Video Calibration Videos?

Question:
I’ve been looking for a video of a calibrator going step by step through an entire calibration, but I haven’t been able to find one online. There are snippets here and there, but nothing from start to finish. Do you know where I might find such a video?

– Phil Fritts
Birmingham, AL

Answer:
As a matter of fact, I do. Master calibrator and THX instructor Michael Chen, who has been a guest on my podcast, has created a series of videos—20 so far, a total of five hours—that take viewers through the entire calibration process in great detail.

As with anything of true value, these videos are not free, and Michael has set up an interesting pricing structure. You can pay $100 for six months of unlimited access to all 20 videos, allowing you to watch any or all them as many times as you like. Plus, if he comes out with more episodes during that time frame, you’ll have access to those as well. (The videos are streamed; you can’t download them.) Then, each subsequent six-month period is only $20. Alternatively, you can pay $10 for six months of unlimited access to any one of the videos, but this is far less cost effective than the $100 plan (which is a third off the regular price for SECRETS readers). To sign up for either of these plans, click here.

Michael’s website also offers a series of free videos explaining how to set a TV’s basic user controls—sharpness, brightness, contrast, color, and tint—as well as a calibration primer and a look at setting the color and tint controls with a colorimeter. These videos are available for streaming to anyone who visits his site; click here to check them out.

If you’re serious about calibration, Michael’s site, tlvexp.ca, is a wealth of information. In addition to the videos mentioned above, he posts regular blogs about his activities and thoughts on the subject. All the written material is free, though if you register (which is also free), you’ll be able to read new posts two weeks before they become available to everyone.