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FAQ: Radiance Video Processor
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kal
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Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 17849
Location: Ottawa, Canada

TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7


PostLink    Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 10:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote


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Introducing the Radiance Pro 4240-C and 4242-C





Over the past months Lumagen has been asked for a smaller version of the Radiance Pro for use in smaller systems, such as bedrooms that have limited space, or small enough to easily carry to a calibration job. Because of these requests they have added two new Radiance Pro units to the line-up: The Radiance Pro 4240-C and 4242-C (pictures above). The "-C" stands for "compact".

The 424X-C units are identical in hardware and function, and uses the same software, as current Radiance Pro 424X models. The only difference is the size: These new units are 11.3"W x 5.25"D x 1.75"H while the full size models which are 17"W x 10"D x 1.75"H. The front is similar to the Radiance 2020 except the IR sensor and LED have moved, and there is a Radiance Pro logo added. The back looks like the connector portion of the full sized Radiance Pro 424X. Pricing remains the same as the existing 424X models (while the case is smaller, the cost is dominated by manufacturing labor and production volume, and not material). 18 GHz upgrades are still available just like the current 4XXX models.

These new units are perfect for use with 4K panels where space may be limited but you still want perfect video and calibration. Our limited time $500 off discount on our advanced auto-calibration package still applies to these two new models, same as all other Radiance Pro units. Advanced auto-calibration allows anyone with little or no training to fully calibrate their display with almost no user input to almost 5000 points. It adjusts the display's grayscale, gamma, and colours to levels of accuracy that are simply not achievable by manual (hands on) methods. Just setup a few simple options in ChromaPure software, click "Auto-Calibrate", and then go have a cup of coffee while the process completes, usually in a few minutes. There is no need for the user to understand how calibration works. Suitable for all display types.

Questions? Email kal@curtpalme.com

More information or to order: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm


Kal

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Last edited by kal on Sat Feb 17, 2018 5:35 pm; edited 1 time in total
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kal
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Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 17849
Location: Ottawa, Canada

TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7


PostLink    Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2018 2:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Radiance 214X price drops

Effective immediately Radiance 2143/2144 prices have been dropped $1000, placing them $200 lower than the previous 2123/2124 prices! The Radiance 2123 and 2124 have now been discontinued.

Like the Radiance 2020, supply on remaining 2144/2143 units is low. Once these are sold Lumagen will not be building more. Focus will be on the 4K/HDR capable Radiance Pro series.

Don't want 4K? Now's the time to pick up a brand new 1080p Radiance at a rock bottom clearance prices.

Questions? Email kal@curtpalme.com

More information or to order: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm


Kal

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kal
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Joined: 06 Mar 2006
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TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7


PostLink    Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 3:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote




Looking for a pre-owned Radiance 2143? We've got a very limited supply direct from the manufacturer completely tested/refurbed. Email me at kal@curtpalme.com for details.

Kal

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kal
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Joined: 06 Mar 2006
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TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7


PostLink    Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2018 11:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Radiance product status update:

Lumagen has now ended production of the Radiance 2020 and Radiance 2144 models. At this time they have sold out the Radiance 2020 inventory, and very few Radiance 2144 units are left in stock. To order, see: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm

Lumagen has switched to 1U (1.75" height) case style as the only option for the Radiance Pro 444X models. Previously a 2U (3.5" height) was also available. They are now out of 444X 2U cases, and so now all orders will be for the Radiance Pro 444X-1U. If you order a 444X, it will be in the 1U case from now on. Our order page has been updated. There is a minor exception to this: There are a few B-Stock 444X 2U cases left (contact us for details). These look "like new" but since they are B-Stock we need to make note of this. The supply of these B-Stock 444X 2U cases is very limited and will likely go fast.

Tech Tip - Letter Box Zoom:

We have updated the "Letter Box Zoom" feature in the 062718 and later releases. This is not the "LBOX" key, but does affect the function of this key. The Letter Box Zoom function allows you to choose to zoom aspect ratios to fill the height of the screen (Letter Box Zoom = on) when a higher aspect ratio than the screen is selected, or alternately (Letter Box Zoom = off) show the selected aspect in its "Letter Box" format with black bars above and below the image.

Letter Box Zoom is a holdover from the SD to HD transition period. It was used to zoom 16:9 content sent in a 4:3 raster (e.g. SD) to fill the height of the screen on a 16:9 TV. We feel this feature is outdated for most installations, but since it is in the software, we wanted to update Letter Box Zoom to work as expected. Note: The following discussion assumes you have the "output aspect ratio" set to match the screen aspect ratio.

Our current recommendation is that Letter Box Zoom be turned off for all source aspect ratios. For historical reasons this is not the default. Because of this we have added a special command, MENU 0966, which can be used to globally turn Letter Box Zoom on or off. Note that you can still use the Input Menu to change Letter Box Zoom on a per-input, per-input-aspect, and per-input-memory basis. Make sure to do a Save to make changes permanent.

As an example of Letter Box Zoom, if you have a 16:9 screen, and for 2.35 content you select 2.35 as the input aspect, if Letter Box Zoom is on the image will be zoomed in to fill the height of the screen and about 16% will be cropped off the left and right side of the image. If Letter Box Zoom is off for this case the image will not be zoomed in. So, the entire source image will be visible, and there will be black "letter box bars" visible at the top and bottom of the screen.

Tech Tip - LBOX button functionality:

The "LBOX" button is a special case source aspect ratio. It is used for a 16:9 source sent in a 4:3 raster. Consider a American SD source with 480 active scanlines. When the LBOX button is pressed the source is treated as a 720 (horizontal) by 360 (vertical) pixel 16:9 source. The top and bottom 60 scan lines are ignored. This is then treated the same way as an HD 16:9 image as far as aspect ratio control is concerned. For example LBOX followed by NLS on a 2.35 screen will stretch the 720 by 360 SD image to fill the 2.35 screen in the same proportions as pressing 16:9 and then NLS stretches the 1920 by 1080 HD 16:9 image to fill the 2.35 screen.

Tech Tip - New Source Aspect Ratios added:

We added two new source aspect ratios. These are 2.0 (press ALT and then 4:3 buttons) and 2.2 (press ALT and then 16:9 buttons), which are now being used for some sources. These have their own setup memory in the Input -> In Configs -> (in resolution #) -> Sizing menu. In addition the 2.40 (press ALT and then 2.35 buttons) source aspect ratio now has an independent setup memory versus the 2.35 (press 2.35 button) source aspect ratio.

