Recommended procedure for Panasonic VT50

[Anonymous]

What’s the currently recommended THX reference calibration method for a Panasonic VT50? Is it to still use the SM to calibrate THX mode or have the color decoding issues been fixed in the VT50 models so we can use CalMAN auto-cal, or is there a different recommended way?

Apart from a “recommended” method, what have people found to be effective with the VT50’s?

Thanks,

Topic

[Anonymous]

I’ve been calibrating the ISF modes using 75% saturation, 75% luminance with excellent results. When calibrating at 100% saturation the color tracking reddens flesh tones like the VT30s. Does CalMAN auto-cal allow 75% saturation?

The VT50 10p gamma control works exceptionally well.

Edit: I use the ChromaPure Color Module 75% Rec.709 option for calibrating and ControlCal for making the adjustments.

[Anonymous]

Greetings

I do the two THX modes first … get them set up correctly and out of the way … then go play with the custom modes et al and see how they turn out.

Remember … a seemingly properly set up custom mode is still not delivering everything the THX modes are delivering. (From the engineers … there is more to THX certified displays than just grayscale and cms.)

Regards

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Michael.

[Anonymous]

There was a big argument about this between calibrators on the VT50 thread at AVForums with some arguing that the Pro modes were better because they could be made more accurate – especially in the lower stimulii. On paper they can be more accurate but the DEs in THX mode are so low after calibration that it’s a really moot point. The THX modes are brighter and seem to have higher contrast. In fact the AVForums review of the VT50 measured black levels lower in THX than in the Pro modes. Just a quick question for Michael… Which profile do you select in the SM in order to calibrate THX Bright Room? I’ve only done THX Cinema so far.

[Anonymous]

Hey Julian,

Same profile in the SM … the only difference here is if you have to make the color temp different than what you did over on the normal THX mode. So if you had to adjust warm again … instead of doing that … copy the warm numbers over to the normal color temp setting and start there. The cool/normal/warm settings here are all just place holders. Give them the same numbers and they are all the same.

I normally used the “normal color temp” when dealing with 3D … so you can use the cool setting too … you decide … they are all the same. 🙂

REgards

[Anonymous]

Thanks Michael. I thought the temp settings related to the respective picture modes, i.e. you adjust Warm to calibrate THX Cinema mode greyscale; cool for Dynamic etc. How do I know which temp relates to THX Bright Room? Or have I misunderstood things?

[Anonymous]

The SM color temps are global … if you set warm while in cinema … those numbers carry to standard and vivid other modes. To double check … just take 30 sec and confirm if it happens or not. If there are separate numbers … bonus …

THX brightroom is just a brighter offset of the normal THX mode … much like how there are other modes on the user side that don’t show up in the SM area.

If you make all the grayscale numbers the same in the SM … you can change it in the user side cool-normal-warm … and you see nothing changes anymore. They are now all the same.

There are traditionally 6 color temp memory slots in the TV. 3 for HD and 3 for SD.

regards

[Anonymous]

Thanks. I’ll give it a whirl!

[Anonymous]

What about ISF Day and Night? Make it sens to activate these modes or just focus on both THX modes?

[Anonymous]

You can do whatever you want with the ISF day and night modes. Focus on the two THX modes first. If your client really can’t trust himself to changing the settings, they have other issues. That’s why we have cell phones with cameras. Take pictures. 🙂

I charge extra for the ISF mode work. No one has taken me up on it yet. I just use many of the client sets to experiment with those ISF modes and the interface. The controls haven’t worked right on every generation up to now. No fault of the interface … the TV is the thing that is messed up.

These are just suggestions … no hand from God will come down to hit you if you want to mess with the ISF modes.

regards

[Anonymous]

Michael, care to chip in on the AVForums VT50 thread where a calibrator with a very popular following has been decrying the THX modes as ‘marketing’ and saying that they are merely presets? What’s your opinion? Here’s the link. Post no. 130.

[Anonymous]

Hi Michael

Next time when I have VT50 in my hands I will start with THX, following your recommendation and then I will calibrate ISF Day and Night and compare results.
Yesterday I calibrated ISF Day and Night and got great results, really great, not only on paper but on the picture.
I like AutoCal. It is not perfect, but when you are under 1.5% off error you can stop there. I am crazy about details so I adjusted grayscale and gamut manually to perfection.
What problems do you actually see with ISF calibration?

Regards

[Anonymous]

The problem with the previous generations of the TV was that these controls did not work right and made pretty graphs and bad images. Posterized faces for instance … things that look over exposed …

Since i like to do extensive education, running automation doesn’t really demonstrate what I am talking about to the client.

REgards

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your posts Michael. It’s sad that folks just want to believe that the THX modes and certification are just marketing.

[Anonymous]

Michael, I got your point.

Regards

[Author]

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