer’s ability to discriminate color is influenced more so by the surrounding environment than by the correlated color temperature of the display. Ideally the chromaticity of both the environment and the display should strongly correlate to CIE Illuminant D65.)
With many of today’s better quality fixed-pixel displays, which are much improved over earlier displays, simply using the proper settings will provide more than adequate color fidelity and gray-scale performance. Before you take the plunge I highly recommend that you obtain one or both of the popular display optimization DVDs, i.e., “Avia” from Ovation Multimedia and “Digital Video Essentials” from Joe Kane Productions, and optimize the performance of your display.
Digital Video Essentials (DVE)
http://www.videoessentials.com
Ovation Multimedia’s Avia
http://www.ovationmultimedia.com
Note: the following describes an iterative and moderately time-consuming process, especially the first time around, so please prepare to be patient if you want the best results.
For many new models of displays you may need to optimize the picture settings for each video input, e.g., HDMI (and/or DVI), component, IEEE 1394 (aka FireWire), Y/C (aka S-video), composite, and RF, and save them to the display’s internal memory (if the display is so equipped.) If you spend little time using a particular video input (or do not use a particular video input) then you can dispense with optimizing your picture for that particular video input.
Ideally you should strive to always maintain the proper Brightness (black level) and Contrast or Picture (peak white level) settings. This is particularly important with phosphor-based displays as it can also greatly affect the lifespan of the display’s phosphors. Optimizing these settings will be much easier in a viewing environment in which you consistently maintain complete control over the ambient light.
Your first step will be to select the proper display or picture mode for the type of video content you view the most; the best choice is often labeled ‘cinema’ or ‘movie,’ etc. Next, select a color setting of 6500K in the appropriate setup menu of your display. If your display has an option to select a Gamma value then you should choose the industry standard value of 2.5 or 2.6 for an HDTV. Always disable any picture ‘enhancement’ (i.e., ‘exaggeration,’) settings (such as Scan Velocity Modulation on CRT displays) and all ‘auto-color’ settings. (In some cases you may need to access the display’s service menu to adjust some picture settings which may void your warranty.)
The next step is to determine the proper Brightness and Contrast levels; this will require a full-screen PLUGE test pattern (from one of the calibration discs or a signal generator) in order to set the proper levels on your display. (Note: overdriving the Contrast level on a phosphor-based display such as a CRT will result in pixel “blooming” and a loss of resolution in addition to decreasing the phosphors’ half-life.)
Next properly adjust the setting of the Sharpness control using test patterns such as the DVE 1.78:1 Overscan pattern and the Needle Pulse pattern. (When the Sharpness control is set too high it introduces noise into the overall picture and produces ringing or unnatural, artificially sharpened edges in the picture.) Check the picture geometry and make sure it is optimized: overscan should be no more than 2.5% maximum.
The next step is basic adjustment of Color (chroma saturation) and Tint (chroma hue). You will need color filters and a SMPTE color bar test pattern to correctly set the Color and Tint on your display. After adjusting the Color and Tint controls once again recheck your Brightness and Contrast settings.
Carefully examine the picture quality and color fidelity of your optimized display. Are you satisfied with the picture quality? If so then you may wish to reconsider a professional display calibration. If you’re still not quite satisfied or you remain undeterred in calibrating your display then I recommend that you use the resources I’ve provided below to find a knowledgeable and competent calibration technician.
I offer the following notes for consumers seeking a professional display calibration:
As a general rule of thumb a consumer should not spend more than ten (10) to fifteen (15) percent of the total cost of their display system on a professional calibration. Most rudimentary, first-time display calibrations start around $250 for a direct-view display; more for RPTVs and front projectors. Follow-up calibrations often cost less.
Anyone who claims to calibrate a display to a “correlated color temperature,” such as 6500K, rather than a specific CIE standard illuminant (i.e., chromaticity coordinate,) is NOT—I repeat NOT—a competent, knowledgeable and/or well-trained display calibration technician.
Likewise any technician that does not or will not specify a ΔE (including a guaranteed maximum post-calibration ΔE limit of less than 5 or 6; Joe Kane is recommending looser tolerances around 10 to 12) for each white point measurement at a specific grayscale level is not a competent, well-trained display calibration technician.
A professional display calibration specialist or technician will often perform a thorough calibration for each display input as specified in the technician’s calibration agreement or as may be requested by the display’s owner prior to calibration. Most base calibration fees include a minimum of two inputs.
A professional calibration should always be performed using the latest precision, NIST-traceable measurement equipment equipped with solid-state detector arrays or sensors. A few of the leading manufacturers of such equipment are Photo Research, Minolta, UDT Instruments, EG&G, DK-Technologies (formerly Philips Test & Measurement,) Topcon, etc.
A professional calibration should always be performed using one or more specialized, professional-grade signal generators in order to maintain the utmost signal accuracy and precision. Optical discs such as DVDs should never be used to perform a professional display calibration.
An expert display calibration technician should also provide a comprehensive calibration report, which should include basic detailed measurement results, including both pre- and post-calibration results where applicable. The report should always include the basic display measurements listed below.
Basic measurements include detailed colorimetric white-point measurements, including ΔE, at each of the specified grayscale levels; the characteristic color gamut (i.e. the RGB primary and CMY secondary CIE chromaticity coordinates); gamma; luminance and/or illuminance; and (ambient) contrast ratio.
As I alluded above be very careful who you consider hiring; a significant number of calibration specialists and consumer electronics dealers lack the proper knowledge (and experience) in colorimetry, test and measurement, and/or display operation, including those that are—or claim to be—ISF trained.
First-time calibrations can take up to several hours. For the average base fees most specialists and dealers charge I feel that any discerning consumer is receiving a beneficial service for a very reasonable price providing they’re able to hire a knowledgeable, competent and professional specialist.
######## RESOURCES ########
Imaging Science Foundation
http://www.imagingscience.com
ISF-trained Dealer Search
http://www.imagingscience.com/isf-trained.cfm
ISF Calibrators
http://www.isftv.com/ISF_Calibrators.html
Calibrators and Expert Video Calibrationists
http://www.keohi.com/KeohiHDTV/isf/isf_calibrators.html
ISF Calibrators
http://www.isfforum.com
Though there may be many other qualified individuals, the following display calibration professionals are some of the best currently available if you want or need a calibration from a competent professional. Each service provider uses high performance calibration equipment accompanied by ample experience and an excellent reputation.
W. Jeff Meier - AccuCal
http://www.accucal.org
Lion Audio-Video Consultants
http://www.lionav.com
Kevin Miller
http://www.isftv.com
Busch Home Theater
http://www.buschhometheater.com/isf_calibration.htm
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Discussion Topics on ISF Calibration
http://www.highdefforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=35
The Calibrator & Tech SPot Sub-Forums
http://www.hometheaterspot.com/fusionbb/showforum.php?fid/13/
Colorimetry of Visual Displays
http://www.npl.co.uk/photonics/displays/good_practice.html