Tech Tip - Delaying Input Select at Power-On:

A new issue was noted with initial power on with DirecTV receivers if selected at power on that gives bad color and bad audio. This only occurs after DirecTV box spends overnight in sleep mode. We have added the ability to delay the initial input select for three seconds longer than normal, which has resolved this issue in the known cases. This has only been noted with the DirecTV receivers, and only using a 9 GHz input card. However, this may affect other sources. This new feature is in the Other -> OnOff Setup -> Input Select menu in 062518 and later releases. Make sure to do a Save after any changes.

Tech Tip - Selecting a different JVC projector image memory for HDR:

We recommend that the Radiance Pro output colorspace be set to "SDR2020" (or "SDR709" if the projector/TV does not support Rec 2020) for HDR sources so the Radiance Pro can do the Tone Mapping for HDR. This is what we refer to as outputting HDR in an SDR container.

An optimization was requested by dealers that the Radiance Pro allow the HDMI output to assert the "HDR" Info Frame flag even though the HDR output is actually "in an SDR container" specifically for JVC projectors.

This works with JVC projectors since they use this "HDR flag" to select a different color management memory, but still allow its HDR Tone Mapping to be disabled. This allows for different image settings for JVC projectors for SDR and HDR, while still allowing the Radiance Pro to do Tone Mapping. If you have a JVC projector and want to take advantage of this new feature, you can enable this change (062718 release or later) by setting the Output CMS1 Colorspace to "SDR2020" or "SDR709" and then selecting "HDR Flag: On" in the same menu. Note that for this feature the HDR Flag does not affect the video data. Make sure to Save changes.

Note: This feature will not work with Sony projectors.

Tech Tip - When to select CMS Colorspace = SDR709 for HDR sources:

We have seen a couple projectors lock up when the Pro selects the Rec 2020 color space by sending the HDMI Info Frame flag for Rec 2020. This has happened on both a "HDR projector" (now fixed by the manufacturer), and a non HDR projector (a Dolby IMS 1000 based projector). When sent the Rec 2020 flag these projectors would go out for lunch and not come back until power cycled.

The solution was to select "CMS1 Colorspace = SDR709" for these projectors. This leaves the Rec 2020 HDMI info frame flag off for HDR sources. Because of this selection, to get correct colors you will need to do an SDR Rec 2020 3D LUT calibration for CMS1. Without the calibration the image will look okay but will have under-saturated colors. If you do this we strongly recommend using Lightspace for the 3D LUT.

Tech Tip: HDR Desaturation parameter:

There were some Radiance Pro owners who felt that Mad Max Fury Road explosions (such as at 28.29) and a specific frame with a lightning strike (28.53) had the "wrong colors" when using the Pro Tone Mapping. So we investigated if the Pro Tone Mapping was correct or not. We looked at the data on the disc and the Pro was outputting the colors from the disc correctly. In addition, we were able to contact one of the managing producers for Mad Max Fury Road through Jon Thompson (who wrote the Radiance Review linked on our website) and we were able to confirm from the producer that the colors rendered by the Radiance Pro Tone Mapping were correct.

However, some Radiance Pro owners still asked for a HDR Mapping parameter to allow these intense colors to be desaturated. We agree with the Pro owners point that due to the limited intensity output of projectors and current TVs that these colors should be desaturated to some degree since "if the scene was seen in real life the human eye would have desaturated the colors." So we added a new "DSat" control to the input HDR Mapping Parameter Menu. We selected a default of 4 out of the range of 0 to 15. This setting of 4 introduces a small amount of desaturation to the brightest, most saturated, colors (the lightning strike at 28.53 in Mad Max Fury Road for example), while not desaturating the propane explosions at 28.29. Settings of 8 and above begin to desaturate the propane explosions and other bright scenes.

It should be noted the DSat parameter will not have any effect on less saturated, or less bright, colors. So most source material, and even most frames of Mad Max Fury Road, will not have any visible desaturation applied even with higher settings of DSat.

Kal

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kal
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TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7


PostLink    Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2020 2:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Radiance product status update - Dec 27, 2018

Tech Note:

We are making progress on HDR “Dynamic Tone Mapping” and hope to have an initial release in the next couple of weeks. This should help all HDR programs but especially the many programs and movies that get the metadata for HDR10 wrong.

Dynamic Tone Mapping is a very difficult task, so please expect that we will be providing updates for this feature over time as we refine the algorithm.

Tech Tip:

We have added matrix based conversion from Rec 709 to/from Rec 2020, and Rec 709 and Rec 2020 to DCI/P3 in the Radiance Pro.

The main reason we added this is for all the DLP projectors and televisions out there that are limited to the Rec 709 color Gamut. Before you had to do a 3D LUT conversion for HDR for these to get proper colors on these. Now you can tell the Pro to convert the data for HDR colors to the Rec 709 colorspace internally without requiring a 3D LUT calibration. This changes the HDR Rec 2020 data and puts it into a “Rec 709 container.” This in turn significantly improves the color saturation for HDR for displays with a limited color Gamut.

To order a Radiance or for more information, see: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm

Kal

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My basement/HT/bar/brewery build 2.0
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kal
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Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 17849
Location: Ottawa, Canada

TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7


PostLink    Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2020 2:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Radiance product status update - May 28, 2019

I wanted to update you on advancements in the Radiance Pro over the past few months. We believe these make having a Radiance Pro in every theater even more essential.

We have seen a lot of projectors now taking advantage of the Radiance Pro for scaling, tone mapping, and calibration, but recently we are starting to see the Radiance Pro used with LED walls. In addition to the other Radiance Pro features, it can output at any custom resolution to match the various LED wall resolutions. For example, 2560 x1440 looks to be a common resolution. The Pro can be set up to output at this resolution using a Custom Timing memory.

Here are some of the improvements in Tone Mapping and colorspace conversion.

Dynamic Tone Mapping:

As most of you likely know we have released our HDR10 Dynamic Tone Mapping (DTM) to great acclaim. The feedback is the Radiance Pro DTM is a significant improvement versus Static Tone Mapping, even though people tell us the Radiance Pro Static Tone Mapping was already better than any other HDR Tone Mapping. With the addition of DTM the Radiance Pro detects scene changes and calculates an optimal transfer function for each scene.

With the current release (042119) we have improved DTM by addressing scenes provided by Radiance Pro owners as being difficult. We are also evaluating other changes to improve DTM further. There will still likely be scenes we can improve in the future.

