Spears & Munsil HD Benchmark and Calibration Disc 2nd Edition

Many TVs and displays are set to high levels of intensity to look good in the store, some people refer this as "shock mode", however in your own home, the display out of the box is usually set to some kind of default, or energy star setting. If you are interested in getting the most accurate reproduction, as the director intended, this is a great DIY calibration system.The menus are easy to navigate, and the surround sound demos are pretty cool, similar to the "THX" intro on some movies. I suggest you take your time through the menus and take notes on what changes are made.On my particular Samsung 65", it was factory set pretty well, only adjustments necessary were to the brightness and sharpness.I hope this helps, best wishes!

Spears and Munsil offers the most comprehensive television setup disk I have found. This set contains an exhausting amount of tests/comparisons to aid in the setup of a new HD set. Why do you need it? The routines provided on the disk allow you to tweak any relatively complex television to be certain that the adjustments are not affecting the image in a way that distorts the original signal. It might be that the color hue is off slightly, or the contrast is not optimized, or any number of other obscure adjustments could be needed to improve your viewing. On most modern sets, it is very possible that the automatic adjustment will bring you close; this routine will then get you spot-on.What I like: The tests offered here go above and beyond the basics; you must follow the proper order to prevent the next adjustment from skewing the one you just made. The disk covers a dizzying array of adjustments you might not have even thought to check, and can make a big difference if performed correctly.What I don't like: This procedure requires that you be absolutely familiar with both the television as well as the disk before using. It is a chore to use this for the first time, so be prepared to explore and experiment for some hours before you get it right. In particular, make sure you know all of the adjustments on your set and how to access them through the remote, and be certain that you know how to properly save the setup on your TV, so that you don't end up back at the default configuration after going through this. Also remember to take into account the room lighting when you view the television.The bottom line is that the Spears and Munsil routine is a great tool for making the most of your HD experience, but for most inexperienced users, will require a considerable commitment on the part of the user to carry out from start to finish.

For about ten years, I've been aware of the calibration Blu Ray with the funny name, but didn't have the machine or the knowledge of where to obtain the disk.Long story short: I was at my city's recycling yard, and I crossed paths with a woman who was carrying two identical LG Blu Ray decks to the electronics trailer. I waved to her and asked if I could have one , and she said "Sure, help yourself!" What are the chances of someone dropping off two identical Blu Ray players, both with remote controls! She said her family "no longer popped disks into machines, we stream everything movie-related now", and that both machines were in perfect working order.So I brought one home, HDMI'd it into my Samsung LED TV, and a few months later, finally bought the Spears & Munsil Benchmark 2nd edition disk here.I went through the steps of adjusting all the basic settings(brightness, contrast, color, sharpness, etc.) and checked the gamma.I tell you this: Aligning the settings on my flat screen with this disc was like taking a blurry binocular with grimy lenses and cleaning them off and focusing them! People and other subjects appear as thought they are right in the room with me!The patterns are grouped logically in the menu to the left, with more basic adjustments at the top, and more detailed, nuanced patterns lower down. I was even able to center the picture in the frame(it was a couple pixels down and to one side). Hint: select picture size "Just" or "Screen Fit"(on Sammys)I may have only a 40" flat screen in my apartment, but it looks better and seems to have a picture more accurate than on newer or bigger OLEDs, QLEDS and even 2K and 4K sets!Get yourself this disk, and align at least the basic settings on whatever you watch TV/ smart TV on.Yes: Calibration is exactly like "wheel alignment for your TV". You'll never view TV the same way again, whether it's cable, broadcast, smart hub apps like YouTube or Netflix, or even standard DVD or VHS!Because leaving your existing or new TV in factory settings/Vivid/Dynamic is a terrible thing to do - for the set and for your eyes!