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The easiest way, at least for those who own an Apple TV, is to use AirPlay. It’s a free app, but you’ll need a way for your device to interface with your television. For those with an iPhone, iPad or Android handset, search your app store for THX Tune-Up.

All you need is the phone you already own and (perhaps) a cable that you probably don’t. Let’s take a moment and appreciate that one no longer needs a special DVD or Blu-ray Disc to calibrate an HDTV. If you find your set, it’s as easy as pulling up the menu items and inputting the same figures as reported online.Ģ Make it better by using your phone. Then, these reviewers share their ideal settings online. With few exceptions, every major HDTV on the market gets professionally calibrated by at least one or two reviewers. CNET and AVS Forum have incredibly active user forums where HD enthusiasts from across the globe come together to share settings. That said, many won’t notice the difference. If you take the easy route, your calibration won’t take those nuggets into account. Are there windows in your home? Is your HDTV installed in a perfectly dark theater? How much ambient light surrounds your set? True calibration requires that the environment is taken into account. Granted, reading a list of settings won’t guarantee the best possible picture quality for your particular environment, but it’ll get you mighty close considering the minuscule amount of effort. This is going to sound obvious, but here goes: Googling your HDTV’s model number in conjunction with the phrase “calibration settings” is apt to yield great results. Rather than engaging in days of trial and error, you’re better off utilizing a proven process.ġ Start with the easy route. Crazy nuggets that most folks have never heard of (gamma, blue filter, luminance, etc.) all have an impact on the quality of one’s picture. These two elements tend to catch the most eyes in big box retailers, which explains the default settings, but looking good in the showroom and looking good in your living room are two very different things. Out of the box, most HDTVs are far too bright and far too sharp.

Regardless of which you choose, your set ought to look a lot more natural.

For our purposes, we’re going to look at three ways to calibrate your HDTV - the easy way, the app way and the long way.
