So I joined Netflix and one of the first "movies" I got was Digital Video Essentials so I could calibrate my display. Of course I only got the disc, no printed matter to go with it. But even if I had the manual, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do to my TV settings. There is a pdf file for the manual and a brief glance didn't show anything that said 'when this test pattern is on adjust your tv to make it look a certain way'. Am I supposed to have special meters or something to adjust the various settings?
This may be basic to some of you reading this, but most of this is way over my head.
Any help would be appreciated - even if it's "just send the disc back and call a professional".

Scott

Scott, I've never used Digital Video Essentials, however, I do own both Avia and Sound and Vision set-up disks. There were no printed instructions with either, but they do come with little pieces of colored transparent plastic, or gels, I guess you could call them. They are red, blue, and green and help adjust the color.

With the Avia disk, there is a short tutorial before each test pattern explaining what it does and what your screen should look like. You might want to look in to buying one of these disks. That and an SPL meter are helpful tools whenever building or tweaking an HT set-up.

Scott, when you have some time to spend (at least an hour), simply put the DVE disc in and watch from the beginning. It walks you through everything, and once it explains a section, it stops on the appropriate test pattern and allows you to adjust your TV using your TV's remote. The disc is very informational and you'll learn a lot. I found it both interesting and fun. YMMV.

Don't forget, you can always rewind, or jump back a chapter, and go back over something you find confusing.