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Samsung 2016 SUHD TVs

August 3, 2020

Calman supports 2016 Samsung SUHD TVs that are equipped with an ExLink 3.5mm serial port (like an audio headphone cable). Calman can automatically calibrate the SUHD TV’s two-point white balance controls, 10-point grayscale controls, and CMS color gamut controls, in HDTV SDR modes. This assures the most accurate rendering of SDR picture content.

Note: For the 2016 Samsung SUHD TVs, Calman supports only SDR calibration, not HDR calibration.

Calman Required Version

  • Version 5.8.1.31 or later

Calman Recommended Workflow

  • SI Advanced Calibration workflow
  • Home Enthusiast workflow (for Home Enthusiast licensees)
    • To optimize picture controls and calibrate two point and 20-point grayscale RGB balance controls and CMS color gamut controls for HDTV SDR picture content.

Samsung Control Port

  • ExLink serial connection – 3.5mm phone plug to female DB9 cable

(tip of the phone plug to pin 2 of DB9, ring of the phone plug to pin 3 of DB9, sleeve of the phone plug to pin 5 of DB9)

Samsung Computer Connection

To connect the Calman calibration computer to a Samsung SUHD TV:

  1. Connect an ExLink adapter (3.5mm headphone jack to DB9 serial cable) between the 3.5mm jack on the side of the Samsung OneConnect box labeled “External Sync” and an RS232 port on your PC or to a USB to serial converter.
  2. If you are using a USB to serial converter, in Windows Device Manager, under “Ports (COM & LPT),” look for a “USB Serial Port (COMx)” listing.
  3. Note the listed COM port (COMx) of the serial converter.

3.5mm Headphone Jack to DB9 Female Serial Cable

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004T9BBJC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1rB5ybQ1Y 6AP0

USB to RS232 Serial Converter

For connecting to a Samsung TV with a computer that does not have an RS232 port, we recommend the FTDI USB to RS232 converter. Extensive testing has determined that this FTDI converter, which includes a data buffer, is the most reliable adapter to use for Calman device control.

Sources

https://shop.clickandbuild.com/cnb/shop/ftdichip?op=catalogue-productsnull&prodCategoryID=293&title=RS232+Cables

https://www.alliedelec.com/ftdi-us232r-10-bulk/70069416/

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=searchalias%3Daps&field-keywords=us232r-10

USB Driver download for FTDI converter

https://www.ftdichip.com/Products/Cables/USBRS232.htm

Or, Calman Device Driver Pack

https://files.spectracal.com/download.php?id=3

Calman Device Connections

On the Calman device control tabs (upper right), connect Calman to your color meter, test pattern source, and the Samsung SUHD TV.

Meter Connect

  1. Connect your color meter to a port on the Calman computer.
  2. On the Meter Settings tab, click the Find Meter button to connect your meter.
  3. On the Find Meters dialog, select your meter if it is listed, then click Search. If your meter is not listed on the Find Meters dialog, just click Search.
  4. Under the Target Display Type drop down, select “LCD (LED Quantum Dot – Samsung 2016)” for a colorimeter. For a spectrophotometer, no special selection is required.

Source Connect

  1. For a hardware test pattern generator, connect the generator to a port on the Calman computer (unless the generator uses a wireless control interface).
  2. On the Source Settings tab, click the Find Source button.
  3. On the Find Source dialog, select the Manufacturer and Model of your test pattern source device.

Display Connect

  1. Connect the Calman computer to the Samsung SUHD TV, as outlined in the Samsung Control Setup section, above.
  2. In Calman, on the Display Control tab, click the Find Display button.
  3. On the Find Display dialog, for Manufacturer, select “Samsung.” For Model, select “Samsung – 2016 SUHD.”
  4. Under Serial Connection, enter the com port for the TV serial connection, which you noted in the Samsung Control Setup section, above.
  5. Click Connect.

Important: After Calman is connected to the Samsung TV for display control, click the “Full DDC Reset” button on the Calman Display Control tab. This will sync the Calman DDC controls with the Samsung TV.

HDTV SDR Calibration

This section outlines the Calman process for calibrating the Samsung TV’s controls for accurate rendering of standard dynamic range HDTV picture content.

The Calman SI Advanced (or Home Advanced) workflow is used to automatically calibrate a Samsung SUHD TV’s two-point white balance controls, 20-point gamma/grayscale controls, and CMS color gamut controls for HDTV SDR content. Proceed through each page of the workflow, using the following notes for Samsung TV specifics.

