Changing the Factory Settings

• Most LCD settings out of the box are bright. These televisions are designed to compete with bright fluorescent showroom lights and other sets. Since these retail environments typically lack the time or expertise to optimize the sets for real performance, it is up to you to make these changes once you get the unit home. Accessing the menu and changing the setting from "Vivid" or "Dynamic" to "Cinema" or "Movie" instantly reduces excessive brightness and contrast. In addition, these settings get the LCD closer to the industry-standard 6500 Kelvin color temperature target, optimizing white balance and flesh tones.
  
  

Calibration Discs

• These relatively inexpensive solutions proven ways to optimize the color, tint, brightness and contrast settings in your LCD. Although these changes take place in the consumer-level settings vs the hidden service menus like professional calibrations, these discs have the ability to make dramatic changes to an otherwise accurate set. The calibration discs are found on DVD and Blu-ray, the latter of which is optimized for high-definition displays.
  
  

DIY Calibration Equipment

• These units allow the aggressive DIY calibrator to dig into the LCDs service menu, getting closer to what a professional calibrator might achieve. These devices incorporate a sensor stuck to the LCD's screen, measuring the television's display at a level unattainable by the human eye. Changes are monitored on a laptop in real time, while the DIY calibrator makes the picture changes in the internal and consumer-level menu.
  
  

Professional Calibrators

• Utilizing thousands of dollars in test equipment, experienced calibrators can work wonders with any LCD television. The instrumentation used is far more sensitive than what is available at the consumer level. Typically, the calibrator has seen such a wide array of television types and images that his eye has an excellent reference point for what constitutes an accurate image. This combination of gear and talent is the ultimate for creating the best LCD images.