In addition we have added DTM support for HLG material. With this addition, 4k HLG from DirecTV, and other providers, will look even better. Note that we have also found and fixed a Static Tone Mapping HLG bug where HLG was too bright.

We are also nearing release of additional improvements to the DTM algorithm. Our testing shows the new algorithm improves on the current DTM implementation, raising the performance bar even higher. We hope to post this release next week, assuming we do not run into implementation issues.

As you use DTM please watch for scenes we can improve and report them to us. We need the movie/program, format (HDR10 or HLG), source device, the time stamp for the scene, and a description of what to look for.

Setup for Tone Mapping:

One of the most frequent questions I get asked is “how do I setup the parameters for HDR Tone Mapping.” I have what I think is good news on this front. With the introduction of Dynamic Tone Mapping the factory defaults for the parameters work even better with all systems I am aware of. This means that if you correctly adjust the Display Max Light setting in the CMS1->HDR Mapping menu (after you enable HDR Mapping) IMO you can leave the other settings at their defaults.

I should make special note of the “Dlev” (Dynamic Level) control for Dynamic Tone Mapping that is in the Input parameter menu. This controls if the “Static MaxCLL Metadata” plays a significant role in the Dynamic Tone Mapping function (Dlev=1), or plays no role (Dlev=8), or somewhere in between (Dlev = 2 to 7).

The default for Dlev is 5 which does use the Static MaxCLL for a small fraction of the calculation as a “pivot point” to moderate some the extremes in various scenes. This is the setting I use for Dlev. Note that the Dlev control has no visible effect on scenes that approach the reported static MaxCLL brightness in the movie. It only comes into play on extremely dark scenes for material that has a high static MaxCLL.

Setup with DTM is the same as with Static. First choose a 4000 nit (or so) HDR title such as Mad Max Fury Road. Personally, I use this title at 28:29 where a pickup is exploding in the sky. The scene has both very bright explosion and a dark detailed sandstorm portion and is good to optimize the tradeoff between dark detail and bright highlights. Whichever scene you choose you need to set the CMS1->HDR Mapping->Display Max Light to balance dark detail and bright highlights.

In general, the “Low-set” value for Ratio can be left at the default of 15 and so you can choose to skip this next step. If you choose to set the Low-set Ratio for DTM you need to choose a movie with a low MaxCLL, such as Blade Runner 2049 at 6:48 (Officer K sitting facing the farmer standing). Note that this is supposed to be a dark scene. So, avoid making it too bright.

Color Space Conversion:

The Pro has always been able to convert colorspaces using its 3D LUT, but this required a 3D LUT calibration. We have added a new feature that allows you to specify an output colorspace that is different than the source colorspace and the Pro will automatically convert the data from the source colorspace to the output colorspace. This is very useful if the TV or projector has a limited color Gamut, and the source has a Rec 2020 color Gamut (e.g. HDR).

The most common example of why this is important is for DLP projectors. Many current DLP projectors are limited to Rec 709 Gamut. Since HDR is Rec 2020 this has led to color saturation issues since the projectors are not correctly converting the source Rec 2020 data to its Rec 709 Gamut. The Radiance Pro CMS1 “Colorspace” for HDR sources can be set to output “SDR709.” Then by selecting “Auto Convert” in this same menu it tells the Pro to convert the Rec 2020 data and output it as Rec 709 data. This gives better color on these projectors, out to their Rec 709 Gamut limits, even without a 3D LUT calibration.

Another use for the color space auto conversion is for outputting Rec 2020 color data for Rec 709 sources to reduce the number of HDMI output resyncs. We recommend outputting “HDR in an SDR container.” So CMS1, used for HDR source, will have the Colorspace set to SDR2020. By also setting the CMS0, used for SDR material, to SDR2020, and enabling Auto Convert, the Pro outputs both SDR and HDR material as “SDR 2020.” Since changing color space requires a HDMI resync, this can eliminate the projector’s long resync time when changing from SDR to HDR source (if output rate for both is the same). This in turn can improve switching speed for SDR to/from HDR.

To order a Radiance or for more information, see: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm

Kal

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kal
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Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 17849
Location: Ottawa, Canada

TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7


PostLink    Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2020 2:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Radiance product status update - June 14, 2019

With Dynamic Tone Mapping I now believe that once you have the Display Max Light optimized, you should not need to modify any of the other HDR Parameters from their defaults to get exceptional images on the screen. You can of course do additional tuning if you would like.

New Dynamic Tone Mapping Release:

We have been evaluating the next Dynamic Tone Mapping software release and I have to say I believe it is a significant improvement on what was already the best tone mapping available. I am excited to get everyone’s feedback. So please download it when it becomes available and let us know what you think. It should have a release date of 06xx19.

I think Dynamic Tone Mapping now rivals, aspect ratio control, calibration and NoRing™ scaling as compelling reasons for you to present to your customers as reason to buy Radiance Pro units for their theaters, new or as a retrofit.

We are working on some final touches such as getting a FPGA synthesis result that meets timing. So I expect we will have the release available next week.

To order a Radiance or for more information, see: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm

Kal

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kal
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Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 17849
Location: Ottawa, Canada

TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7


PostLink    Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2020 2:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Radiance product status update - September 2019

Going forward a new Radiance Pro firmware release will be termed “Beta” for the first week or so after it is released to denote early adopters are testing it. Once we feel confident the release is ready to be installed in your customer’s theater(s) we will remove the “Beta” to denote we consider it production quality.

======

If you have not tried the latest Dynamic Tone Mapping (DTM), please give it a go (081019 and later). Feedback has been exceptionally positive. Customers are loving the improved HDR quality, and it was excellent before.

We now recommend setting the CMS1->HDR Mapping->Max Light about 5 (brighter) to 6 (more color saturation) times the measured light output of the projector in nits. The setting the “Low-set” effective Max Light (using Ratio) to about 2X the measured light output in nits. For this the “Low-set Ratio” will be in the range of 15 to 24 (default remains at 15). NOTE: This is consistent with previous releases and you should *not* be required to adjust your customers tone mapping settings. We worked hard to make the older recommended settings give an excellent result for DTM. For example, I am very happy with the settings I had before the DTM releases, but on the other hand I am also looking at tweaking the settings to further optimize the picture. Said another way, if you are at a customers you should look at their setting with different content, and you may want to make minor adjustments, but this is not required for the customer to continue to enjoy the best HDR tone mapping with their current settings.

