The BEST Display?

[d6500k]

This is a generic answer to that age old question....

"How do I purchase the BEST TV within my XX Budget?"

I initially wrote it as a reply to a specific brand thread on another forum, but I thought it might help those "on the fence buyers" to relax and dive in after just a few answers are discovered.


Here it comes....

Almost all displays can be calibrated to render an accurate and standardized film image. Very few displays do not contain at least some of the controls necessary for grayscale and color management to be adjusted for near perfect images. Some of the more "enlightened" manufacturers even put these controls in a user subset options menu, negating the need for the more invasive (service menu) adjustments.

Thinking along the lines of Automobiles, how many of them are not "customized" for better performance? Substituting the term "Calibrated" for "Customized" with regards to HD displays would seem to make sense.

As previously mentioned, stated factory numbers are at best, severely flawed. The PQ of displays shipped from manufacturers are also flawed by being skewed to attract the attention of the GP.

If you desire to see what directors/artists intended you to see, a better question of the sales staff at Wally's Big Best Circuit Emporium might be...

Does the TV have the capacity to show me a movie exactly as it would appear in a good cinema? Are the controls available so I can also watch my favorite daytime shows/sports with the windows open and the libations flowing?

If you get a blank stare or hear incoherant babbling about 1 trillion to one CR's, talk to somebody else that knows whether the display actually has the necessary controls to provide same.

Don't feel bad about needing to have the display customized or calibrated. The point is whether or not it is important to you, to have the images correctly displayed. I've told many hesitant clients that I actually "hot rod" their displays. One of the benefits with CRT displays was that after "hot rodding" the set, it would actually run longer than the same TV left stock. Light engine displays are not included as when the bulb is lit, the clock starts running. Even so, at least with those you can watch them after customization and not get a headache or a tan!

Again, almost EVERY display can produce a very high level of performance. It is just a matter of measuring and adjusting the "injectors" if you will.


Good Viewing,

Doug k