What is ISF calibration?

Why would I need ISF calibration?

Can anyone ISF calibrate my set?

What is Included in an ISF Calibration?

What are the Prices for ISF Calibration?

What is ISF Calibration?

Simply stated ISF calibration is the process of aligning your television to most accurately reproduce the picture information that is sent to it.

A great deal of time is spent on the quality of the production of television material, be it a television show, motion picture, sporting event, etc. In the production of any of this material, dozens of factors including film stock, video tape, lighting, production equipment, and production personnel are carefully chosen and monitored to produce the finest and most accurate images available. The amount of manpower and the cost of the equipment used is staggering. All of these factors result in the potential display of incredibly high quality pictures. These pictures are sent out and available for you to see in your home but the final translation of the picture, the quality, and accuracy of all of this painstaking effort is entirely dependent upon the quality and calibration of the display device you use to watch the film, sporting event, or television show.

If the television you use to watch the program is of poor quality or the calibration of the television you use is inaccurate, then the potential results are lost. An incredible picture may just be fair or mediocre. That's why ISF Imaging Science Foundation was created - with the purpose of training personnel to align your set for the most accurate picture possible.

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Why Would I Need ISF Calibration?

You may say, "The picture on my new set is incredible! How could it be any better?" It's true, the picture quality on today's televisions are superb. There is essentially no comparison to the pictures we can display today and the picture quality that was displayed on older sets even as early as just a few years ago. One major reason is the advent of High Definition television, a technology which has allowed us to receive far superior pictures than those of yesteryear. We now have the ability to see pictures approaching and surpassing the quality of film. Still, the picture we see on the television sets that come out of the box are not the most accurate pictures available. Here's why.

New television sets are calibrated to show off their brightness and contrast. The sets are set up for the showroom floor, not necessarily for your home. In a showroom, the customer may be looking at dozens of competing brands in an environment that may be excessively bright or filled with poor lighting. In the quest to have the customer choose one set over another, manufacturers stress brightness and contrast capability as this is what helps make the picture stand out amongst the others.

The problem is that these pumped up settings can take away from the accuracy and sharpness of the reproduced picture. When a set is calibrated to ISF specifications, it is then able to most accurately reproduce the source material as it was originally intended to be seen. In a way, ISF calibration is to pictures as THX is to sound. THX is a standard of guidelines for audio that insure that the sound you hear is the same sound the director heard in the mixing room when mixing the film. ISF calibration lets you see what Hollywood originally created.

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Can Anyone ISF Align My Set?

In order to properly ISF calibrate a set you must have all of the following:

The final point may by far be the most overlooked criteria! Today's television sets can have one hundred or more critical internal adjustments. Most of them are available through special access codes entered by the customer's remote control. As in any field, experience is always the key factor in determining the outcome of any job.

ISF calibration is available to anyone that attends and passes the seminar and purchases the proper equipment The final result you achieve, however, is determined by the experience and skill of the person performing the adjustment! In any occupation, skill is the combination of knowledge, study, and practice. For this reason, some of the best potential alignment personnel can be technicians who also repair the units or have been in the television servicing industry. These people have the advantage of understanding the circuitry design and how each individual alignment can affect the performance of the set. For this reason Captain Video IN HOME Tv Service is an excellent choice for ISF calibration. Please see our credentials for more information.

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What is Included in an ISF Calibration?

The minimum calibration for ISF is calibration of the white balance on all screen modes using a color analyzer and adjustment of the customer controls in all modes. A complete alignment includes the following:

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What are the Prices for ISF Calibration?

Prices for ISF calibration vary depending upon the following:

Prices also vary depending upon the level of calibration required or requested. Our prices are based upon general guidelines set up by the Imaging Science Foundation and are comparable to other ISF servicers.

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