Does a new HDTV really need professional calibration to look good?
A. No, but it almost certainly will need considerable adjustment, whether by you or by a pro. Manufacturers usually ship their sets adjusted to stand out in bright, crowded showrooms rather than to produce the best possible picture in a typical home. On the other hand, most provide picture presets that can at least get you into the ballpark. If there is a preset called something like Movie or Pro, select it, and if there is a color-temperature control, set it to Warm or Low. You can go on from there to adjust the brightness, contrast, and sharpness controls to get a picture that looks good to you. And you can make this process much more efficient and effective if you buy a calibration DVD to assist you. Discs such as Avia,Sound & Vision Home Theater Tune-Up, and Digital Video Essentials provide special test patterns and instructions on how to use them to set your TV’s controls correctly. If you want to get the very best picture possible out of a new HDTV, however, you should consider h
