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[Z_Y]

So I have a run of the mill Vizio 1080p display that I bought a couple of years ago. I'd really like to upgrade to 4K HDR but I feel like it's a tad too soon for me personally.

So I went down the rabbit hole of reading about tv calibration...trying to find optimal display settings for my tv. Thought it would breathe new life into my display. I found some settings for my tv on rtings.com and plugged them in. I realize that a professional calibration costs money and this was just a half-assed attempt...but reading that a good bit of people go back to their old settings even after a calibration makes me think my results were not atypical.

Basically the picture is dim and dull. Everything looked bad but playing games was especially bad. Colors looked washed out and bland. Text looked blurry. It was actually hurting my eyes.

I had read about many people complaining about similar things. The pro-calibration people all said to give it a week but I didn't make it 3 days. I don't know if it was a good thing for my eyes to adjust to what looked to me to be an inferior picture.

Maybe vivid mode has ruined TVs for me. I don't know. I just can't play games on a tv with those display settings. I'm wondering if these settings are more geared to the cinema types and not me where 95% of my tv time is playing games or watching sporting events.

Anybody else been down this road?

 

[RecRoulette]

I've never heard of professional calibration, sounds like something Best Buy would sell you along with free installation.

 

[SeeNoWeevil]

Everything looks dim/dull/yellowish if you're used to the 'dynamic' torch modes.

 

[Flandy]

I started using Warm 2 recently and got used to it pretty quickly. I can't go back now

 

[Diamondium]

I'm generally the same, I will actively go brighter, cooler colors, and more vivid than the recommended settings. Do whatever looks best to you, you're the one who is viewing it so if you like a setting better, use it.

 

[Z_Y]

Everything looks dim/dull/yellowish if you're used to the 'dynamic' torch modes.

I guess that is the thing I'm getting at. People say "torch" mode and it sounds almost like display setting snobbery. As a gamer, is "torch" mode a bad thing?

 

[AEdouard]

So I have a run of the mill Vizio 1080p display that I bought a couple of years ago. I'd really like to upgrade to 4K HDR but I feel like it's a tad too soon for me personally.

So I went down the rabbit hole of reading about tv calibration...trying to find optimal display settings for my tv. Thought it would breathe new life into my display. I found some settings for my tv on rtings.com and plugged them in. I realize that a professional calibration costs money and this was just a half-assed attempt...but reading that a good bit of people go back to their old settings even after a calibration makes me think my results were not atypical.

Basically the picture is dim and dull. Everything looked bad but playing games was especially bad. Colors looked washed out and bland. Text looked blurry. It was actually hurting my eyes.

I had read about many people complaining about similar things. The pro-calibration people all said to give it a week but I didn't make it 3 days. I don't know if it was a good thing for my eyes to adjust to what looked to me to be an inferior picture.

Maybe vivid mode has ruined TVs for me. I don't know. I just can't play games on a tv with those display settings. I'm wondering if these settings are more geared to the cinema types and not me where 95% of my tv time is playing games or watching sporting events.

Anybody else been down this road?

About the bluriness, maybe verify if the "0" setting on your sharpness settings is actually 0 and not added bluriness. Sharpness is best completely disabled, but with some tv makers the no sharpness added setting is at 50% and not 0%.

 

[galvatron]

Never gotten a professional calibration, but I've bought and used video essentials and avsforum feedback to get settings for my TV. I generally stick with the calibrated settings and I do notice things like lack of detail in dark areas of a scene.

Recently, while watching westworld, it struck me that my picture was way too bright since I last calibrated the TV in a room with a lot more natural light than my current office, so I started turning things down. I'll get around to another go with the blue filter, etc. when I figure out where I put that disc...

I'd say you're pretty typical in your tastes, OP. Sports and vivid mode are there for a reason...most people prefer a picture to pop regardless of the source material.

 

[jett]

I did some non-professional calibration on my own for my TV following some settings on the interweb. The picture does look noticeably better than the out-of-the-box settings.

 

[icespide]

whatever you do, make sure motion flow is turned on

 

[killroy87]

I started using Warm 2 recently and got used to it pretty quickly. I can't go back now

That's crazy, I really hate the Warm settings on my Sony X850. It just lacks any pop to the colors. I usually stick with the color grade being more neutral.

 

[Flandy]

That's crazy, I really hate the Warm settings on my Sony X850. It just lacks any pop to the colors. I usually stick with the color grade being more neutral.

I'm using a Samsung KS8000 fwiw

 

[augmental]

whatever you do, make sure motion flow is turned on

You're kidding right?