To order a Radiance or for more information, see: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm

Kal

_________________

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My basement/HT/bar/brewery build 2.0
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kal
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Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 17849
Location: Ottawa, Canada

TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7


PostLink    Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2020 2:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Radiance product status update - December 2019

We have had extremely positive feedback on our introduction of Dynamic Tone Mapping (DTM) for HDR10, and HLG. Experts are telling us it provides the best HDR image when compared to any other available technology. In fact we just heard the Radiance Pro DTM is being used as one of the QC checks by a producer on some recent <major motion picture studio name removed> movies.

We have made a number of improvements to DTM since the first DTM release, and have more improvements in the release coming out soon (likely this week).

We have also switched to microwave grade capacitors in key locations on the I/O and main circuit boards. These cost roughly 100 times more than standard bypass capacitors, but we think the lower jitter they give us on the Pro outputs is worth the expense.

Additional “Pre-configured” PLUS (+) models:

The 4242+ serves as the new entry model for those who want to support HDR10 and HLG from sources like the AppleTV 4K that require an 18 GHz input for HDR support. As many of you know with the Pro’s excellent output dither I do not see any technical reason to have an 18 GHz output. For 4k24 HDR there is zero difference since both 9G and 18G cards support 4:2:2 12-bit. The only real question is can someone perceive an improvement using an 18G output for a 4k60 HDR10 source. In my A-B comparison I do not see any difference between the 9G and 18G outputs even on tough HDR scenes running at 4k60. On the other hand there *is* a technical reason to choose the 9 GHz output card: The slower edge rate of the 9 GHz output means less cabling, and/or marginal projector input design, issues. For the above reasons I believe the Radiance Pro 4242+ is an excellent choice for price sensitive customers, and gives full performance for HDR titles at a lower price.

If someone does not want to listen to my 9G output argument, then the 4242-18G is an excellent choice. The 4242-18G is currently our biggest seller, with 18 GHz on all four inputs, and 18 GHz on the output to the projector/TV, plus an audio only output.

When more than four inputs are needed, most systems still only have one TV or projector. In this case a single 18 GHz output 444X provides the option of using either the 18 GHz output (#4) or the 9 GHz output (#2). Then the choice becomes how many HDR sources (18G inputs), and how many non-HDR sources (9G inputs) are needed. I added the 4444+ and the 4446+ since they are the two most common cases for this scenario.

Some customers want the biggest and best and the Radiance Pro 4446-18G is for them. All eight inputs are 18 GHz and there are two 18 GHz outputs for systems with both a TV and a projector.

Tech Note:

We are adding a simplified menu for DTM parameters. You can see everything as it now is in Service Mode, but in User Mode the DTM parameter menu (left arrow) will be:

Code:

              Low Ratio        DynPad            DeSat                Max Light (Global)
              0 to 63          0 to 7            0 to 15              100 to 9990
             
              (31 default      3 default         4 default            500 default)

The only parameter you will need to adjust is the Max Light in CMS1. Set it in the range of 5 to 6 times the measured light in nits. Leave other parameters at their defaults (for most clients). Note: If you want a brighter images you can lower Max Light below the 5x multiple, but this is a trade-off with other considerations. We are leaving the ones shown as these can make sense to change, but in user mode we are hiding the ones that give the client/calibrator too much rope.

We are leaving the 5x to 6x measured maximum light output as the recommended Max Light setting. The reason is the "Effective Max Light" for dark scenes *will* be about 1X the measured light output. Some calibrators are wanting to set Max Light to 1X measured light, but we need to leave it as it is now both so that current configurations work well, but also for “dark scenes” as described below.

The "1X measured" light setting is in the mix, but for "dark scenes" as it needs to be. We will show the effective Low Light Max in this menu. Not sure how this will look yet, but you can look at it and change Max Light until the "Low Light Max" is at 1X measured light (or your preferred multiple for low light scenes).

Also note that the new default for "Low Ratio" will change to 31 (currently 15). Using 15 still works well, but with the improvements in the DTM we are seeing that you can raise this value without seeing clipping. Setting the Low-set ratio to 31 give roughly “1X” measured light (assuming Max Light is in the 5x to 6x range) as the setting for dark scenes and gives a brighter image for dark scenes as some have been requesting.

These changes should be in a release later this week. This release will have additional “adaptive DTM” improvements as well.

To order a Radiance or for more information, see: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm

Kal

_________________

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My basement/HT/bar/brewery build 2.0
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kal
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Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 17849
Location: Ottawa, Canada

TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7


PostLink    Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2020 2:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Radiance product status update - March 2020

Tech Tip: More improvements to Dynamic Tone Mapping (DTM):

I am excited to report that we will soon release “zone-based Adaptive Dynamic Tone Mapping” (Adaptive DTM). We have previously released the Adaptive DTM. The new piece of the puzzle that is being improved is when a flash (generally an explosion) only covers a small area of the screen. Without zone-based analysis a few scenes would have this flash make the frame appear to be a scene cut and would change the transfer function to match the falsely detected scene cut. This has the side effect of making the other areas of the image change intensity, on a very few scenes, when they should not. Adding zone-based DTM was a significant effort but is proving well worth the time spent. If only a few zones are affected by the flash, and so the majority remain relatively constant, the false scene-cut detection is eliminated and the transfer-function for the scene remains the same, as it should. We expect to release this new version of Adaptive DTM (ADTM) the week of March 9.

The last few releases also make adjusting DTM parameters easier. We have simplified the menu in User-mode, but have kept the old controls available in Service-mode. Now setting up DTM has four controls, and we have made all four available in the “Left-arrow” shortcut to the DTM parameter menu. We now strongly recommend you use the default setting except as noted below. We recommend that, before you adjust the DTM parameters, you use the MENU->Input->Options->HDR Setup->Set Defaults command to reset all DTM parameters to their default, and then Save.

For the current release (011120), and future releases, HDR “Left Arrow” controls are:

- LowRatio: We have improved our DTM algorithm enough to where we have raised the default for this control to 31 (was 15). Note that 15 still works well but 31 gives a brighter image. This control adjusts the “Display Max Light” for scenes that the Radiance Pro detects as a “moderate to dark” scene. Note that this control is used along with the bright-scene Max Light. It blends the effect of each for smooth transitions between brightness levels. I recommend leaving this at the new default setting of 31.

