toy story 3 calibration video

[drewg]

Here's an incredibly dumb question. Note that my only BD player is in a linux server. I rip BDs to mkvs for playback on my HD300 via SageTV using makemkv. I have no software or hardware that shows BD menus.

My son got Toy Story 3 for Christmas, so I ripped it. When going through the MKVs, I noticed one MKV that was a b&w test pattern (see attached jpg). No audio, and only a 1080p video track. I assume it is some kind of TV calibration tool, but I can't find any instructions on how it is supposed to be used. I assume there are instructions in the BD menus, which I have no way of seeing.

Anybody have this disc & can tell me how the calibration video is supposed to be used?

Thanks,

Drew

[src666]

Usually when they include calibration elements, there's some form of step through instructions. I don't have the disc, so I can't check to see if there's access to it through the menu. If not, I would suspect that it's just a remnant of the mastering process that slipped through.

[RocKKer]

I see one part that will help to set the black and white levels of your display. Look at the middle horizontal black and white band, you want the black level (brightness) just high enough to see the slightly less then black squares on the black side and you want the white level (contrast) just high enough to see the slightly less than white squares on the white side.

I have heard there is some calibration video on the BR THX disks, don't know how good it is.

Most displays straight from the store are set to torch mode, way to bright with way to much red which most people think is normal.

A complete calibration would set the red, green and blue color level as well the black and white levels (and many other settings). There are DVD or BRD disks you can DL or buy that'll get you about 90% there as well as calibration services (besides BestBuy) that can go beyond that.

[Nelbert]

For many years Pixar discs have carried THX audio/video calibration in the extras.

It contains amongst other things aspect ratio, colour, grey levels, moir as well as an audio test. On the DVDs I can't remember if each test is a chapter in the track or there is a track per test. Without menu support you won't get far as you can't navigate between the tests.

Considering calibration is often a one time thing, not many people re-calibrate as the screen gets older, a free tool is better than nothing and should get the screen to more sensible settings than the mainstream manufacturer's oversaturated settings.
The problem is consumers seem to prefer the saturated colours giving larger than life colours to accurate colours, so many manufacturers give the customer what they want. Makes a change. Maybe that's why 3D TV isn't taking off, everything looks too dull once people put on the glasses
The store displays then put contrast and brightness upto full as well, often due to being under bright light. That's all rounded off with customers fiddling with settings during the day.

You could buy a DVD/BD calibration disc, but unless you have all the equipment and can measure the screen output and a screen which lets you adjust all the relevant settings, the Pixar THX calibrator is probably as good as the DVD/BD disks for a "by eye manual" calibration.