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TVLogic XVM / LEM Series Monitors

August 4, 2020

Calibrate TVLogic XVM/LEM Monitors with 10-bit 3D LUTs

Introduction

Calman takes advantage of the internal 3D LUT feature for the TVLogic XVM and LEM series monitors to calibrate the monitor with a 17x17x17 10-bit 3D cube lookup table (LUT). This setup guide assists you in calibrating an XVM or LEM series monitor with the Calman Color Cube workflow.

Calman Recommended Workflow:

  • Color Cube (3D LUT)

XVM / LEM Series Monitor Required Firmware:

  • Version 3.5 or newer

XVM / LEM Series Monitor Control Connection:

  • Null modem 9-pin female to female serial cable
  • If a USB to serial adapter is required, the FTDI adapter from SpectraCal is recommended, as it includes a data buffer for superior data integrity at high communication rates.

Calman 3D LUT Monitor Calibration Options

There are two optional methods, outlined below, to create and load an optimized 3D LUT monitor calibration file into one of the TVLogic XVM / LEM series monitors.

Option A – Direct-Load 3D LUT: With this method, Calman automatically creates an optimized monitor calibration 3D LUT. Calman then directly loads the LUT into the connected TVLogic XVM / LEM series monitor.

Note: Calman also automatically saves a copy of the LUT file in its LUTs directory.

Option B – Software LUT File: With this method, Calman automatically creates an optimized monitor calibration 3D LUT and saves it to a computer file in a user-selected location. The LUT file can then be manually loaded into the XVM / LEM series monitor, using the TVLogic LutManager software.

Option A – Direct-Load 3D LUT

Calman 3D LUT Monitor Calibration

Follow this procedure to automatically create and directly load an optimized monitor calibration 3D LUT into one of the TVLogic XVM / LEM series monitors.

TVLogic Display Presets

Before connecting Calman to a TVLogic monitor for 3D LUT calibration, preset the following controls in the TVLogic Color menu.

  • Color / Color Temp: Select your desired Color Temp preset. Do not use a Custom Color Temp preset to adjust the monitor’s Gain and Bias controls.
  • Color / Color Space: Select the User Color Space to write to the User 3D LUT.

Caution: If you select one of the other Color Space modes, you will overwrite the factory 3D LUT for that mode.

Color Cube (3D LUT) Workflow

The Color Cube workflow in Calman is used to create monitor calibration 3D cube LUTs. In the Calman main menu, select Open Workflow Template / Color Cube (3D LUT). Proceed through each step of the Color Cube workflow in a normal fashion, using the following notes for TVLogic monitor specifics.

Initial Setup section

In the Initial Setup section of the Color Cube workflow, step through the following pages:

Session Setup – Meter Connect

  • Connect your color meter to the Calman computer.
  • On the Session Setup page, click the Find Meter button.
  • On the Find Meters dialog, select your meter if it is listed, then click Search. If your meter is not listed on the dialog, just click Search.

Session Setup – Source Connect

  • On the Session Setup page, click the Find Source button.
  • On the Source dialog, under Manufacturer and Model, select your test pattern source, such as the Calman Client 3 or a hardware reference pattern generator.

Session Setup – LUT Device Setup

  • Connect your TVLogic monitor to the Calman computer with a serial cable and USB adapter, as noted in the Control Connection section, above.
  • On the Session Setup page, click the Find 3D LUT Device button.
  • On the Find Display dialog, under Manufacturer, select “TVLogic.” Under Model, select “TVLogic – XVM / LEM Series.”

Session Options page

On the Session Options page, be sure to select the Input Signal Levels, either Video (16-235) or PC (0-255), to match the levels of the signals that are normally input to the monitor being calibrated.

Display Pre-Test section

In the Display Pre-Test section of the Color Cube workflow, on the Gamma & ColorChecker and Advanced Linearity pages, you can measure the performance of the monitor before you calibrate it. Then, on the Performance Analysis page, these monitor measurements are evaluated in a series of pass/fail performance parameters.

If the monitor fails in any of these parameters, you should consider using the following Display Optimization workflow section to optimize adjustments on the monitor itself.

If the monitor passes all of these performance parameters, you can skip the Display Optimization section and go immediately to the Display Calibration workflow section.

Display Optimization section

In the Display Optimization section of the Color Cube workflow, you are guided to optimize monitor settings for picture mode, color gamut, color temp, gamma, dynamic range, white point balance, and white point luminance.

On the Dynamic Range page, adjust the monitor’s Brightness control to set black at the signal level that will be used for production work (16 for Video Levels or 0 for PC Levels).

On the RGB Adjust page, under the RGB Adjust Levels selection, select “2 Point 30, 100%.” Click Read Continuous and adjust the monitor’s RGB Gain controls for RGB balance at 100%.

Display Calibration section

In the Display Calibration section of the Color Cube workflow, there are provisions for calibrating both a 1D RGB LUT (1D Ramp LUT page) and a 3D cube LUT (3D Cube LUT page). When we are calibrating a TVLogic monitor with a 3D LUT, we will skip the 1D Ramp LUT page (1D RGB LUT) and use only the 3D Cube LUT page.

1D Ramp LUT page

Skip over this page when creating a 3D LUT file for a TVLogic monitor.

