Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics (HDTV Calibration Tool) (Blu-ray)

Nice helpful tool .. btw this is multi-region contrary to what it says on sellers site ..

I have the dvd verson of DVE and find it very useful if a little complicated. THX optimiser is no comparison to this tool. In my opinion all TVs and projectors need tweaking out of the box and this disk will help obtain better quality pictures.

PROS:
- Great for setting the brightness and contrast to correct levels.
- Can improve colour accuracy though don't expect perfect colour from most screens.

CONS:
-Menu structure is terrible, once you work it out it's okay but expect frustration.
- Much of the content is for older style TV's though can be used on LCDs with some experimentation.

Summary:
Great for the user who allready knows a little about screen calibration. Not reccomended for people who are new to this as you will find many aspects confusing, you're better off with a differnt product.

On the whole great (especially for 14 quid) though niggles stop it from being 5*. With updated content and a better menu it could be so much better.

I have the DVD version which gets you most of the way there and is all you need. But ensure you have a 1.3 HDMI lead that supports Deep color to REALLY see the difference. I had to redo my set up after that. And yes, calibration makes a HUGE difference. The difference between the best dynamic range and almost 3-D TV and some garish showroom setting.

People who pretending they don't need this for their plasma or lcd have never seen a good calibrate screen.
Elsewhere poeple having LCD screen begin with a bad screen and most of the time this is this kind of people that pretend it's not necessary..

Most tvs come with bad settings, unlike what some people have said here. Also the THX thing isnt anywhere near as in depth as this. This will give you a correct d65 picture.

An effective TV picture calibration tool? Yes, it's called the THX Optimizer that can be found free on any THX mastered DVD or BD and is a remarkable benchmark on both standard and high definition TV's.

Moreover and as stated previously, most modern HD TV's come with decent presets and automatic settings. It's the quality of source that counts more often than not.

Conclusively: albeit an in-depth elaborate optimizer that fails in epic proportions to make a amateur an expert - it is generally a complete and utter waste of time and money. Also, for your own TV's optimum settings, try searching for reviews or forums on the internet and the best settings the expert critics applied. It's usually very little from factory default.

Stick Star Wars in and tweek away for free!

Great product. The cheapest way of achieving the D65 picture settings intended by filmmakers. TVs are set up in showrooms to grab your eye, when getting them home they all need adjusting for real world viewing. Basically the exact opposite of what the review 2 down says.

I had high hopes for this tool from a couple of reviews here but found that actualyl i didn't really need it. Some parts of the calibration couldn't be easier but others i found myself scratching my head at and then just gave up.
Eventually i ploughed through and found that my TV had already got a setup as good as what was achieved, the only difference, drpping the backlight slightly but then if i use the intelligent light sensor my TV will adjust that anyway.
I have no doubt some people do get results form using this tool but have a play with your TV first and if you are happy with the pictures stay with the presets.

Good tv's are already set up and have automatic settings. This is confusing and makes no sense.