[PC World – excerpts]

We asked a professional to walk us through the delicate process of calibrating an HDTV. Here’s how to do it–and more important, how to determine whether it’s worth the trouble.

… I selected Robert Heron to calibrate the HDTV. You may know Heron from HD Nation, Tekzilla, and other Web-video tech shows; he has also written tech articles for a number of publications. …Heron is also a hard-core videophile who has gone through all the training and certifications for calibrating HDTVs, including both THX and ISF training classes. …

The visual quality differences I now perceive, after my set’s calibration, are somewhat subtle. Dark areas of a scene certainly have better detail, and colors seem natural. If I shift between the THX Cinema and ISF 1 settings, I don’t see huge differences, though I tend to prefer the calibrated ISF 1 setting by a hair. On the other hand, the difference between THX Bright Room and ISF 1 is noticeable, and in that comparison I definitely prefer the calibrated setting.

Is calibration worth the cost and time? In my case, it’s still a little early to tell, but once again it depends on your viewing habits and your eye. Robert Heron will be dropping by my place for a follow-up session after doing some digging to tweak some of the settings further. Maybe we’ll get my HDTV even closer to perfect.

Read the full story here: http://www.pcworld.com/article/238351/how_to_calibrate_your_hdtv.html