- DynPad: Dynamic Tone Mapping detects scene cuts on the first frame of a new scene. Because scenes can get brighter within the scene, the Radiance Pro adds a small pad to its calculation of scene brightness to avoid the scene “crushing” later within the scene. The addition of “adaptive” changes within a scene this pad does not need to be as large. We started with DynPad = 6 as default. Now we use DynPad = 3 as default. The value of 3 works very well in conjunction with the Adaptive nature of the DTM. So well that I recommend trying DynPad = 1 to see if it works for you. Even with a DynPad = 1 we see virtually no scenes that have any clipping as they get brighter. In fact we are considering changing the default for DynPad to 1. So I suggest you try DynPad = 1 to see if it works for you. You can of course use a value of 2 or 3 and get excellent results. However, a value of 1 will increase the perceived brightness, which can be helpful on projector based theaters.

- DeSat: The Desaturation Control can be used for very bright scenes to make them more like what you might see if you were there in person. Very bright colors will look different to your eyes on a 4000 nit studio monitor, or in real life, than on a 100 nit projector. The common example is “Mad Max: Fury Road.” The scene at 0:28:29 has a very bright explosion where a pickup truck blows up in the air. A friend of mine discussed this scene with a producer on the movie to see what colors should be in the explosion. The answer was mostly burnt orange (with some yellow). However, many people prefer the explosions to look more yellow than the data on the disc. As noted above, this has some basis in real life. If you saw such a bright explosion your eyes would tend to desaturate the colors which might make the explosion look more yellow. Because of this we added the DeSat control. The default is 4 for this, and I leave it at default. This gives a very slight desaturation to this and other scenes with very bright colors. I have tested with a setting of 8 and I do like the look of having more yellow in the explosion. So this is a personal preference item. If you want to adjust this away from default, watch up to the above timestamp and pause. Then adjust DeSat to your preference.

- Max Light: This is a backdoor way to change the active HDR CMS (default is CMS1) HDR Mapping Max Light setting. This Max Light is used for very bright scenes. It is also used as the base-value for Max Light for dark to mid-level scenes. That is, the Low-ratio adjusts the transfer function using the bright scene Max Light as the base value. Changing this control will change the Display Max Light value in active CMS. We recommend setting CMS Max Light to 4 to 5 times the measured maximum light off the screen in nits for projectors. I use 4.5 times for our Lumagen Demo Theater’s JVC RS4500. For a bright TV with over 500 nits, this will typically be set to 1 to 2 times the display’s maximum light output. To change this in the “Left Arrow” menu, use left/right arrows to select the Max Light value and up/down arrows to adjust it. If you do not know the screen brightness in nits, you can use the scene I now use as a check. This is “The Meg” at (about) 1:08:35 where a man is swimming up to the overturned boat. Start at the previous scene, play up to the scene and then pause as the man is treading water very near the boat. Adjust Max Light up and down balancing scene brightness with optimal flesh tone.

Note that the LowRatio, the DynPad, and the DeSat, are specific to the current input and input memory. If you want all sources to have the changes you make applied, you need to use the MENU->Input->Copy command to copy from the current input and input memory to all inputs and all input memories. The Max Light parameter changes the value in the active output CMS and so changes the value for all inputs and input memories the use the active CMS (which at default is all inputs and all input memories).

Make sure to Save your changes.

Tech Tip: Using the RS232 message command:

If you use RS232 control of the Radiance Pro you can put up a message on screen. This can be useful for showing AVR volume or even something like “Someone is at the door.” You put the message on the screen with ZTMxxxx<CR>, and you can clear the message using the ZC command. Note that the ZT command uses the carriage-return character (“<cr>”) as a termination character, but do not send a <cr> character after either the ZB or ZC command. If you do it will bring up the Info screen.

Recently a programmer requested that we add a RS232 command to control the color for the message. For 022620 (not posted yet), or later updates, there is a RS232 command for altering text message colors for the ZT message string.

The command is ZY418CRRGGBB, where C=0,1,2 (0 sets background color, 1 sets foreground, 2 sets blend value).

RRGGBB for foreground, or background, is RGB color where RR,GG or BB, are each hexadecimal 00-ff numbers (10 hex is black and to EB is white).

For the blend value only last B digit is used so range is 000001-00000f where 'f' gives opaque messages and '1' gives makes messages very transparent allowing video to be seen.

I will be updating the RS-232 control Tech Tip 11 soon to add this information.

To order a Radiance or for more information, see: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm

Kal

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PostLink    Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2020 2:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Radiance product status update - July 2020

New Radiance Pro Configurations:

We are excited to announce the Radiance Pro 4244 (six input, two output), and the Radiance Pro 4246 (eight input, two output), configurations. We had dealers asking for more inputs than the four the 4242 supports, but with only two outputs to keep cost down. The Radiance Pro 4244, and 4246, fulfill this request, and fill the price gap between the 4242-18G, and the 4446+. The 4244 and 4246 use the 444X main board, but chips responsible for the additional two outputs, and PiP/PoP, are depopulated to save manufacturing cost. So, as with the 424X models, the 4244 and 4246 will never support PiP/PoP.

The Radiance Pro 4244 and 4246 configurations are available for immediate sale.

Dynamic Tone Mapping (DTM):

We continue to improve the Radiance Pro Dynamic Tone Mapping (DTM). A movie producer, who is one of the people responsible for post-production image quality at a major studio, evaluated the Radiance Pro DTM versus the other available, or soon to be available, DTM options. He compared Studio Masters to the DTM output of the Radiance Pro and the other products. He said that “the other DTM options are not even in the same league as the Radiance Pro DTM.” This was before the currently posted software release which further distanced the Radiance Pro from the competition. In addition, we have another release in the works which will have further DTM improvements. These upcoming improvements will enhance a few difficult corner cases, and will not affect the majority of scenes. So, the current public release (060120) already provides exceptional results.

DTM Setup Tech Tip:

I often get asked about the recommended procedure for setting up DTM. I have discussed this before but we have continued to refine DTM to make setup as simple as possible. Because I think it is a good time to revisit DTM setup recommendations.

The improvements are enough that we can now recommend that the only setting you need to adjust is the “Max Light” in CMS1.HDR Mapping.MaxLight. The other HDR parameters in the current release should work well at their defaults. The DTM Parameters can be adjusted, but we are finding that that defaults of “Low Ratio” = 31, “Dyn Pad” = 2, and DeSat = 4 provide excellent results. There are some exception cases as discussed below.

Before adjusting DTM, if you have previously made changes to DTM parameters, you should set the DTM parameters to their default values using the Input.Option.HDR Settings menu “set defaults” option.

