My TV has different calibrations per input (commercial Panny plasma) depending on source. My DVD player on HDMI has the TV calibrated one way, the XBOX360 on Component is another set of settings, and the DVR on DVI is yet another.

My questions is, don't I lose all these nicely tuned pairings when I throw everything through a HDMI switch (AVR-based or external) and basically have to compromise? I imagine it's the same issue with upscaling AVRs that transfer all inputs through to a single HDMI 1080p out, no?

Maybe this is self-evident but it just kinda hit me yesterday while contemplating the new Denons...

which is another one a million reasons to run video to video devices and audio to audio devices

A calibrator will adjust the set to display white as specific CIE coordinates. Some sets will allow the adjustment of error at the three primary colors and some go as far as the secondary colors. these are functions of the TV set itself. As for downstream electronics and cable, There will almost always be some deviance in an electronic path. Some display electronics have video adjustments of their own. At that point the calibrator would plug into the TV, set the panel for how it needs to be set (separate inputs, sometimes separate resolutions) then move downstream and adjust those components as well. Back to your question, your panny was calibrated by those inputs, not devices. there is no special pairing for the calibration for each one of those inputs. The "downside" if any would be the change to the signal done by the downstream components added on top of each other.

1. I saw it done several times, step by step, so I'm quite familiar with the process.

2. what I mean by pairing is the relationship between source device and the input it's connected to with the subsequent necessary calibration for that device to look properly on the display. each input has its own calibration, which depends on the source connected. If I changed DVD players for example, a new calibration will be required because the new pairing will be off. Some will be done in the service menu of the source device, but the input for that device on the TV will also need re-calibration.

3. I'm not sure how you're adding components on top of each other. I'm speaking of switching, which in these cases means each source is 1-to-1 to the display, but through only the one HDMI display input.

The calibration of the input has nothing to do with the source. If you calibrate an hdmi input on a panel for a DVD player, you would NOT re-calibrate the input on the TV to switch to a different player. A dvd player has no video input, there is no way to plug a generator into it, all that can be done if the dvd player has any video settings is to run a calibration dvd and adjust those settings, not the TVs settings. As for calibrations, I AM an ISF licensed calibrator. Now for switching, The source would be 1, the cable to the switching device would be 2, the switching device would be 3, the cable from the switching device to the set is 4. they are added together in the signal chain. If each one of these degrades the signal in any way, they would be compounded on top of each other.

the definition of 'component'.

to calibrate, we plug a generator into an input, whether its the TV on a source component. Remember we can calibrate any connection format. first we calibrate the set. Sometimes, as I've said, certain sets have different calibration requirements (resolution, input, etc). Once that input is done, you plug the source into it. That input calibration has nothing to do with the source, just the TV. same page?

responding to your email too :)

not the TV, Any fine tuning get done in the source. Some have none, others have a great deal of adjustments. If you later change the source, and use that same input on the TV, You would then fine tune the new source, Not change the TV.