[lcaillo]

I describe four levels of calibration services.

First, and most simple, is Basic User Level Calibration (BULC). This is the kind of calibration that a consumer should be able to do, using only the controls in the user menus. In my experience, the results can be anything from a disaster to quite close to more advanced calibration, depending on the user and the set. This is where a users figure out whether they have an idea of what they are doing or not. If you are willing to do your homework, learn how your display works, and experiment, you can get reasonable results in some cases. It really depends on the system and the user. Most results can be improved upon by a professional, but a well educated user may be perfectly happy with the results at this level. Most users, other than the hard core DIYer, will not have the patience and diligence to get good results on their own.

The next level is what I refer to as Service Level Calibration (SLC). This includes BULC, but also may involve opening the set up and/or going into the service menus. This is the level of service that might be done by a repair technician. It could include cleaning, focusing, converging, gray scale adjustments, and other alignments that would be specified in the service literature for the product. I classify this level of calibration discretely from below, because it probably would not involve making measurements of the resulting image. It might require an oscilloscope or multimeter, or other test equipment, but most technicians doing repairs would not have light meters, colorimeters, nor spectroradiometers. Also, most techs do not pay detailed attention to many available adjustments. They mostly focus on getting a picture on the screen that indicates that the set is working, more or less.

Beyond service level work, we have what I call Specialty Display Calibration (SDC). This is usually performed by an individual with training or experience in color science and using a meter and specialized software to evaluate the display. This is usually a far more detailed calibration that attends to industry standards for display accuracy rather than the usually vague, or even "incorrect" factory specified performance of the display. Like SLC, it may involve going into the service menus or opening the set. It would often not involve alignments specified in the manufacturer's service or training literature, but some calibration specialists may attend to these details as well. Most ISF trained calibrators work falls into this category.

The most advanced level of calibration is what I call Detailed System Optimization (DSO). This includes all of the above, as well as a considerable amount of user education and evaluation of the entire display system, its installation, and its operation. In addition to typical calibration, this would include recommendations or changes to lighting, wiring, wire management, cooling, finding and correcting grounding problems, protection systems, remote control programming or other user interface issues.

One of the problems that I have found as the calibration business has evolved is that it is rare that a single technician has the ability to cover all of these areas. Many very good repair technicians have no idea about color science and proper calibration. Many very highly respected calibration specialists have no idea about some of the basics of the technical aspect of some displays that can seriously affect the image. Still fewer of either attend to basic details like system protection or user interface issues. In addition to the shortcomings of the various professionals that a consumer might employ, there is a general lack of understanding regarding what is possible, practical, and how to get maximum value from a display system. Hopefully, this thread will help to clarify some of these issues. Whether one uses a professional or attempts DIY calibration, the information should be useful.