The THX Optimizer has been found on DVDs for ages, and recently on Blu-rays as well. If you have a fair amount of knowledge, and know your way around a setup menu, this disc is awesome.īD: $25- THX Optimizer (found on THX-certified DVDs and Blu-rays)
#Spears and munsil blu ray tv#
I use it while testing every TV and Blu-ray player I review. The bottom line: The Spears and Munsil Blu-ray is an advanced tool for evaluating many aspects of a television's performance. The good: Well-designed test patterns, advanced deinterlacing/video processing tests. Most TVs or Blu-ray players will create small jagged edges (jaggies) as the bar nears horizontal. Ideally, the bar is smooth throughout its entire rotation. This is the infamous rotating bar pattern that tests video processing, as seen on the Spears and Munsil High-Definition Benchmark. Screenshot: Geoffrey Morrison - Test Clip: Spears and Munsil The better the video processor, the more the ropes will be diagonal lines without jaggies. Note the fine gradations between steps, allowing for precise adjustment. Screenshot: Geoffrey Morrison - Pattern: Spears and MunsilĪ pattern to set contrast on the Spears and Munsil High-Definition Benchmark. The simple main menu of the Spears and Munsil High-Definition Benchmark. In addition to clever and exacting test patterns, there's a whole suite of deinterlacing and scaling tests that are second to none. Stacey Spears and Don Munsil created the ultimate disc for TV reviewers, and were nice enough to share it with everyone. Note! This has been replaced by the Spears & Munsil HD Benchmark 2nd Edition, which we've reviewed. Spears & Munsil High-Definition Benchmark That said, its got just about everything most people would need. It's not as user-friendly or as slick as Disney's WOW, and real beginners could get overwhelmed. Tutorials and test patterns will ensure everything is set up correctly. The bottom line: There's a lot here to keep the average TV enthusiast busy for hours.
The bad: Not as easy to navigate or understand as the Disney disc. The good: Extensive test patterns, lots of tutorials. The pattern in the background here tests for per-pixel resolution.Ī pattern to check contrast and brightness from DVE: HD Basics. Here you can see DVE's most user-friendly feature: the menu overlays over the pattern so you can quickly navigate to another pattern. Screenshot: Geoffrey Morrison - Pattern: JKP Not as intuitive as Disney's menu, but better than previous generations of DVE.
You'll find detailed and extensive test patterns that not only help you set up your TV, but aid a trained calibrator (more on this later) in getting every last pixel of performance from your TV.
#Spears and munsil blu ray how to#
The bottom line: Disney's WOWis a fantastic disc that should be the go-to choice for all beginners looking to learn about their TV, and how to set it up.īD: $39.99, DVD: $34.99- .com/disney-wow-world-of-wonder Digital Video Essentials: HD Basicsĭigital Video Essentials: HD Basics is the latest disc from TV sage Joe Kane. The bad: The other discs here have more patterns, but the ones on the Disney disc are well-designed and offer all the basics and then some.
Test patterns are good, if not extensive. More than that, it teaches more advanced subjects like deinterlacing, 24p, and more. The good: Excellent tutorials teach the basics better than any other disc. There's a similarly designed pattern to set brightness. This is one of the Disney WOW disc's patterns to help you set contrast. Screenshot: Geoffrey Morrison - Content: Disney Here it's explaining interlaced and progressive exceedingly well. Screenshot: Geoffrey Morrison - Pattern: DisneyĪ screenshot from one of the tutorials on the Disney WOW disc. The main menu of Disney's WOW: World of Wonder Blu-ray. Extremely high production values, well-made and easy to follow tutorials, and even extensive test patterns. Disney went all out with its foray into the setup disc world.