New Plasma TV Question

[Hillbiehle]

Just purchased a 55" Plasma from the TV Store (BBuy). They strongly recommended that after a few months they come out and do an adjustment / reset for $250. Their reasoning is the picture will then be at its optimum performance. Perhaps I'm wrong, but this sounds like a waste of money. Has anyone done this and felt it was worthwhile?

[LMITOUT]

Don't waste your money. They are not going to do anything different that you couldn't do.

[CJH]

If you are worried about it, just get a TV calibration disc.

[masoct3]

Is this what BBY is resorting to now before their financial demise? Definitely do not need that, nor THEM to calibrate your TV. Granted it might need a "tweak", but nothing major. Yes, you can buy or download HDTV Disk Cablibration DVDs.

[Kyhl]

I somewhat disagree. Out of the box these things are way off and need major adjustments. You can get them close with a calibration disk but you need someone with the right tools to do it right.

That said, I probably would not hire BBY to calibrate it. What you do is up to you. At a minimum, get a calibration disk and start adjusting it yourself, that will get you 90% of the way there.

Drives me nuts when I go to friends house and see this monster screen that they spent large sums of money on and everything looks like an oversaturated cartoon. I don't say anything unless they specifically ask but I couldn't live with it being that way in my house.

Your choice if you like watching cartoon people or like looking at a live scene through a window. It's almost that far apart.

[Hillbiehle]

Thank you all for the responces. Don't know what a calibration DVD is, but I'll get one and see what happens. Next step is to hang on the wall this weekend over a fireplace. Plaster w/wood lath makes it difficult to find the actual stud....wish me luck.

[Jim Almquist]

All I did with mine is watch a couple of Twins games and adjust the colors so the green, blue and reds look right. I did it over a couple of games till it felt right to me. I have calibrated many with the disk but they seem a little dull so you end up tweaking it a little bit. They will need some adjusting out of the box. Just go by the green grass, the blue sky and the red lettering on there uniforms. Just don't go overboard on the saturation and contrast.

Would I pay BB or buy a disk? No

[10,000 Casts]

I have a 50" panasonic plasma I bought 4 years ago and what I did is searched for the calibration settings on the net and it turned out really good. That tv still holds its own and I can't justify replacing it.

[LwnmwnMan2]

Thank you all for the responces. Don't know what a calibration DVD is, but I'll get one and see what happens. Next step is to hang on the wall this weekend over a fireplace. Plaster w/wood lath makes it difficult to find the actual stud....wish me luck.

Just google your model tv - calibration.

Most likely you'll get an Avs forun and there will be pages and pages of what different owners have done with their TV. 99% will be within 2 or 3 settings.

Grab your laptop, a beer and your remote and set it up.