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What is the difference between an ISF calibrator, and what you got with the THX calibration?

First impressions at comparing MCACC with Audyssey.

MCACC was a one shot setup. The only thing I had to adjust afterwards is setting Mains and Center to small. That's all.

Audyssey was a 6 time setup with mic, but short, not long like MCACC. I had to set cross over in 2 places. I had to readjust the level of center channel by about +4db. I could no longer use a max volume setting because I'll be using settings higher than the available max.

With MCACC, I'd watch TV at about -10. With Audyssey, it's at about -7 for the same volume level.

I can only tell by observation and what I've heard and read, so I don't know how accurate it is.

With ISF, there are special modes that can be turned on in the tv (Like THX Cinema is a mode), but they have ISF tuning attributes separate from normal user access. I don't know what is there because I haven't seen it.

With THX, it's using the service panel, that's not necessarily ISF specific, but hardware specific.

Now, I might be totally wrong.. But if I am, I'll let someone more knowledgeable correct me.

So, THX calibration is something that "anyone can do". but, ISF is a hardware calibration, that requires more specialized equipment to access the hardware settings?

Brian, check the manual for the proper procedure of course, but typically(if you haven't already done so)to change from internal TV speakers to external audio system, the setting in the TV's sound menu has to be changed.

No, I think they are probably both hardware controlling menu panels, just different ones, or the ISF adds it's own ISF panel plus the same one used by the THX person. Too much conjecture on my partt here. Someone that knows needs to address the issue.

I've gone through the menus of TV, receiver, BD player many times in the past couple of days, and made changes. I've tried all the different settings for speakers. It works fine, as long as I don't try to play sound from TV to receiver. I have to have the ability to play TV speakers when watching broadcast TV for now. But I've turned them off and back on. The only thing I haven't done is choose to send TV audio to Home Theater, instead of to Receiver. To Receiver always seems like the correct choice. I'll try Home Theater later. Don't know why that would be different.

I've hooked my old TV up to my spare blu-ray player in the bedroom. Mainly so I could check the difference in blacks and shadow detail.

I was thinking the Panasonic 65VT50 was clumping the blacks into black blobs, leaving little to no shadow detail. Particularly in the THX Cinema (post calibration) mode.

Good thing I did this, because I'm seeing the same thing on the old one. But because the blacks aren't as deep black, it wasn't as noticeable. There is also no comparison in colors. The VT50 has brilliant beautiful colors, whereas the cheap Samsung LCD now looks washed out.

You are using a HDMI 1.4 rated cable or at least one rated to do ARC right?

Yes. I have both, but my 8 foot Monster cable is 1.4. I currently have it in HDMI #1 slot (which doesn't support ARC) on the TV. When I had it in HDMI #2 slot, and set the TV to use HDMI #2, arc didn't work. I'm wondering if maybe I need 2 HDMI 1.4 cables? One for receiver to TV for video only for blu-ray and OSD, and another one for TV audio to receiver?

I've currently got a digital optical cable installed from TV to Monitor #1 on the receiver, but that's not working either. There may be a setting on the AVR for this that I've missed.