3D Cube LUT page

  1. On the 3D Cube LUT page, click the AutoCal (rotating arrows) button at the right end of the meter action buttons. The AutoCal Setup dialog then appears.
  2. For File Format, select “TVLogic – XVM/LEM series (.lut).”
  3. Under File Path, select the desired directory path and provide a name for the LUT file that Calman will create (e.g. monitor ID and date).
  4. Under Calibration Type, select the desired type of 3D LUT calibration process.
    1. IR Profile (time-based): Creates the best quality display calibration 3D LUT possible in the selected period of time. You select how much display quality you have time for, from 30 minutes to maximum display quality (6,000 points max). Uses Intelligent Resolution Profiling to search out the most nonlinear color space areas and correct those first.
    2. IR Profile (point based): Creates the best quality display calibration 3D LUT possible with the selected number of measurement points (1,000 – 10,000 points). Uses Intelligent Resolution Profiling to search out the most nonlinear color space areas and correct those first.
    3. Lightning LUT: Creates a display calibration 3D LUT in five minutes or less. Produces a very high quality result on professional displays with moderate linearity. Displays with significant nonlinearity may produce marginal results.
  5. Under Video Range, select “SMPTE (16-235)” if you are calibrating a video display that clips or compresses signals above reference white, as tested on the Calman Dynamic Range page.
  6. Click OK.

Upon completion of the AutoCal 3D hardware LUT calibration process, Calman automatically loads the optimized 17x17x17 LUT calibration data into the TVLogic monitor.

Display Validation section

When the cube calibration completes, Calman automatically loads the optimized 17x17x17 LUT calibration data into the TVLogic monitor. You can test the performance of the monitor, in the Display Validation section of the Color Cube workflow, to validate the accuracy of the monitor when using the 3D calibration LUT. You can switch back to the Gamma & ColorChecker Pre-Test page to compare to the pre-calibration performance.

DONE – TVLogic XVM / LEM monitor 3D LUT calibration and setup is complete.

 

Option B – Software LUT File

Calman 3D LUT Monitor Calibration

Follow this procedure to create an optimized software 3D LUT calibration file, ready to be loaded into a TVLogic XVM / LEM series monitor.

TVLogic Display Presets

Before connecting Calman to a TVLogic monitor for 3D LUT calibration, preset the following controls in the TVLogic Color menu.

  • Color / Color Temp: Select your desired Color Temp preset. Do not use a Custom
  • Color Temp preset to adjust the monitor’s Gain and Bias controls.
    Color / Color Space: Select the User Color Space to write to the User 3D LUT.

Caution: If you select one of the other Color Space modes, you will overwrite the factory 3D LUT for that mode.

Color Cube (3D LUT) Workflow

The Color Cube workflow in Calman is used to create monitor calibration 3D cube LUTs. In the Calman main menu, select Open Workflow Template / Color Cube (3D LUT). Proceed through each step of the Color Cube workflow in a normal fashion, using the following notes for TVLogic monitor specifics.

  1. On the Session Setup page, under Find 3D LUT Device, select “SpectraCal – Cube Generator (3D LUT).”
  2. Skip the 1D Ramp LUT page (a 1D LUT does not need to be created).
  3. On the 3D Cube LUT page, click the AutoCal action button in the lower right.
  4. On the popup AutoCal Setup dialog (shown below), under File Format, select “TVLogic – XVM/LEM series (.lut)” (creates a 17x17x17 10-bit 3D LUT format file).
  5. Also on the AutoCal Setup dialog, under File Path, select a convenient location for the LUT file that Calman will create. Name the .lut file to identify the monitor and the date.
  6. Under Calibration Type, select the desired type of 3D LUT calibration process.
    1. IR Profile (time based): Creates the best quality display calibration 3D LUT possible in the selected period of time. You select how much display quality you have time for, from 30 minutes to maximum display quality (6,000 points max). Uses Intelligent Resolution Profiling to search out the most nonlinear color space areas and correct those first.
    2. IR Profile (point based): Creates the best quality display calibration 3D LUT possible with the selected number of measurement points (1,000 – 10,000 points). Uses Intelligent Resolution Profiling to search out the most nonlinear color space areas and correct those first.
    3. Lightning LUT: Creates a display calibration 3D LUT in five minutes or less. Produces a very high quality result on professional displays with moderate linearity. Displays with significant nonlinearity may produce marginal results.
  7. Click OK.

Upon completion of the AutoCal 3D software LUT calibration process, Calman automatically writes the optimized LUT calibration data into a TVLogic format .lut file in the selected drive location.

TVLogic XVM / LEM Series Monitor LUT Load

When Calman completes its automatic 3D LUT calibration, the created software LUT file is ready to be loaded into an XVM / LEM series monitor. To load a software 3D LUT calibration file into an XVM / LEM series monitor:

  1. Use a null modem serial cable to connect the XVM / LEM series monitor to the Calman computer.
  2. Open the TVLogic LutManager software.
  3. Under Function, select Import LUT.
  4. Under Monitor, select the target colorspace slot on the monitor.
  5. Under External LUT, select Assimilate 17, then click the […] button and navigate to your previously selected Calman LUT file location.
  6. Click the Write button (respond YES to back up any current LUT file).

DONE – TVLogic XVM / LEM monitor 3D LUT calibration and setup is complete.

Tags:  3DLUTAutoCalColor CubeTVLogic