 

[sir_kevith]

I'd only bother with calibration if you have complete control over the lighting in the room.

In a dark room I definitely think the "cinema" preset looks best but it's way too dim if there's daylight. I'm not going to pay money for real calibration if I'm not always gonna benefit from it.

Additionally, if I'm playing a retro or retro-inspired game I'll turn the saturation and brightness up more. Old games look great with bright/vivid colors.

 

[Knuckle Sandwich]

I just turn all the extra junk like adaptive whatever/noise reduction/ect off, drop sharpness to 0 and tinker with the rest until it looks good. Also warm is the best. Looks like piss at first but you get used to it.

 

[Skelter]

I've never heard of professional calibration, sounds like something Best Buy would sell you along with free installation.

Which is terrible. A professional calibration though is incredible.

When calibrating my gf's new Vizio as a start I went to the rtings website and used their values. I found them to be very bad, the image was really washed and way too warm. I ended up discarding them completely and starting from scratch.

Get this website fullscreen on your tv and follow the instructions: http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/

You can do a full calibration yourself if you have some time.

The image will look a lot better when you're done.

Start with the Game setting.

Copying someone else's setting will NEVER work. You can't account for the lighting in their home, light bleed, or a bunch of other things.

 

[NeoRausch]

Game mode
Sharpness 0
No additional filters/computing

 

[muteki]

I mostly turn everything superfluous off because I play rhythm games a lot and video and/or audio lag kills it for me. So game mode on, just about everything else off or default.

I'm sure some of the stuff has no effect and may make things look marginally better but I am not really sensitive to minor things so I just leave them off. Doesn't help that my Samsung's menus are a clusterfuck to understand.

 

[vvise]

When calibrating my gf's new Vizio as a start I went to the rtings website and used their values. I found them to be very bad, the image was really washed and way too warm. I ended up discarding them completely and starting from scratch.

Get this website fullscreen on your tv and follow the instructions: http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/

You can do a full calibration yourself if you have some time.

The image will look a lot better when you're done.

Start with the Game setting.

 

[augmental]

I've always gone to avsforum.com and then subscribed to the thread dedicated to whatever TV I am interested in adjusting. I've used them to do my own calibration on a Pioneer Elite plasma, a Sony Bravia and a Samsung plasma. The site is a really big help and there are many professional calibrators on there. Also, if you have any questions they are normally quick to respond.

 

[Z_Y]

When calibrating my gf's new Vizio as a start I went to the rtings website and used their values. I found them to be very bad, the image was really washed and way too warm. I ended up discarding them completely and starting from scratch.

Get this website fullscreen on your tv and follow the instructions: http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/

You can do a full calibration yourself if you have some time.

The image will look a lot better when you're done.

Start with the Game setting.

Will give that a go. Thanks!

 

[JudgmentJay]

Yeah, I've gamed on calibrated TVs for the past 5 years or so. My C6 isn't calibrated at the moment as it's brand new, but I've got one scheduled for mid-January. A properly-calibrated display is a thing to behold. Vivid/torch mode on the other hand looks offensively terrible. If you're used to that or prefer that then more power to you, but don't expect your eyesight to last past your 40s.

I've never heard of professional calibration, sounds like something Best Buy would sell you along with free installation.

Best Buy does do calibrations, and they're absolutely terrible at it. There's no substitution for a calibration by an ISF-certified pro.

I'd only bother with calibration if you have complete control over the lighting in the room.

In a dark room I definitely think the "cinema" preset looks best but it's way too dim if there's daylight. I'm not going to pay money for real calibration if I'm not always gonna benefit from it.

Most if not all calibrators will do a day and a night setting... in addition to 3D, HDR, etc.

 

[Kyoufu]

I've never heard of professional calibration, sounds like something Best Buy would sell you along with free installation.

Oh dear. A professional calibration will dramatically improve the set's colour accuracy using proper tools resulting in a noticeably improved picture.

 

[KojiKnight]

I've tried multiple calibration methods on various TVs.... but then I decided I didn't like any of them, and now I set each TV up individually the way I like it. In the end, the TV is for me, so I adjust it to suit me. Who cares if some nut comes over and gets upset because my tint is slightly above what they consider 'normal'

 

[Skelter]

Best Buy does do calibrations, and they're absolutely terrible at it. There's no substitution for a calibration by an ISF-certified pro.

Most if not all calibrators will calibrate a day and a night setting... in addition to 3D, HDR, etc.

Yup. Best Buy is terrible. Chad B. did my calibration. Came all the way from Ohio to do it too.

