Picture perfect: HDTV tune-up tips
By David Katzmaier, CNET.comFeb 19, 2008
1. Introduction
The average consumer spends hours in front of the TV each week, but the picture on an out-of-the-box TV looks like colors on steroids: Too bright and garish to seem anything like real life. That's because default settings for TVs are configured to make an impact on the sales floor of your local electronics superstore, not necessarily in your living room. With the emergence of higher-quality widescreen and high-definition TVs, not to mention the DVD movies and HD programs that fill their big screens, living-room images can look better than ever before--as long as you don't settle for the manufacturers' default settings.
Our guide includes three steps you can take to help make your television picture looks its best. For starters, we'll tell you how to properly set the basic picture controls available on most TVs. Next, we'll take a look at various home theater setup DVDs that provide expert advice for both video and audio fine-tuning. And, lastly, we'll give you the lowdown on professional calibration and whether it's worth the investment for your high-end set.
