What is TV calibration and how does it change the picture?
TV calibration means precisely adjusting the picture based on measurements, in line with the standards used in film studios. The goal is a picture as close as possible to what the filmmakers saw while working on the film.
A real comparison, not a simulation
The same movie on a studio monitor and on an ordinary TV
We placed a Sony BVM-HX3110 reference monitor (worth around €40,000), the kind post-production studios work on, next to a typical TV. Both are playing the same footage. Switch between the TV’s picture modes to see how far the factory settings are from the reference - and what calibration changes.
Sony BVM-HX3110 studio monitorworth around €40,000 - the reference we compare the TV against
The Philips OLED TV we calibrated · mode: ECOboth screens show the same footage at the same moment
ECOdefault setting
The mode a TV usually starts in when first switched on. It is meant to save power, so it lowers brightness - and changes the colors along the way.
Compare with the reference on the left
- picture noticeably darker than on the monitor
- whites and bright areas turn bluish
- paler skin, washed-out warm colors
The images are frames from our own recording. The camera and the screen you are viewing them on also alter colors, so the most reliable comparison is the TV against the monitor next to it, not against itself. The menu banner on the TV screen is the TV’s own label showing the mode name (in Polish).
The same movie can look completely different on different TVs - even on two units of the same model. Faithful picture reproduction helps preserve the mood the filmmakers intended.
Does every movie need its own calibration?
— You don’t need to calibrate your TV separately for each movie or TV show - picture standards apply worldwide. Every artist has a unique style, and a calibrated TV or projector reproduces it faithfully. A classic example is “The Matrix,” which has a greenish look in its original form - and that’s exactly how it appears on a calibrated TV.
Whatever the film’s style, what matters is accurate skin tones, detail in dark scenes, and motion and sharpness that stay true to the source material.
Notice how much the picture differs from one TV to another at factory settings:
Take a look at the TVs in the photos above - each one shows the picture differently. How can you tell whether you’re judging how the movie really looks, or just the screen settings? There’s no reason to assume your own TV shows the picture without distortion. Professional calibration helps eliminate oversaturated colors, unnatural skin tones, lost detail in dark scenes and artificial-looking motion. How big can the differences be? Just switch the Picture Mode to see how much the settings affect the way the same movie comes across.
Should all picture modes be calibrated?
— No. Modes other than the calibrated one take you further from faithful reproduction - that is, from what the director saw. They let you change how a film looks, but they don’t show it the way it was made. The corrected settings go into one selected mode, unless we perform several separate calibrations (e.g., an additional one for UHD HDR content). Learn more about calibration options in our price list.
Do manufacturers calibrate TVs at the factory?
Why don’t factory settings always deliver an accurate picture? And why calibrate a TV individually when the manufacturer already provides ready-made picture modes?
– The answer to these questions is simpler than it seems.
Let’s start with the fact that individual units of the same display model can differ significantly. On online forums, it’s easy to find photos of the same TV model where one unit shows more clouding or bright patches than another. So it’s hard to argue that screens are highly consistent from unit to unit. With projectors, the case is even clearer, because the projection screen and the room also affect the picture. Of course, this doesn’t mean manufacturers make TVs that can’t reproduce a picture faithfully - every TV has picture modes, and at least one of them aims to follow the standards as closely as mass production allows. Calibrating every unit individually doesn’t pay off for manufacturers: at mass-production volumes, too few buyers pay attention to accurate color, and measurements take a lot of time.
– Another factor is that the vast majority of buyers choose the model that catches their eye first.
In brightly lit stores, loud, completely unnatural settings help a TV stand out from other, seemingly similar products. This applies to all TVs, whatever their price range. Just look at any store’s TV display wall.
Does my TV need calibration?
Will I see the effect of calibration in everyday viewing?
— Almost always, yes. That’s why we offer the guarantee “No visible difference? No cost to you” (details in the Terms of Service). How much changes depends on your current settings and how far they are from studio standards. Fine-tuning them precisely requires measurements - adjusting “by eye” is no substitute for calibration.
Below is an illustrative before-and-after comparison on a Sony XE9405 TV that we tested. Results can differ even between units of the same model.
Choose a movie scene
How does calibration work?
We calibrate every TV, monitor and projector individually, taking your viewing conditions into account. Copying settings, even from an identical model, is no substitute for measurements. During the visit we use professional instruments, a test pattern generator and specialist software. Read more about our equipment on our “What sets us apart?” page. Thanks to our in-house solutions, calibration usually takes 50 to 90 minutes.
Can I calibrate my TV myself or get the settings from a store?
— Adjusting the picture “by eye” or with test patterns alone, without measuring instruments, is not professional calibration, even if it’s called that. Calibration requires specialist knowledge and expensive equipment. So it’s worth checking the provider’s experience, reviews, portfolio and instruments, and whether they issue a certificate with the measurement results.
Read more about professional calibration in an article on HDTVPolska (in Polish).
