If you want to get optimum performance out of your gear audio or video you have to calibrate. No ifs or buts about it. The question which I believe is the gist of Amie's poll is to what level you want ot take the calibration. For audio equipment I do it all myself but for video... that's another ballgame.
With video equipment I do what I can with Avia, S& V and other discs, then tweak the service menu using a Spyder Pro to hold me over until my ISF guy (Michael Chen of Lion Consultants from Calgary) does his bi-annual tour. The difference in quality is well worth the price since its much closer to production standards as the director/studio intended. Moreover an ISF technician calibrates the display to optimize the image based on your particular player.
However having had five displays ISF calibrated I have to say not all of them benefited to the same degree. One of the displays for example had a very linear greyscale out of the box which is one of the mandatory adjustments and I could have accomplished the colormetric adjustments with my SpyderPro. The other four looked garish at first and natural after the ISF calibration which to me was well worth the cost compared to the price of the displays.
