The excitement of a brand new flat screen TV can fade quickly when it doesn’t look as good at home as it did in the showroom.

Doc Greene, president of Audio Video Designers says that’s because the sets are in “torch mode.” Torch mode is the factory setting that makes the picture look good under the florescent lights of a video store and appear brighter when compared to other screens. Most consumers leave their new TV’s in the factory settings which is much too bright and has too much contrast for home viewing.

Doc Greene recommends adjusting the sharpness, brightness and contrast settings on any TV resulting in a much nicer looking picture and much longer life for the TV.

The sharpness setting is way too high on most sets according to Greene. “The proper setting should be off or plus 10 percent,” said Greene. “Most people will find that the picture quality goes way up. Consumers will see less noise and artifacts and enjoy a smoother more film-like image.”

Brightness controls the black level of the picture. Greene recommends that you find something black and make it look very black. Then balance it so that you don’t lose the detail in black images.

Contrast controls the white level. Most of the time, this setting is way too high. Greene suggests finding a white image like a white shirt. Make it very white but not so much that you lose the detail of the lapels, collars or buttons.

“I have a good eye,” said Doc Greene on the Homework Houston radio show. “But a professional will use a color analyzer. This equipment tells us the exact colors and helps lock them in precisely.” Greene says a good calibration will take at least 3 hours by a qualified professional.

Look For A CEDIA Certified Installer

Greene recommends looking for a professional with a certification from the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association. CEDIA certification requires a least 10 credit hours of schooling each year. Applicants must pass a series of tests and adhere to a code of ethics. To find a CEDIA certified installer, enter your zip code on the www.cedia.org website. Other organizations that are recommended by Doc Greene include the National Systems Contractors Association and the Imaging Science Foundation. “Contractors with these certifications have made a commitment to the industry and are on top of their game,” said Greene.

As sets get more complicated, technology requires a lot more expertise to put a system together and make it operate a peak performance.

Home Theater and Media Rooms

True home theater is a place for the whole family to escape and have fun together. Most of Greene’s customers are family oriented and utilize Audio Video Designers to provide a high quality movie theater experience. “This type of home theater is fun for the kids and allows parents to monitor their activities along with the shows they watch,” said Greene.

“A media room is a little different,” said Greene. “Media rooms are favored by sports fans and often include multiple screens and receivers so that several events can be viewed at the same time.”

The key to enjoyable home theater and media rooms is ease of use. “If you have to press more than 2 buttons to make something happen, it’s too hard,” Greene says. He recommends a touch panel control system designed to show as few options as possible. Control systems give the user access to any CD they own, any DVD they own, and material available on the internet in just a few seconds. Audio or video selected can be made available on any display in the house. “You may start watching a movie in the home theater but want to finish watching it in the bedroom,” said Greene. “That can be accomplished easily with a touch of a

Doc Greene likes both the HD DVD and Blu Ray video formats but prefers the color of HD DVD. He sees the trend moving to dual format discs and players so that consumers can choose between them. As for flat screen TV’s, Greene says plasma provides the most even color picture across the screen. Runco is the top of the line and is considered a reference by many major video publications. Runco also carries the biggest price tag. Pioneer and Panasonic are Greene’s favorite manufacturers for video on a tighter budget.

Doc Greene’s Audio Video Designers was named by Goldline Research as one of the 7 best designers in Texas. His firm specializes in home theater design, installation and touch panel control systems.

Audio Video Designers: 281-856-8367

Web link:
www.hifidoc.com