 

[DJ_Lae]

No, although I've always been curious.

I know my wife's Dell monitor came calibrated and I guess the colours look nice on it. Personally, I'm happy as long as everything is clear and I like to err on the side of things being a bit brighter/more vibrant, probably because I'm colourblind.

I don't know how much an actual calibration would benefit me.

 

[laxu]

Everything looks dim/dull/yellowish if you're used to the 'dynamic' torch modes.

Exactly. Both my PC monitor and my TV are calibrated. I like having things like accurate skintones and other colors and not overblown colors with washed out highlights and crushed blacks.

Even when shopping for a new TV I always have to first turn off all processing and even then the choice is usually made with online reviews because it's impossible to truly test a TV in a store with really bright overhead lighting.

 

[JudgmentJay]

Yup. Best Buy is terrible. Chad B. did my calibration. Came all the way from Ohio to do it too.

Chad B. did my last one and he's doing my next one. He's about as good as it gets!

 

[Booker Dewitt]

I've never heard of professional calibration, sounds like something Best Buy would sell you along with free installation.

Nope, if it's anything like it was years ago, they actually changing internal factors of the tv.

But paying for the service on a entry level tv brand like vizio, naw.

 

[The Antitype]

Yep. I have an ISF calibrated 'Custom' setting that I use for games. Basically just turns all the various picture options off and sets color and contrast to ISF standards. Looks great.

 

[Unmoses]

My Samsung, from 2008, is a 55" model that requires gaming mode else there's hefty input lag. Gaming mode strips most of the eye candy capability of the model, but I have gotten used to it. When I would flip back and forth it would drive me crazy, so I don't flip anymore I will say some calibration features from avsforums definitely helped once you give yourself some time with it.

I've been toying with the idea of moving into the 65" 4K HDR realm for gaming/movie watching but I'm leery of some of the threads I've read on here for setup/calibration (and doing it multiple times between sources/activity)..

 

[Nielm]

Yep. I have an ISF calibrated 'Custom' setting that I use for games. Basically just turns all the various picture options off and sets color and contrast to ISF standards. Looks great.

Same here, on a Pioneer KURO, by Gordon Fraser in the UK.

 

[MrBS]

whatever you do, make sure motion flow is turned on

This should be a bannable post!

First thing to get disabled. Every time.

 

[Lightning Count]

Game mode
Sharpness 0
No additional filters/computing

Game mode worsens picture quality in favour of response, which generally makes no difference unless you are into really serious multiplayer.

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

Yup. Best Buy is terrible. Chad B. did my calibration. Came all the way from Ohio to do it too.

How much we talking, I know it will cost me a few bills, the good stuff will cost well over $200, but I want to know what we are talking about?

 

[Skelter]

Chad B. did my last one and he's doing my next one. He's about as good as it gets!

Highly HIGHLY recommend him to anyone. I can't believe some people will spend thousands of dollars on a TV but not even get it calibrated.

How much we talking, I know it will cost me a few bills, the good stuff will cost well over $200, but I want to know what we are talking about?

Those are his prices. ISF is what I had him do which is pricey.

 

[Stillmatic]

Whenever I get a mew TV I always head over to avforums to get calibration settings and do it myself.

Shit has to look as good as possible with what I have, otherwise I feel it's all a waste when things could've been so much better the whole time.

 

[LordOfChaos]

I care about display accuracy on my computers, but not on my tvs. I like things a little over saturated, and yeah, pro calibration did look brown and boring to me.

If I wanted reality I'd look outside!


Now, sharpness I turn to zero and I make sure skin tones don't get whacky so I don't go that crazy with it and it can irk me when people do, but other than that, I want colours to punch me in the face.

 

[Hoo-doo]

How much we talking, I know it will cost me a few bills, the good stuff will cost well over $200, but I want to know what we are talking about?

The prices are on his website.

• ISF Calibration $425
• Express Plus calibration $225
• In home colorimeter profiling $225

• Audyssey Pro calibration $500 ($450 with display calibration)
• Advanced Audio calibration $425 ($375 with display calibration)
• Basic audio setup $100 (with display calibration only)

 

[Kyoufu]

Game mode worsens picture quality in favour of response, which generally makes no difference unless you are into really serious multiplayer.

It depends on the TV. Some TVs like the Samsung KS8000 have 113ms input latency outside of Game mode which is a lot for anyone.

 

[The Antitype]

Same here, on a Pioneer KURO, by Gordon Fraser in the UK.

