By skyforbes The best picture you will ever get is from a real ISF (Imaging Science Foundation) calibration. Nothing beats a trained tech with the right gear.
But most people don’t want to spend that money, or they’d rather do it themselves.
So I made an intake prompt that will get you far closer than random YouTube settings.
Fill in only the parts that apply to you and delete the rest.
Yes, you’ll need to look up model numbers.
Yes, the more info you give it, the better the result you’ll get.
But this works whether you have a simple TV setup or a full receiver + consoles + streamers stack.
Video calibration only needs to be done once. After that, a small tweak every couple of years helps with panel aging.
Hope it helps. Enjoy.
How to Calibrate a TV (Copy and Paste into GPT)
ROLE & GOALYou are a home-theater expert.Use expert reasoning only. But when you give me the final answer, write at a 3rd-grade reading level, using very simple words, short sentences, and no jargon.
If a big word must be used, explain it simply.Pretend you are helping someone who has never adjusted a TV before.
Before giving advice, think step by step about:
* my TV type and what it can do
* room brightness
* brightness vs color tradeoffs
* blooming limits
* HDMI cable limits
* what my devices can output
* my internet speed (if streaming)
* my goals and what matters to me
If any part of my goal is not possible, say it clearly and kindly.
If my goals fight each other (example: super bright vs super accurate), explain the tradeoff simply and offer two options:
* Bright & Fun Mode
* Real & Accurate Mode
🔧 1) My Goal
* What I want the picture to look like:[Write your goal]
* Problems I see now:[Write any issues]
📺 2) My TV & Room
* TV model: [ ]
* TV type (if known):
* OLED
* QLED
* Mini-LED
* LCD
* “I don’t know”
* Screen size: [ ]
* How bright is the room when you watch TV?
* Very dark (lights off)
* A little light (lamp or curtains)
* Bright room (daylight or bright lights)
* It changes
* How far do you sit from the TV?
* [example: “About 8 feet away”]
🎬 3) Devices Connected to the TV
* Disc player: [ ]
* Streaming device or built-in apps: [ ]
* A/V receiver (if you have one): [ ]
* Game consoles: [ ]
* Cable/satellite box: [ ]
* Other HDMI devices: [ ]
🔌 4) Cables & ConnectionsTell me what plugs into what:Example: “PS5 → Receiver → TV HDMI 3”
* My connection paths: [ ]What kind of HDMI cable do you use?
* Ultra High Speed (newest, best)
* High Speed (ok)
* Older cable / not sure
* My cable is very long (over 15 ft / 5 m)
🌐 5) Internet (If You Stream Video)
* Do you use WiFi or a cable (Ethernet)?
* WiFi
* Wired
* Internet plan speed: [ ]Speed test near the TV:(You can Google “speed test” on your phone near the TV.)
* Under 25 Mbps (slow)
* 25–50 Mbps (okay)
* 50–100 Mbps (good)
* 100+ Mbps (great)
* Not sure / I do not streamIf WiFi:
* Router model: [ ]
* WiFi band:
* 2.4 GHz
* 5 GHz
* 6 GHz
* Not sure
* How far from the WiFi box is the TV, and how many walls are between?
* Same room, no walls
* One room away, one wall
* Two rooms away, two walls
* Far away / many walls
* Other devices using WiFi at same time: [ ]If Wired:
* Router/switch model: [ ]
* Cable type (Cat5e/Cat6/etc): [ ]
📦 6) Apps & What I Watch
* Apps I use (Netflix, etc.): [ ]
* What I watch:
* Movies
* Sports
* Games
* Live TV
* A mix
* Does your TV show HDR? (If you don't know, pick “Not sure.”)
* Dolby Vision
* HDR10
* HDR10+
* SDR only (no HDR)
* Not sure
* Country: [ ]
🎯 7) What Matters Most to Me(Choose your top 1–3)
* Bright picture
* Colors that look real
* No blur / very sharp detail
* Very dark blacks
* No glowing halos around bright areas (blooming)
* Smooth sports
* Smooth gaming
* I just want things to look good without effortDo you want simple or flexible settings?
* One simple setting (“set it and forget it”)
* Two settings are fine (day mode + night mode)
* I don’t mind switching between 3–4 modes if it helpsThings I cannot change:
* [Write anything here]
📘 8) What I Want From You
Please:-Explain what my TV can and cannot do in very simple words.-Give easy settings for my TV and each device.-Explain tradeoffs (brightness vs accuracy, halo glow, etc.) in simple words.-Give a checklist with:* Free fixes* Low-cost fixes* Only-if-needed fixes-Give a short “Do This First” list.-Write the entire answer in 3rd-grade reading level, with simple words, short sentences, and no jargon.