# HDTV Color Problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 1, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-color-problem/470608 "2008-11-01T18:36:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-color-problem/470608/1 "2008-11-01T18:36:16Z")
Every black and white DVD I play on my Hitachi 51f59 is actually more of an olive green and white. Even if I turn the color level all the way down. I don’t think it was always like this. Why? ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-color-problem/470608/2 "2008-11-01T19:34:31Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > Every black and white DVD I play on my Hitachi 51f59 is actually more of an olive green and white. Even if I turn the color level all the way down. I don’t think it was always like this. Why? The [“color temperature”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_Temperature) of your TV is incorrect. “White” light is actually a mixture of all different wavelengths of light, or colors. In the case of your TV, the white is a mixture of three colors, red, green and blue. But if the green level is too high, as it is in your case, monochrome video appears with a greenish tint. In order to correct this, a technician has to (usually) open the TV and adjust two sets of controls - the background, which controls the minimum level of each color - and the drive, which controls the maximum level of each color. Adjusting these controls is NOT something that should be done by someone without test gear. Look for an [ISF certified calibrator](http://www.imagingscience.com/). They have the test gear to make your TV took great. If you’re conformable opening your TV, you can buy or even build your own color probe and [download the software to do it correctly](http://www.homecinema-fr.com/colorimetre/index_en.php). ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-color-problem/470608/3 "2008-11-01T20:56:57Z")
Thanks for the info. I really appreciate it. I simply cannot enjoy a black and white movie with the way my TV is currently set up. ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-color-problem/470608/4 "2008-11-02T11:48:02Z")
Have you checked to see if your TV has a White Balance setting? It may have a number of pre-sets which you can play with without messing stuff up. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-color-problem/470608/5 "2008-11-02T13:44:19Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Look for an [ISF certified calibrator](http://www.imagingscience.com/). They have the test gear to make your TV took great. Before you spend money hiring someone, check if you have a Pixar DVD or any of the other DVDs on [this page](http://www.thx.com/home/dvd/search.html). These discs have a [THX Optimizer](http://www.thx.com/home/dvd/optimizer/index.html) you can use to adjust the audio and video. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-color-problem/470608/6 "2008-11-02T15:16:50Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Before you spend money hiring someone, check if you have a Pixar DVD or any of the other DVDs on [this page](http://www.thx.com/home/dvd/search.html). These discs have a [THX Optimizer](http://www.thx.com/home/dvd/optimizer/index.html) you can use to adjust the audio and video. Good idea in general, but none of the consumer controls other than a specific “Color Temperature” one will affect the color temperature. The ones I’ve seen usually have settings for “Normal”, “Warm” or “Cool”, the last two shifting the color tone to reddish or blueish. I’ve never seen a set with a color temperature designed to emphasize green over red and blue. Generally, sets only have controls for Brightness, Contrast, Color and Tint (or Hue). Only the last one changes one shade of color to another, but it is specifically designed to have no effect on a monochrome (black & white) signal. **Fiddle Peghead** has a problem outside the scope of the THX Optimizer. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-color-problem/470608/7 "2008-11-02T15:45:00Z")
OK. I don’t have an HDTV (yet; maybe next month) so I’m not familiar with the controls on them. I have seen the colors on computer monitors can be off if the VGA cable is loose, so perhaps that’s the problem? I’m just trying to eliminate the stuff **Fiddle Peghead** can do himself. ---
**Author:** ![PuddingCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b4bc9f/32.png) [@PuddingCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PuddingCat)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-color-problem/470608/8 "2008-11-02T15:48:27Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Before you spend money hiring someone, check if you have a Pixar DVD or any of the other DVDs on [this page](http://www.thx.com/home/dvd/search.html). These discs have a [THX Optimizer](http://www.thx.com/home/dvd/optimizer/index.html) you can use to adjust the audio and video. Because we always go for the facts, I have a minor nitpick. My understanding is that the THX optimiser on each THX DVD is specially tuned for that feature presentation. So when setting the brightness & contrast, it’s based on the minimum and maximum ranges shown in the picture. Not that this is likely to make much difference to a DIY calibration 🙂 My vote is for the colour temperature as already mentioned. It’s unlikely that the HDTV is a CRT either, so the drive transistor config is likely irrelevant too. tim ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-color-problem/470608/9 "2008-11-02T17:54:17Z")
I’m not sure any of these answers are really addressing the issue. **Fiddle Peghead** isn’t complaining about the _whites_ being green, he’s complaining about the _blacks_ being green. **Fiddle Peghead** , can you get your blacks to _ever_ be black, instead of green? Are your whites white or green? (not that I have an actual answer for you either way…) ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-color-problem/470608/10 "2008-11-03T05:29:01Z")
> [@trmatthe](#): > > Because we always go for the facts, I have a minor nitpick. My understanding is that the THX optimiser on each THX DVD is specially tuned for that feature presentation. So when setting the brightness & contrast, it’s based on the minimum and maximum ranges shown in the picture. > > Not that this is likely to make much difference to a DIY calibration 🙂 > > My vote is for the colour temperature as already mentioned. It’s unlikely that the HDTV is a CRT either, so the drive transistor config is likely irrelevant too. > > tim I searched, and **Fiddle Peghead’s** TV is a rear projection CRT. If the blacks are greenish, the green background control needs to be backed off a tiny bit. Easy enough, except that control interacts with the green drive control. This set looks like a very decent CRT. An ISF calibration will allow the TV to produce the best picture of which it is capable. Most of the guys who do it don’t charge an arm and a leg, and it has to be done in your home, as moving a RPTV effects the alignment. ---
**Author:** ![nebco9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@nebco9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nebco9)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-color-problem/470608/11 "2008-11-03T11:51:51Z")
Try going to AVS Forum. They have a special section for rear projection units > **[Rear Projection Units](https://www.avsforum.com/forums/rear-projection-units.63/)** > > Rear Projection CRT and Digital sets (DLP, LCD, etc) questions and answers. (RPTV) Here are a couple of threads regarding your Hitachi. > **[Hitachi 51/57/65F59A CRT RPTV Tweaks Thread](https://www.avsforum.com/threads/hitachi-51-57-65f59a-crt-rptv-tweaks-thread.790702/)** > > Quote: > Originally Posted by Lee Bailey > > > I'm thinking we may just want to start a F59 Tweaks thread. > > > > Well, here it is. I took the ball Lee Bailey threw out there and ran with it. Figure this will give current/new/future F59 owners an easier... and > **[\>Hitachi 51f59 Problems/Issues thread (non-calibration)](https://www.avsforum.com/threads/hitachi-51f59-problems-issues-thread-non-calibration.700130/)** > > With the other Hit f59 thread(s) on here now mainly focused on calibration/adjustment issues, i think we need a comprehensive thread re this model's other functions, for the growing number of owners of this TV. > > > Here are my first 2 questions- > > > 1-... They have TONS of information about your set. I’m sure that if you post your problem there, you’ll get some good feedback.