Exactly.
If you'd like to calibrate your display properly, the THX Optimode features on many DVDs is a good start, though they're supposedly designed specifically to match whatever film you have put in (I have strong doubts about this, though).
You could use SMPTE bars to set the brightness level, but they're useless for color and tint unless you have a blue filter, or a "Blue Only" setting on your TV.