For projectors with light outputs of up to about 150 nits, set CMS1.HDR Mapping.Max Light in the range of 4 to 5 times the measured light output in nits. For projectors with light outputs above 150 nits, set Max Light to about 3 to 4 times the max light in nits. For TVs with light output in the 500 an up range, set Max Light to roughly 1.5 to 2.5 times the measured light in nits. For TVs over about 1000 nits, set Max Light in the range of 1 to 1.5 the measured light in nits.

If you do not have a light meter, you can approximate based on the light output rating of the projector/TV, and then use content to fine tune. Note that the optimal setting also depends on screen size and screen-gain. If your projector has an output rating of around 2000 Lumens (e.g. JVC RS2000, and RS3000), Max Light in the 300 to 400 range may be optimal. If you have a projector in the 3000 Lumagen range (e.g. JVC RS4500), a Max Light in the range of 400 to 500 may be optimal. If you have a projector around 5000 Lumens (e.g. Sony VW5000ES), a Max Light in the range of 500 to 700 may be optimal. If you have an OLED TV, a Max Light in the range of 1000 to 1200 may be optimal.

Check color saturation in a very bright movie, such as “The Meg” at about 1:08:25 to 1:08:50 where people are on, and swimming by, an overturned boat. For this scene check flesh tones. A lower Max Light will increase brightness. A higher Max Light will potentially increase color saturation (but will reduce brightness). Adjust to your preference, trading off brightness and color saturation.

When you select the “Left Arrow” DTM parameter menu, and select the LowRatio column, the Effective Max Light for both dark scenes (“L”) and bright scenes (“H”) are shown. The dark-scene Max Light for projector should be in the 1 to 1.5 times measured maximum light output of the projector in nits. For example I have the LowRatio set so the dark-scene-max-light is 90 nits for our measured 88 nits of light output.

For projectors the default of LowRatio = 31 works well. However, for TVs you may want to view a very dark scene, such as the Revenant at 0:19:58 where the trapper’s son is laying by a tree at twilight. Adjust LowRatio so this scene is very dark (the max light in this scene is only about 7 nits), but so you can still see detail in the son’s face and shirt. Note: If your projector does not have at least a 6000:1 static contrast ratio, this scene may look a bit “washed out” due to the black level not being dark enough. Most DLP projectors have a static contrast ratio in the 800 to 1400 range, and so this is a tough scene for these projectors. I mention this since, for lower-contrast-ratio projectors, you may not get this scene looking as good as you would like. Knowing ahead of time should prevent you from spending too much time trying to achieve something the projector is incapable of.

I don’t want to come across as being against DLP projectors, and so I should mention that DLP projectors can have some benefits, such as high light output. For sports, and bright movies, they can give excellent results when the Radiance Pro is in the system to process the source video. And for dark movies, such as The Revenant, and Blade Runner 2049, the Radiance Pro will make the image look as good as it possibly can for each specific projector.

Remember to Save your changes.

To order a Radiance or for more information, see: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm

Kal

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PostLink    Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2020 3:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Radiance product status update - November 2020

We have made significant improvements in the Radiance Pro algorithms and features. Yes, I know I said that last time, but we have made further enhancements since then.

We have continued to significantly improve the HDR Dynamic Tone Mapping (DTM) in the Radiance Pro. This software analyzes every single frame of content, detects scene cuts, and optimizes the transfer-function for every scene. Then it continues to adapt the transfer-function within the scene itself. In movie studio terms the Radiance Pro “Grades” every frame of the content.

In a review here: https://hometheaterreview.com/lumagen-radiance-pro-4446-4k-video-processor-review/, Jon Thompson a movie producer who does post production for a large movie studio says the Radiance Pro processing (scaling, DTM, etc.) is the best available. Privately Jon told me the competitive products are “not even in the same league as the Radiance Pro.”

Note that this was before we made additional improvements to scaling and added “edge enhancement” to the Radiance Pro software.

The Radiance and Radiance Pro lines has always been known for the best scaling technology. We recently took this to an even higher level of quality. We were working on edge enhancement (see below) and we decided to make scaling improvements we have been considering at the same time. This raised the quality score on the Tektronix scaling analysis hardware platform from 4.6 to over 5, according to Jon Thompson who did the testing. Jon said that in his opinion anything over a 5 is nearly indistinguishable from non-real-time scaling that can take hours per frame. The best-known Radiance Pro competitor scores a 4.2, with their enhancements off. The score goes lower when their enhancements are turned on. Jon says the difference between 4.2 versus over 5 for the Radiance Pro is dramatic.

Since the Radiance Pro was introduced one of the most requested features has been image enhancement. Since HDR came out I have been telling people that once we had HDR sorted we would tackle image enhancements. HDR took way longer than expected. First supporting it, then developing our “Static Tone Mapping” (STM) algorithm, and then over the past two years developing and enhancing our “Dynamic Tone Mapping” (DTM) algorithm. Finally, in September of this year, we felt we could set aside DTM at least for a time and we developed an enhancement feature. This is an “edge enhancement” algorithm that is optimized for SD/HD to UHD, and as a separate optimization for UHD sources.

Most video professionals do not like enhancements as they change the picture from “what the director intended.” I must say I too did not like enhancements. That is until I looked at our new enhancement algorithm. I now prefer watching with our new enhancement feature set to 2 with “High” sensitivity to noise. The noise sensitively set to “High” analyzes the low-bit changes and ignores compression noise to prevent “enhancing the noise.”

In Australia “Woofer” (from AVS Forum) an advocate for a recently introduced product (the “envy”) did a blind A-to-B image quality test with five videophiles between the Pro and that product. In this “single-blind” test Woofer did a great job of testing so that the five panelists did not know which product they were seeing. The result: “The panelists, and I, overwhelming preferred the images produced by Radiance Pro.” Given his expectation that other product would win, I think this is an astounding result. That Woofer went public with the results is a testimony to his integrity. Woofer has since sold the other video processor and now has the Radiance Pro (as he said to me) as a “central part of my home theater.”

We have several other recent reviews. Here are the links:

German review: https://www.lowbeats.de/test-highend-videoprozessor-lumagen-radiance/
Australian review: https://www.stereo.net.au/reviews/lumagen-radiance-pro-video-processor-review

All this just further shows that all home theaters need a Radiance Pro.

