The Augustine Theater Experience
Sharp XV-Z9000U SMART Calibration

Step 5: Detector Calibration Run

Relevant SMART web page: http://home.pacbell.net/steve367/measure.html

Steps

1. Opened the SMART spreadsheet. Was prompted about macros and clicked "Enable Macros."
    
2. Read the Instructions worksheet.
    
3. Clicked the "Generic Photocell" radio button on the Instructions worksheet.
    
4. Followed the SMART web site instructions and performed the calibration run, entering the results into the spreadsheet. SMART indicated:
   
   "Lower contrast, Blue is maxed out."
    
5. Lowered contrast and did another run. SMART indicated:
   
   "Lower contrast, Blue is maxed out."
    
6. Lowered contrast again and checked brightness with the Avia DVD. Brightness did not need to be changed.
    
7. Did another run and SMART did not display a contrast/maxed out warning!
    
8. Before clicking the Calibrate button, I changed the "Green factor" to 1. The default 0.95 setting is specific to the Sony LCD projector that the spreadsheet was designed for.
    
9. Clicked the Calibrate button.

Tips

• After turning on my projector, I watched some TV for 20 minutes. Just like an Avia DVD calibration, I let my projector warm up before taking measurements.
   

• The instructions say to use the Avia Window patterns. My detector wasn't quite high enough -- the window didn't line up with it. So instead, I used the Field patterns. They are the same except they cover the entire screen instead of just a small rectangle in the middle. There is no Black (IRE 0) field pattern, so I had to go to the Window menu for that one.
   
• Turned on subtitles so the name of the pattern would appear at the bottom of the screen. That way I always knew which pattern I was on.
   
• Paused each pattern so the DVD wouldn't advance before I was ready.
   
• Set up shop behind the projector. Going to have to use the buttons on the projector to enter and exit the service menu a lot.
   
• Used the light from the laptop screen to see the multimeter readings.
   
• I looked at the spreadsheet cell that tells you contrast is set too high. The formula deals with IREs 80, 90, and 100 of each color. It was telling me that "Blue is maxed out," so all I needed to do was continue to lower contrast and take Blue IRE 80, 90, and 100 measurements until the message went away. Once the message was gone, I completed the run.
   
• After some practice, a complete run (IRE 0-100 for all three colors) took me 25 minutes. This included the several minutes it took for the meter to settle when measuring low IRE levels with the blue filter (1,000 - 7,000 K Ohms). A complete run was taking me 45 minutes until I got some advice from more experienced SMART calibrators:
  
  "When you switch IRE's you should see a pretty quick change in the numbers, and then the changes should slow down. For example, it may be swinging between 177 and 181, back and forth. Well, just pick 179 and move on. I do a lot of this "averaging" in my head and pick a number. It does not impact the results that much. I got to the point where I can perform a complete run (3 colors) in less than 10 minutes." -- Robert_S
  
  "As to the time for settling issue, there is no need for data that is more accurate than a few percent per reading. Therefore 125 is fine, rather than 124.75. If you have three significant figures, or even two and a half that is plenty for how the data is being used. This should significantly speed up your runs." -- Steve Smallcombe

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