Source Settings Tab

On the Calman Source Settings tab, select the following Settings:

  • Window Size: User Defined
  • Delay: 2 (seconds)
  • Pattern Size: 18
  • Pattern APL: 18
  • BT.2020: Disabled
  • HDR: Disabled

Display Control Tab

On the Calman Display Control tab, select the following Settings:

  1. For Display Mode Selection, select “Custom.”
  2. For the Active Grayscale Points option, select “SDR.”
  3. Click the Full DDC Reset button and click Yes to reset all TV controls to their factory default settings. This is required for accurate Samsung calibration.

Samsung DDC Picture Controls:

Samsung picture controls are available within the Calman software, allowing you to make TV adjustments in the software, rather than using the TV remote control. On the top-right Calman Display Control tab, click the DDC icon.

With the DDC panel open, use the top left/right scroll buttons to switch to the Display Controls screen.

  1. Set the Brightness control to “45” (default).
  2. Set the Contrast control to “95” (default).

Note: You can change the Contrast setting after calibration is complete.

  1. Leave the remaining TV controls also at their default settings.

IMPORTANT: Depending upon the Samsung TV’s firmware version, the TV can get into a state where the SDR grayscale and CMS will not calibrate. Perform the following steps to work around this issue:

  1. On the DDC Display Controls screen, if “Expert Mode” is checked, un-check it.
  2. Then, check Expert Mode
    • (Perform the following steps without disconnecting the TV source signal or power cycling the TV.)
  3. On the DDC Display Controls screen, under “Picture Mode,” select “Cal Day” or “Cal Night.”
  4. Perform the TV calibration

Calibration Options

On the Calibration Options workflow page, leave all the options at their following default settings.

  • Colorspace: rec.709/sRGB
  • Whitepoint: D65
  • Gamma Formula: ITU BT.1886
  • Display Type: LCD (LED Quantum Dot – Samsung 2016)
  • Pattern Size: User Defined
  • Display Memory: Custom

Pre-Calibration View

On the Pre-Calibration View workflow page, you can make an automated series of TV measurements to show you how the Samsung TV is performing prior to calibration.

This measures the TV’s gamma/grayscale response and its color gamut response, as compared to standard SDR performance targets (i.e. Rec.709, D65, BT.1886).

Dynamic Range

On the Dynamic Range workflow page, you can set the Samsung TV’s peak luminance to be suitable for the viewing environment, by adjusting its Backlight control.

Select the 100 (255) level tab at the bottom of the Dynamic Range workflow page and click the Read Continuous button to set the TV’s peak luminance to your desired value. Typical peak luminance values that you might start with are:

  • Dark Room: 100-130 cd/m2
  • Dim Room: 130-170 cd/m2
  • Bright Room: 170-200+ cd/m2

CAUTION: A TV’s Brightness and Contrast controls are both normally adjusted on the Calman Dynamic Range page.

However, the Brightness and Contrast controls on the Samsung 2016 SUHD TV need to be left at their previous settings of 44 and 85, as specified for the DDC picture control settings above, to allow Calman AutoCal to accurately calibrate the TV’s luminance levels.

Calman AutoCal

In the Metered Calibration section of the SI Advanced or Home Advanced workflow, there are three display calibration pages, Grayscale – 2pt, Grayscale/Gamma, and CMS Calibration.

To most accurately calibrate the Samsung TV, it is best to perform AutoCal on each of these three Calman workflow pages, in the order that the pages occur in the workflow.

Grayscale – 2pt

On the Grayscale Two Point Adjust page, Calman will automatically calibrate the TV’s two point white balance controls (i.e. RGB-Gain, RGB-Offset)

  1. Click the AutoCal button (rotating arrows) at the right end of the meter action buttons. The AutoCal Setup dialog for the Grayscale Two Point Settings then appears.
  2. On the AutoCal Setup dialog, under Active Grayscale Points, select “2 Point 20%, 80%.”
  3. Click OK.
  4. When the AutoCal process completes the white balance calibration, click Next.

Grayscale/Gamma

On the Grayscale/Gamma calibration page, Calman will automatically calibrate the TV’s 20-point grayscale/gamma.

  1. Click the AutoCal button. The AutoCal Setup dialog for the Grayscale Multipoint Settings then appears.
  2. Click OK.
  3. When the AutoCal process completes the grayscale/gamma calibration, click Next.

CMS Calibration

On the CMS Calibration page, Calman will automatically calibrate the TV’s RGBCMY colorspace.

  1. Click the AutoCal button. The AutoCal Setup dialog for the Gamut CMS Settings then appears.
  2. Click OK.
  3. When the AutoCal process completes the colorspace calibration, click Next.

Post-Calibration View

On the Post-Calibration View page, you can compare the display’s performance with what you measured on the Pre-Calibration Data page.

Tags:  2016SamsungSUHD