To order a Radiance or for more information, see: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm

Kal

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PostLink    Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2020 3:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

LIMITED RELEASE: Radiance Pro 4242-C+ B-stock units




Just in time for BLACK FRIDAY we have a very limited supply of Radiance Pro 4242-C+ B-stock units available at discounted pricing!

These units feature 4K processing with 4 HDMI inputs and 2 HDMI outputs, with two inputs upgraded to 18Ghz. The latest microwave capacitor upgrades are also included. Don't want the compact case model (approx 11 x 2 x 5.5")? These are also available as the Radiance Pro 4242+ in the standard 1U case that accepts optional rack mount ears.

These B-stock units are cosmetically perfect and fully tested, ready to ship out direct from Lumagen. They come with full 1 year manufacturer warranty and support just like new units. Supply is extremely limited. These will be sold on a first come, first served basis.

Contact us for details and pricing at kal@curtpalme.com

Kal

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PostLink    Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2021 12:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

New Radiance Pro 5348





The Radiance Pro 5348 is the newest in a long line of Radiance video processors and features 10 x 18 Ghz HDMI inputs, 2 x 18Ghz HDMI outputs, and 1 audio-only output.

What sets the Radiance Pro 5348 apart from previous 4XXX models is the electrical improvements in the design. While using the same HDMI chips, and FPGA, the use of linear regulators for 28 critical power supplies, and the addition of an HDMI dejitter output buffer, has dramatically reduced output jitter and noise. The use of Faraday cages for all nine DC-to-DC switching-regulators dramatically reduces EMI. As an example, the current 18 GHz Rev 1.4 output card in a 4446 has a HDMI data jitter of about 80 pS (HDMI specification requires 102 pS or less for 18 GHz). In comparison the measured HDMI output data jitter on the Radiance Pro 5348 is 45 pS, or just about half. More importantly for audio, the HDMI output clock jitter has been measured at about 10 pS. This is a nearly ideal clock to send to the audio processor.

People have asked if reduced jitter and electrical noise matters. Yes, it does. Based on A-to-B testing with the Lumagen Demo Theater’s Trinnov Altitude 16, the Radiance Pro 5348 does make a significant improvement for appropriate content (e.g. Greatest Showman “Never Enough”). Some have asked about the current 4XXX product line: “The Radiance Pro does not process audio. So how come audio sounds better when it is running through the Radiance Pro?” The difference is lower jitter and reduced electrical noise. The Radiance Pro 4XXX output jitter and electrical noise are already dramatically better than other products we know about, but the 5348 takes jitter and noise reduction to what we consider is the ultimate audiophile level. For complete details see our Radiance order page: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm

Trade-ins available.

Extra $500 off advanced auto-calibration package

The $500 discount on our advanced auto-calibration package applies to this new Radiance Pro 5348, same as all other Radiance Pro units (including B-stock). Advanced auto-calibration allows anyone with little or no training to fully calibrate their display with almost no user input to almost 5000 points. It adjusts the display's grayscale, gamma, and colours to levels of accuracy that are simply not achievable by manual (hands on) methods. Just setup a few simple options in the included ChromaPure software, click "Auto-Calibrate", and then go have a cup of coffee while the process completes. There is no need for the user to understand how calibration works. Suitable for all display types.

For a complete breakdown of Radiance models, see our newly updated Radiance feature comparison table: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm#FeatureComparison

To order, see: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm

Questions? Email kal@curtpalme.com

Kal

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PostLink    Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2021 5:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Radiance extended warranties available



Manufacturer extended warranties on Lumagen Radiance video processors are now available, taking the 1 year warranty to 5 years.

The warranty terms and conditions are the same as before, and can be found in the first few pages of your Radiance manual. The only difference is that the time is extended from 1 year to 5. The extended warranty is transferrable to a new owner if the unit is sold.

Available for units purchased new, units still under their 1 year warranty, and in some cases for units out of warranty (at the manufacturer's discretion) assuming the unit is still functional. Accidental damage, such as from a power surge, is not covered.

Interested? Please contact us with your Radiance model number for pricing at kal@curtpalme.com.

For more info on Radiance, see our order page: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm

Kal

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PostLink    Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2021 8:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

New Radiance Pro 5244



The Radiance Pro 5244 is the newest in a long line of Radiance video processors and features 6 x 18 Ghz HDMI inputs, 1 x 18Ghz HDMI outputs, and 1 audio-only output.

What sets the Radiance Pro 5XXX series apart from previous 4XXX models is the electrical improvements in the design. While using the same HDMI chips, and FPGA, the use of linear regulators for 28 critical power supplies, and the addition of an HDMI dejitter output buffer, has dramatically reduced output jitter and noise. The use of Faraday cages for all nine DC-to-DC switching-regulators dramatically reduces EMI. As an example, the current 18 GHz Rev 1.4 output card in a 4XXX has a HDMI data jitter of about 80 pS (HDMI specification requires 102 pS or less for 18 GHz). In comparison the measured HDMI output data jitter on the Radiance Pro 5XXX is 45 pS, or just about half. More importantly for audio, the HDMI output clock jitter has been measured at about 10 pS. This is a nearly ideal clock to send to the audio processor.

People have asked if reduced jitter and electrical noise matters. Yes, it does. Based on A-to-B testing with the Lumagen Demo Theater’s Trinnov Altitude 16, the Radiance Pro 5XXX does make a significant improvement for appropriate content (e.g. Greatest Showman “Never Enough”). Some have asked about the current 4XXX product line: “The Radiance Pro does not process audio. So how come audio sounds better when it is running through the Radiance Pro?” The difference is lower jitter and reduced electrical noise. The Radiance Pro 4XXX output jitter and electrical noise are already dramatically better than other products we know about, but the 5XXX takes jitter and noise reduction to what we consider is the ultimate audiophile level. For complete details see our Radiance order page: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm

About the Radiance Pro

Looking to add the best video processor available today to your high end 4K / HDR home theater? The Lumagen Radiance Pro is what you need to ensure the best image quality possible.

The Radiance Pro series improves on the award-winning Radiance video processor family by adding support for 4k60 inputs, and outputs, including HDCP 2.2, HDR10, and HLG. Winner of a CEPro Best of 2015 award, and a Best Video Product award in Australia in 2019, the Radiance Pro is not standing still. Lumagen is adding to its 20-year legacy of video processor development by continuing to enhance features and algorithms with software updates. The Radiance Pro family offers up to ten inputs, four outputs, and a multitude of processing, setup, and calibration features. Much more than an HDMI switcher, the Radiance Pro has a host of features to improve the image on your screen. It is considered by many experts to be an essential part of any quality home theater.