Nice. I have a Panny VT25 which I believe has some parts from your tv in it. Still not quite as good, but wasn't ready to put down like $5000 CAD on a discontinued set, lol.

 

[Hoo-doo]

Technically, couldn't you just share the exact settings of your professionally calibrated TV with your buddy (who has the same TV) and achieve the exact same effect?

Why does the dude need to come to your house to measure up the display exactly?

Every TV is slightly different. Sharing settings will probably get you into the ballpark, but most of what they do is a) Panel specific and b) beyond the settings floated to the consumer. It's not just fiddling with the sliders/numbers on your settings menu.

Sure you have a point. But let's not act like developer menus are arcane knowledge.
The ballpark sounds pretty decent if it saves me 400$, that's for sure.

 

[The Antitype]

Technically, couldn't you just share the exact settings of your professionally calibrated TV with your buddy (who has the same TV) and achieve the exact same effect?

Why does the dude need to come to your house to measure up the display exactly?

Every TV is slightly different. Sharing settings will probably get you into the ballpark, but most of what they do is a) Panel specific and b) beyond the settings floated to the consumer. It's not just fiddling with the sliders/numbers on your settings menu.

 

[Kyoufu]

Technically, couldn't you just share the exact settings of your professionally calibrated TV with your buddy (who has the same TV) and achieve the exact same effect?

Why does the dude need to come to your house to measure up the display exactly?

No, because every panel comes out different to the other, which is why professional calibration exists in the first place, otherwise we'd all just use settings posted on forums/youtube/whatever.

 

[matrixman92]

I have had a vizio for a few years, 1080p. I looked up settings others had on this same model and changed them recently and it feels like I have been living a lie. Stuff looks completely different. More vivid, colorful, crisp. Its insane

 

[shockdude]

I don't have a professional calibrator and don't feel like paying for the service. I just use lagom.nl to adjust brightness/contrast/color/sharpness, set the color temperature to Warm (2), disable all the post-processing, and call it a day.
I do this with all my computer monitors and TVs and it's been fantastic.

 

[deltatheta]

I always calibrate my monitors and TVs. "Vivid" settings are meant to pop out when viewed next to a bunch of other TVs in a store, but all pastels lose their hue and there's no contrast between colors at the dim and bright ends of the spectrum. (brighter colors just become pure white with no differentiation) For example, clouds become just areas of full bright white pixels instead of shades of blue, gray, and white.

I notice it right away on computer monitors because modern UIs tend to use subtle bright colors for non-critical state information. E.g. in Gmail, the color difference between read and unread email (white and light gray) tends to be very slight and even indistinguishable on poorly calibrated screens.

I guess if you like "vivid" better it's your subjective opinion. But in my opinion, colors have a huge aesthetic effect, and it's important to me that I'm seeing the same colors as the artists or cinematographers intended, because I like to approach games and film as art and would like to appreciate the full impact of the artists' work without diluting it by messing with the presentation.

 

[Marty Chinn]

Technically, couldn't you just share the exact settings of your professionally calibrated TV with your buddy (who has the same TV) and achieve the exact same effect?

Why does the dude need to come to your house to measure up the display exactly?



Sure you have a point. But let's not act like developer menus are arcane knowledge.
The ballpark sounds pretty decent if it saves me 400$, that's for sure.

Every panel is different and everybody has a different room size and lighting conditions for the room they put their TV in. The combination of the two makes it so it's better to get actual calibration done rather than copy settings.

 

[Hoo-doo]

Every panel is different and everybody has a different room size and lighting conditions for the room they put their TV in. The combination of the two makes it so it's better to get actual calibration done rather than copy settings.

Obviously it is better. But money is money, and people not feeling emboldened enough to drop 400$ on calibrating their TV have some alternatives out there, that's all i'm saying.

If I ever get myself a proper home theater setup with 4K projector, you bet i'm getting it properly setup and calibrated. You'd be a fool not to. But in my current situation, lagom.nl combined with calibrated user settings from avforums will do pretty nicely.

 

[Lasthope106]

I tried to calibrate my shitty Vizio. One of my friends let me borrow a DVD that walked me through some graphics that were designed to optimize the contrast, darkness, etc. When it comes to the particular color settings, I left those alone.

After having gone through all that effort here is the main thing I noticed right away. The backlight of most TVs is way too damn high on default. I think having the backlight that way wears your tv quicker.

And most important of all, I turned off all the stupid settings and filters that vizio turns on. Those were the main culprit for the image looking like shit.

Even though I would like to get the best picture I can, I was happy I went through the calibration that I could and now I'm getting much better picture quality. I recommend most people do it.