How Much Does ISF Calibration Cost?

Written by the ISF Forum Library Community
Thursday, 17 May 2007

[ Q ] How much should I expect to pay for calibration of my new HDTV? Is calibration pricing and the specific services provided standard from one calibrator to another?

[ A ] Pricing is determined independently by each calibrator. Because of this, there will be pricing variations, based on the specific services included in a calibrator's service offering for different HDTV types, the experience of the calibrator, as well as variations based on geographic location.

But in order to give you some general idea about pricing in the US, calibration of plasma and LCD flat panels will be around U$275 for a single input or memory, with additional inputs/memories charged at U$100-125 each. Some calibrators provide a package price for flat panels displays that will cover calibration of all required inputs/memories at around U$400.

For rear-projection DLP-, LCD- or LCoS-based HDTVs, pricing is generally similar to flat panels.

Digital front-projection calibration pricing generally begins at a base level around U$400, and will increase with the number of inputs/memories requiring calibration.

CRT direct-view pricing will generally be in the same ballpark as digital flat panels.

CRT rear-projection calibration cost is around U$275-300, increasing by U$100 to U$125 per input/memory. Additional fees may be levied for the geometry and convergence work that is required to make these three-gun CRT sets look their best. Again, it's difficult to generalize, but the all-in cost of calibration for a CRT rear-projection TV, for two inputs/memories, will range from U$400 to $500.

Pricing for CRT front projectors is, by far, the most variable, as these devices tend to require a much greater level of expertise and specialization. As a result, prices can vary depending on the scope of work required and the system configuration, such as the number of scan rates, the number of video sources, and the additional adjustments that might be required where a video processor or scaler is present, etc.

Travel is another consideration. Many calibrators define a standard geographic service area where travel is included as part of the base fee. However, for jobs where travel outside the defined service area is required, additional fees may be required to cover the additional time and cost involved in traveling.

You should discuss pricing in detail with any calibrator you consider hiring. If you are unclear on any aspect of cost -- or what is and is not included -- we suggest you request a written quotation.

Contributions to this FAQ article were made by the following ISF Forum calibrators:
21st Century Calibrations, Clearly Resolved, Dave Hancock, Home Theater Calibration,
Mastertech Repair, Perfect Home Theater , Precision Video,

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