have a 2 year old 42h83.is it worth the money to get it caliberated? do you
notice a big change in picture quality? its a lot of money to spend.please
give opinion.thanks

Assuming you've already used a calibration disc (Avia or DVE) or the "THX Optimizer" option found on many DVDs, a calibration may be the next step. Many people say you should have your set calibrated regardless of whether or not you're satisfied with the picture quality (PQ) of your TV. I say the following:

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While no-one disputes the objective "hard science" behind calibrations - which are intended to make your television set reproduce images as accurately as possible - there are several subjective factors you may want to consider when making a value judgement on whether or not you should proceed with a calibration. They include:

Cost: A calibration can cost up to several hundreds of dollars, depending on which options you choose. Can you afford one?
Credentials: Not all calibrators are created equal. Some will do better work than others. Read reviews and get recommendations.
Current state: The PQ of images on your set may already be quite good. After close scruitiny, are you happy with it, or do you feel it can be improved upon?
Results: If the PQ of your set is already quite good, it is possible that you may notice little or no difference in the post-calibration PQ. You may even find that the PQ after calibration, while more accurate, is less to your liking. Be prepared to run these risks.

My personal opinion is that you should consider having your set calibrated if:
- you've done some tweaking on your own but you still dislike the PQ of the images on your set and you want it to reproduce images more accurately;
- you're having problems with your set that a calibration may resolve; or
- you simply want one and can afford one.

If you're happy with what you see, consider enjoying your set as it is and banking your money for a calibration at a later date.
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Regardless of which way you go, I wish you all the best! :D

thanks for your insight. some points to consider.

For more insight, do a search for "calibrat*" in thread titles. Lots of previous discussions.

Greetings

Calibration is an extra and no one absolutely needs to pay someone to come do it. Sometimes a service call can improve some issues ... although it can also make things worse.

If you are up to the task ... learn how to do the basics yourself. It really isn't that hard. Learn to do service convergence ... electronic and mechanical focus ... lens cleaning ... heck ... even lens striping. All very doable without heavy duty test equipment.

A full blown pro calibration will net you the physical work above and an improved grayscale for more accurate colors. Toshiba sets on the whole like to be in the purple blacks range. That means their images tend to look a bit magenta in the movie mode and that is supposed to be the most accurate out of the box.

Look at a b/w film and decide if the image looks black and white to you ... if not ... then you calibrate ... if it looks B/W ... then no calibration is needed. (If you think something looks b/w to you ... then that is enough. It may not be in real life ... but to your eyes that is good enough.)

Which comes to that often asked question ... will I see a difference? Most people do ... not all. And then the magnitude of the difference falls into the realm of subjectivity. What is a lot of difference and what is a little? HOw long is a piece of string?

No one can promise you that you will see a huge difference ... just that the end result will be different. There is no way a guy over the phone or email can see if your set is out of focus or the geometry is tilted or off center or bending. He won't be able to see if the color shifts significantly from left to right ... or the exact tint of the image.

Regards

royberk, many threads exist on the forum on this topic. I recommend a search

After watching 'Dr. Strangelove' in black and pink I decided to have JohnnyG calibrate my 46H84C...

This Saturday :).

Black and pink?! :o Sounds like a calibration is the right thing to do. ;)

I hope all goes well with it! :D

am booking a date with Johnny G. i have read some good reports about
his work.

flipper
let us know how it goes with Johnny g

thanks

I can assure you that a professional calibration by JohnnyG is worth every penny.

He is meticulous and thorough. What I thought was a good picture on my 46H84C is now a great picture.

All of the image and geometry issues that I had before are now gone.

I highly recommend calibration to anyone who wants to get the most from their display and even moreso, I recommend JohnnyG.

Another satisfied customer :).

filper.
sorry about the spelling.thanks for yourwords on johnny.

filper.
sorry about the spelling.thanks for yourwords on johnny.

You're not too far off the mark :) filper is actually a 'cabbaged' spelling of Flipper.