You just spent your hard-earned money on a new home theater projector. So, why is the grass blue? Don't panic, there is an easy solution. DLP™ Projectors, just like televisions and monitors, may need a little tweaking to make them look their best. Each source (DVD player, DTV box or VHS player) you connect to your projector will have a slightly different output. Your video settings will all be affected. Therefore, the picture issue should be resolved by calibrating your DLP™ projector or television with your source.*

It used to be that you had to have an expert come to your home to calibrate a home theater setup. For that service you would pay anywhere from $100-500 for a modest theater. But now, if you have the motivation, you can buy software that will allow you to technically calibrate your machines. This new software is relatively inexpensive (about $50), and will do a much better job than eyeing it up on your own. However, if you'd rather save the money, you can try doing it by sight, using a DVD you already own. The next few pages will tell you how.

Five Elements of Video:
This is the recommended order for setting calibrations

Getting Started
If you want to try this yourself, you will need to find sample scenes that will help you zero in on color and contrast issues. Ideally, you should have a very dark room. However, if you do the majority of viewing during daylight hours, it is best to calibrate your machine at that time. Also, it is a good idea to let your projector or television warm up for 15 or 20 minutes before you start calibrations.

Sample Scene Suggestions:
When adjusting your video* without specialized software, the name of the game is natural. Therefore, your sample scenes should reflect natural images that you can compare to your real-life experience, like green grass.

To help set Contrast and Brightness, a high contrast scene is preferred. By high contrast scene, I mean a scene that features pure black and clean white. Both the black and the white images should have fine details within them. Although it may seem like a good idea, black and white movies are not ideal for this process. My choice was a scene from the Italian film "Life is Beautiful," near the end of chapter 14, with Roberto Benigni dressed in a dashing tuxedo in a pristine white restaurant.

Adjusting Brightness:
In short, the brightness level is actually your black level. To adjust this level, you will need to find that scene with high contrast. We mentioned above that a scene from "Life is Beautiful" was our choice. Make sure that the black in your image is actually black, and not dark blue.

You can start by turning your brightness all the way to the maximum. Notice the image looks washed out, like someone has laid a white transparency over it. Then watch as you bring the level back down. Watch the blacks until they appear about as black as your system will allow. Look within the black areas for fine details and shadows (like the texture on a tuxedo lapel). Make sure you don't turn the blacks down so far that the details get lost in the darkness.

Once you have the blackest black with the details still intact, turn your attention to the lighter areas. The lighter areas should be light, not gray, and should also have retained detail.

* You must have a DVD player or VCR that allows you to pause a scene without distortion. Your DVD player or VCR may cut to blue screen (or its default screen) after a set period of time while you are making your calibrations. Don't panic. Just hit play and pause again quickly and your image should return.

Adjusting Contrast:
The contrast is also known as white level. Just like when adjusting for brightness, you can begin by cranking up the contrast all the way. You will notice stark brightness, sometimes glowing, in the light areas. The details become over powered. In our example, the white of Roberto's shirt has no shadows with the setting so high. Begin by cranking the contrast back down until you can begin to see the details in the white areas.

After you adjust your contrast, it's a good idea to go back and look at the brightness again to make sure your blacks are still black. Sometimes adjusting one will affect the other. You may want to go back and forth with these two settings more than once.

Adjusting Color:
This is one of the most noticeable picture problems when it is not set correctly. To begin with, turn the setting all the way up and down so you can have a better idea of what is changing in your image. When the color is set all the way to zero, the image becomes black and white. When set at the maximum, the picture becomes red.

For this calibration, use a scene with flesh tones. The scene I used in "Life is Beautiful" featured relative close-ups of two people, with green plants behind them. Focus on the faces of your selection and watch for subtle changes towards red or towards a more washed out color. Play in that range until you find the most natural looking flesh tones. Keep an eye on other signals like plants or flowers in the background. All elements should remain looking very life-like.

Adjusting Tint:
This adjustment can be done using the same scene. Just like you did when adjusting color, try cranking your setting all the way up and down to get a feel for it. You should notice your picture going from a red hue, to a green hue at the farthest extreme.

Again the goal is simply to make your picture look natural. Generally you want to remain somewhere in between the red and green hue. Keep experimenting within the middle range until you get the most consistent natural color. I used a scene that featured more than one face so that I could compare one to the other.

Some DLP™ projectors will separate color and tint into it's RGB components. If you are fortunate enough to have this option, just follow the same principals we mentioned above for your calibrations.

Adjusting Sharpness:
As usual, to get a handle on what you are adjusting, adjust your sharpness to both ends of the spectrum. Pay close attention to the edges of objects in your picture. When sharpness is cranked all the way up, you start to see distortion at the edges of your images. Bring your level back down to the point where those hard edges disappear, and you are left with a soft, but distinct edges.

Sharpness is a little tricky to set using your own DVD. However, for a DLP™ projector, it is very easy to set using special calibration software.

All Done?
Once you have completed the process, you should find some improvement in your image. But this was just a fast and easy guide for calibrating video. Some projectors have settings for color temperature as well. These are the manufacturers fast and easy settings, and they work fairly well. Either way, it is a great start towards getting better, more life-like images.

When it comes down to it, it is your video. If you want your grass looking blue with sharp distorted edges, it's your business. But, if you truly want to see what the creators of the film had intended, you should seriously consider purchasing calibration software.

Video Calibration Software
If you have tried to eye up your video, and you find you have to keep doing it for each new DVD you watch, you might be ready for what the professionals use. Video calibration software is not expensive. It ranges from $40-$55, and can be purchased easily online.

What these CDs provide is perfect examples of contrast, color bars, and detailed images. These examples, including color bars and other useful visuals, make it much easier and more accurate than using a DVD of your own to calibrate. As a bonus, you may also get tips on getting the best sound, lighting and design for your home theater.

Just a Note:
* You should calibrate your DLP™ projector for each and every source you use. Some projectors have a memory for more than one setting, so after you calibrate your machine you can save the setting and get back to it with just the touch of a button. This is a feature you may want to consider if you plan to use your DLP™ projector for multiple uses.

**Color and tint may be disabled when using a component input.