57's Home Theatre Optimization

[57]

Thank you billy416 for that information. I have always been quite clear that I don't do ISF calibration and that my services are designed to get the best overall out of not only the TV, but all equipment in the home theatre and for significantly less money than an ISF calibration.

The TV setup portion of my services usually takes less than 1/3 of my time on site. It is the proper setup of the STB, the DVD player, the A/V Receiver, any other equipment involved, and the discussion regarding this optimization that takes the most time.

Having an ISF calibration done on your TV doesn't do you much good for the Home Theatre if your STB is incorrectly set up - say to output 480i, or connected with S-video, or your upconverting DVD player is set to 480P or not connected via HDMI, or the A/V receiver has the front speaker outputs wired to the back speakers, or instead of using the digital audio connection you're using analogue audio believing you're getting DD5.1 sound, etc - all of which (and much more) I've encountered and corrected.

It'd be like getting the windows cleaned on your vehicle, but driving around on a flat tire, or without an operating radio. I'm sure that some ISF calibrators may notice some of these items, but that's not their focus, whereas it is mine. There is room in the marketplace for both types of services, obviously.

Putting together and setting up today's home theatre with STBs, DVD players, AVRs, 5.1 speakers, TVs, with all their cables and settings, etc. is quite difficult for anyone who is not into the latest technology. I am there for those people who understand that there is nothing wrong with hiring someone to assist them with this complicated endeavor, in the same way you'd hire a contractor to install a deck or renovate your bathroom, etc.

[keta]

I recently used 57 and found that he got the job done. The difference is definitely noticeable. My system has a user configuration area and a preset area and I watched a couple of movies from a DVD and from the normal TV channels and used 57's configuration and the presets and would say that what 57 set as ideal was in fact ideal.

I would, and have already, recommended his services to family and friends and advised them of this website.

Thanks for a job well done, 57.

Keith

[joajax]

Another recommendation for 57 !

I am quite new to the whole "home theatre" aspect of things and 57 was always available for any questions I had including best TV for me etc...
He set up my system for me including TV, HTIB, DVD player and SA8300HD to make sure I was getting optimal use of the equipment. Good communication throughout our dealings and good value for the money ! Wouldn't hesitate to contact in the future if I needed more work done...Thanks again.

Jeff

[tyboy]

This past Saturday 57 came down to the festival city to set up/calibrate/etc. my new HD television and his service was fantastic. We are most pleased with our new TV and system, now that is properly set up by the best. Thanks so much 57 for your excellent service. To all you people that are wondering do I need this service?? It IS well worth the little extra on this kind of large purchase.

Barry

[tyboy]

Hello again, on the last post I forgot to mention the services for 57 coming out to set everything up did not cost me anything, due to the money he saved me on expensive cables which I did not need and he supplied the proper ones, which fully paid for his services, Highly recommended. Barry

[Walter Dnes]

57 came to my place (near Dufferin+Steeles) on Friday. It was worth it. During the weekend I got a chance to put my Panasonic 50" PX75 to the test on NHL hockey and CFL football on Saturday and NFL football on Sunday.

I took the TV out of "torch mode" the first time I turned it on. I pride myself on being able to set up an NTSC TV by eye, but a high-def TV magnifies minor imperfections. After the easy stuff, I had gotten to the zone where you need a test DVD and the knowledge to make use of it, in order to take the last step from "pretty good" to "WOW". That's where 57 came in.

Using the test DVD, he made the final settings that got the best possible picture. There were a few extra touches that were nice...

• He wrote down the all settings, so that I have something to go back to. The PX75 has a menu interface where hitting the wrong item can re-set the current display mode to factory defaults, so a paper backup is nice.
• He set up 2 video modes to the same optimal settings. He was at my place during the day. That evening, I was able to slightly tweak the settings on the 2nd mode for a darker room. This effectively gives me a "daytime" and a "nighttime" mode on the remote control.
• He answered some questions I had about outputs at the back of the TV.
• He got ahold of a component cable at a reasonable price.

57's service gets the most out of your TV and home theatre, short of going into the service menu.

[Burs]

I have been looking at getting a new and bigger set. Currently have a 5 year old 38" Proscan. Before putting out the big bucks for a new system I had 57 have a look at tweaking the PQ and the sound on my old unit. His recommendations to the surround sound set up have made a major difference. I had been fooling with a number of different picture setting to try and improve quality. 57's equipment gave me the best setting to put in place and keep for this unit.

I was very pleased with his service and would recommend him to get the most out of your new or old system.

Tks, 57

[angeja]

I am new member to this forum, and had only heard about 57 and his services as of yesterday. After a few PM's and a quick call, 57 came by our house last evening to adjust our set.

I would like to commend him on his professionalism, promptness, and over all intimate knowledge of this field.
Although our set-up was very basic, he diligently and professionally proceeded to give us the best picture possible as if he were adjusting a much more complex/advanced home theatre system.
I would like to thank him publicly for his commitment to his field, his customer service acumen and his skill and knowledge. Not only did he give us the best picture possible, the advice he gave was invaluable and we will definitely be expanding our system based on his recommendations. I would have no trouble recommending his services to friends and family, and will definitely be calling him back once we've added more components.

