Frustrated trying to calibrate pictures controls

[john262]

I finally broke down and bought an LCD TV. It's a 51" Samsung. I like it but I am having trouble adjusting the picture to my liking. I have have an HD Directv receiver. I can tune into a channel such as ESPN and adjust the brightness, contrast and color saturation to my liking, but when I change to another channel such as HGTV the picture is off. The color on that channel is too intense. So I turn the color down a bit. But then I turn back to ESPN and the color is too weak now. So I either have to adjust the picture again or live with an inferior picture. I have the same problem surfing between other channels. And sometimes I also have to change the brightness. The picture can be too washed out on one channel so I turn down the brightness, but then I change channels and that channel is not bright enough.

I think I noticed this same problem with my CRT TV but it wasn't nearly as noticeable as with this Samsung.

This is very frustrating. Am I going to have to have the Samsung supplied remote control in hand every time I change channels so that I can adjust the picture? I shouldn't have to go to that much trouble.

 

[lparsons21]

If all you have on that TV is the DirecTV receiver, then you'll never be able to get a perfect picture other than adjusting every time you change the channel. But if you also have a DVD or BluRay player you can get one of the calibration disk images, or the Disney WOW disk and do something that is more than good enough. The problem you are seeing is that the source material/channels aren't set to any consistent specification.

IOW, either adjust all the time, or find a happy medium you can live with.

On my set I have 2 preferences set, one is used for watching most everything, the other is used for the times I watch 3D to compensate for the darkening caused by the glasses. I use a Harmony 1 universal remote so switching between the two is very easy.

 

[jayn_j]

Agree with lparsons on both the DTV issue and the proper calibration through the BluRay.

There is one thing you can do on the different channels. The Sharp likely has a set of different picture mode presets, labeled thingws like "Vivid", "Normal", "Cinema", etc. They are different on different sets. On many sets, you are able to customize each of these presets. Not sure about the Sharp. On some sets, any changes from the preset puts you into a mode called "Custom". If you are allowed to modify the presets, go ahead and dedicate each one to a different channel set. Get it where it looks good to you and then when you select that channel, you only need a single button press to get you to the proper video settings for that channel.

 

[lparsons21]

Yep, that's the way I do it on my set.

I have a few settings like you describe, then there are also ADV1 and ADV2, which are custom and allow you to twiddle with lots more than just the basics of picture. Once I set them up the way I wanted, I just switch between the 'modes' with a couple button pushes on the Harmony.

 

[john262]

Thanks for your replies guys. It is a Samsung not a Sharp and it has only three picture presets and two of those are not user adjustable. The only adjustable preset is called "standard" and it can only be adjusted using the Samsung remote control, not the Directv universal remote control. Perhaps I could invest in another universal remote control but nevertheless it angers me that the TV providers cannot get their act together and get all of their programming looking the same. I had a movie on the other day that at first I actually thought was black and white until I realized that the color was so weak that I could hardly see it. To me something like that is inexcusable.

I also have a DVD player connected to the TV. At some point when I can afford it I plan on getting a BluRay player.

 

[TimKaz]

Don't know if you have solved your picture issue. First, almost every site I have read starts by telling you to use "movie" mode and adjust from there. If you have a dvd or BD that has a THX logo on it there will be test patterns in the dvd menu with step by step instructions for a basic calibration. The patterns are usually found under options or if you see a THX logo navigate to that. Below I have posted a link to another forum that has step by step videos on calibrating and what all the settings do on your tv. It gives you a real understanding of seemingly simple things like contrast and brightness, etc...
PicturePerfect

 

[navychop]

BAD LINK

Norton catches it as a fake Facebook Survey.

 

[TimKaz]

Picture Perfect link? It worked fine when i just tried it.