The Augustine Theater Experience
Sharp XV-Z9000U SMART Calibration

Step 6: Bias Improvement

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

Bias ("Bright")

Minimum: 76
Maximum: 180

Factory Defaults
R-BRIGHT: 128
G-BRIGHT: 128
B-BRIGHT: 128

Steps

Attempt 1

Followed the Sony 10HT LCD SMART instructions to find each color's optimal bias setting -- the lowest setting at which resistance decreases significantly.

Created a spreadsheet to record resistance measurements at each bias setting.

This took HOURS! I was in and out of the service menu 103 times and my green measurements were all over the place. I set all three bias settings back to the 128 default and moved on out of frustration.

Attempt 2

Later on, I tried again with the detector much closer to the projector (8") in order to gather more light. This made the resistance measurements lower so they settled more quickly. And this time I didn't measure every bias setting. I measured the lowest, the highest, and then the middle. If the middle setting was lower than the lowest setting, I measure the setting between the two, and so on. This saved time.

But it still didn't go very well. When I thought I found the bias setting at which resistance changed, I moved on to a different color. Then I'd come back and measure again -- and the setting that I thought was good before wasn't any more.

Attempt 3

Steve Smallcombe recommended I try the Sony 11HT LCD SMART bias adjustment method. Its goal is not to set bias as low as possible, but to make sure color balance is maintained through lower light levels.

I got the 11HT spreadsheet from Steve and copied my measurements into it. My factory default bias settings did not need to be changed.

Notes

• Unlike the Sony LCD, the Sharp 9000 doesn't have custom color temperatures. So instead of copying settings around and creating custom color temperatures, I had to change the default values.
   
• The service menu bias and gain settings effect every input.
   
• Unfortunately, the Avia DVD test pattern does not stay on the screen once you go into the DLP section of the service menu. So each time I made a change to a bias setting (or "bright" setting as Sharp calls it), I had to exit the service menu so the IRE 0 pattern would display.
  
  Later on, Tya (AVS Forum) told me a way to get the test pattern to display along with the menu. But unfortunately measurements change when the service menu is displayed. Displaying the menu must change what the projector is outputting in the background.

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