[searle]

57:
Your first post indicates your setup is done in the "User Settings" (not the "Technician Settings").
- Is that permanent (i.e. after power goes off and is restored, will your setup still be active?)
- or do we need to write down your values to manually restore them?
- I understand that over time there will some slight drift, but that is not what I am asking about.

[57]

- The user setting changes are remembered by the TV when you turn off the TV, or during power failures.

- Sometimes after an extremely long power outage - say for weeks or months (if you went away on vacation and unplugged the TV), the TV might forget those settings. That would depend on the make/model of the TV.

- Also, sometimes people will (accidently) hit the "reset" button for settings or otherwise, therefore I always provide written settings for you to file with your TV's operating manual. I also keep those settings in my files in case you lose them. They can then be easily manually restored.

[searle]

Well, 57 did the setup on my new HDTV and equipment last night. Picture looks great, but that has not been the most useful aspect.
57 provided advice during my HDTV+STB+AV purchase, including downloading and reviewing detailed manuals for each piece of candidate equipment:
- he pointed out that my HDTV has several digital video and/or audio inputs and a digitial audio output, but that the HDTV digital audio output was NOT switched (DD5.1) and hence my AV+speakers would only receive one of the input signals (a small line buried in the middle of the HDTV detailed manual)
- hence he recommended DVD+STB video to HDTV, plus DVD+STB digital audio straight to the AV system.
- he pointed out that the original AV system I was sold only had ONE digital input, and the other non-digital inputs would therefore not be Dolby Digital 5.1. So, I managed to return it (still unopened) and get an AV system with multiple digital inputs.
- when I mentioned that my local Rogers store only had Pace STBs, he warned me (and they confirmed) that HDMI was often a problem on them and to be sure to use component video STB to HDTV.
- I had unpacked and connected everything before he arrived, and most things seemed to be sort-of working OK. But the auto-sizing of STB "pass-through" images did not seem right. When he arrived, he confirmed the Pace STB was in "pass-through" but by default only sent 1080i signals (converted native 480i+720p to pseudo-1080i first).
- It took him 15 minutes to find the special combination of special button presses and power-off reset to force the advanced STB setup menu, but then he enabled 1080i +720P +480i to also be decoded+sent natively to TV (rather than STB changing everything to pseudo-1080i). Now the HDTV receives true native formats and auto-adjusts properly. (The STB actually required a reboot for the advanced setup wizard to work)
- used his audio test program plus sound meter to measure each speaker output, and found a significant output imbalance between the rear Left vs Right speakers (which you could sort-of hear, depending on current sound, but this was MUCH easier to detect and correct using the test signals and meter).
- and, of course, setup of the HDTV settings (using his Spyder instrument and test DVD) for a "perfect" picture.
- and had cables at reasonable price (HDMI at $20 vs $100-$180 at store, paying for his services right there).

All-in-all, the HDTV setup was valuable, but the other additional guidance was above-and-beyond. Without his insights I would have had 1 excellent (digital Dolby) and 1 "OK" audio, and would have had non-optimum sized/quality signals/picture for 480i and 720p.

57: Thanks, and it was a pleasure having your assistance.

[57]

So, wondering what to give someone for Christmas? Why not a Home Theatre Setup from 57?

I don't accept credit cards or Paypal, however, I have arranged with people who have paid me with money orders or certified cheque (I usually accept only cash on site).

I could print up a "voucher" for you (or you could do so yourself) for whomever you decide to give this to.

Please contact me via PM if you're interested. It'd be good to know:

- Roughly what equipment is involved (make/model of TV, STB, AVR, DVD Player, etc)
- The location (closest intersection at least - so I can confirm pricing during our initial discussions)
- Your e-mail address

See post 1 of this thread for additional information.

[JKL1960]

I would recommend 57, and I don't even know the guy. I know that the advice I read him giving people is spot on. I also know that today's AV systems are so complex that even people who are avid have trouble keeping up with new tech.

I have done this work myself and it is often the training to use the system that is most valuable. Once everything is hooked up and working properly.

As far as not doing ISF, no big deal. I was working towards being ISF certified (but changed occupations) and think that it falls far down the list of what people need. I've seen too many people with all five speakers stacked on top of the TV or people watching their HD box via the RF modulated connection. ISF calibration is the least of their worries. For these people just knowing which sound mode gives them surround sound is more valuable.

If you just spent a bunch on a home theater but don't really know what to do with it, paying a guy like 57 some cash, for setup and training, can be worth every penny.

[lisamclaren]

Another positive recommendation for 57's service. He came out to Mississauga to help us with our new HDTV/PVR/HTIB setup. We are beginners in this "game" and he was able to optimise our equipment and show myself and the teenage son what he did and why he made the changes. Well worth the asking price!
Thanks for the help :-)
Lisa McLaren

[westvan1]

This is a very interesting thread. 57 - I sure wish you lived on the west coast. The service you provide is so fundamental in this age of highly sophisticated AV hardware that is an absolute PITA to integrate properly. Shoddy documentation of equipment manuals (hello Denon!!) makes it all the worse.

Do you happen to know of someone in Vancouver who provides a service similar to yours?

P.S. Thanks also for the insight you impart on this site.