Optimizing HDR content has perhaps become the most important video processing feature. The Radiance Pro Dynamic Tone Mapping (DTM) analyzes every frame of content for multiple regions of each frame, detects scene changes, and optimizes the “transfer function” for each frame of content. Jon Thompson, a movie producer who is responsible for post-production image quality at a major studio, recently evaluated the Radiance Pro DTM versus the other DTM options. He said that "the other DTM options are not even in the same league as the Radiance Pro."



Scaling quality again comes to the forefront with the advent of 4k projectors and televisions. Lumagen’s NoRing™ scaling provides the best quality scaling for 1080, 720, and SD, sources for 4k projectors and TVs. Scaling is also essential for aspect-ratio control, especially when using an anamorphic lens. In addition, the Radiance Pro has a edge-sharpening feature that helps restore detail lost during compression of the digital content.

Reference quality colorimetry is often overlooked as part of a high-end home theater. The Radiance Pro can provide automated video equalization, using third party calibration software, with more accuracy than calibration without a 3D LUT. Using the Radiance Pro’s Color Management System, you can see what the director intended.

Other features include anamorphic screen support for HD, 3D, and 4k UHD and HDR sources, with or without an anamorphic lens. Image based auto-aspect selection, plus precise geometry adjustments including size, and masking, are available. The Radiance Pro’s Non-Linear-Stretch (NLS) feature allows the user to stretch 16:9 content to fill an anamorphic screen using their preferred settings. For 16:9 screens and TVs, an anamorphic image can be placed anywhere in the active screen area, or with some zoom, and/or cropping, can fill a larger portion of the screen. Multiple configuration memories allow for multiple independent configurations, such as day, night, sports, and black-and-white. For 4XXX models, dual-port I/O cards can be upgraded from 9 GHz to 18 GHz in the field. The Radiance Pro 5XXX models have a fixed I/O configuration.

The adaptability of the Radiance Pro is second to none. Using Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology, the Radiance Pro can add hardware image processing and setup features long after installation. The Radiance Pro is adding new features over time. One example is HDR video, which did not even exist at introduction. DTM was added four years after product introduction and is available to all Radiance Pro owners by simply updating to the latest release. Your Radiance Pro’s feature-set and performance are "only as old as its most recent software release."

Extra $500 off advanced auto-calibration package

The $500 discount on our advanced auto-calibration package also applies to our Radiance Pro 5244 sale. Advanced auto-calibration allows anyone with little or no training to fully calibrate their display with almost no user input to almost 5000 points. It adjusts the display's grayscale, gamma, and colours to levels of accuracy that are simply not achievable by manual (hands on) methods. Just setup a few simple options in the included ChromaPure software, click "Auto-Calibrate", and then go have a cup of coffee while the process completes. There is no need for the user to understand how calibration works. Suitable for all display types.

For a complete breakdown of Radiance models, see our newly updated Radiance feature comparison table: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm#FeatureComparison

To order, see: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm

Questions? Email kal@curtpalme.com

Kal

_________________

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PostLink    Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 6:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Discounted Radiance Pro B-stock units available
April 10, 2023



We have a limited number of discounted Radiance Pro B-stock units available. These are shipped directly from the manufacturer and come with full warranty and support just like new (A-stock) units. Functionality is identical. Supply is extremely limited. These do not come up often!

Looking to add the best video processor available today to your high end 4K / HDR home theater or digital display? The Lumagen Radiance Pro is what you need to ensure the best image quality possible.

The Radiance Pro series improves on the award-winning Radiance video processor family by adding support for 4k60 inputs, and outputs, including HDCP 2.2, HDR10, and HLG. Winner of a CEPro™ Best of 2015 award, and a Best Video Product award in Australia in 2019, the Radiance Pro is not standing still. Lumagen is adding to its 20-year legacy of video processor development by continuing to enhance features and algorithms with software updates. The Radiance Pro family offers up to ten inputs, four outputs, and a multitude of processing, setup, and calibration features. Much more than an HDMI switcher, the Radiance Pro has a host of features to improve the image on your screen. It is considered by many experts to be an essential part of any quality home theater.

Optimizing HDR content has perhaps become the most important video processing feature. The Radiance Pro Dynamic Tone Mapping (DTM) analyzes every frame of content for multiple regions of each frame, detects scene changes, and optimizes the “transfer function” for each frame of content. A movie producer, who is responsible for post-production image quality at a major studio, evaluated the Radiance Pro DTM versus the other available, DTM options. He said that “the other DTM options are not even in the same league as the Radiance Pro DTM.” This is high praise coming from a movie production professional.



Scaling quality again comes to the forefront with the advent of 4k projectors and televisions. Lumagen’s NoRing™ scaling provides the best quality scaling for 1080, 720, and SD, sources for 4k projectors and TVs. Scaling is also essential for aspect-ratio control, especially when using an anamorphic lens. In addition, the Radiance Pro has new "sharpness" features that helps restore detail lost in compression used for transmission of content.

Fast switching is an essential part of any good home theater, and the Radiance Pro can significantly reduce the very long switching times that occur when using an AVR or audio processor for switching. Many people say they do not think switching time is an issue, that is until they experience the long lock-on times of many projectors. The Radiance Pro can be programmed to significantly reduce switching times. The Radiance Pro can split the video and audio, so a 1080p AVR or audio processor can be used with 4k HDCP 2.2 sources.

Reference quality colorimetry is often overlooked as part of a high-end home theater. The Radiance Pro can provide automated video equalization, using third party calibration software such as our ChromaPure auto-calibration package, with more accuracy than the non 3D LUT based calibration employed by television and projector manufacturers. With the Radiance Pro’s 4913-point 3D LUT based Color Management System you can See What the Director Intended™.

Essential features include anamorphic screen support for HD and 4k UHD sources, with or without an anamorphic lens. Image based auto-aspect selection, and precise geometry adjustments including size, masking are available. The Radiance Pro’s Non-Linear-Stretch (NLS) feature allows the user to stretch 16:9 content to fill an anamorphic screen. For 16:9 screens and TVs, an anamorphic image can be placed anywhere in the active screen area or apply some zoom and crop to fill a larger portion of the screen. Multiple output configuration memories allow for features such as day/night, and black-and-white color temperature differences. Dual-port I/O cards (all 4XXX models) can be upgraded from 9 GHz to 18 GHz in the field. The Radiance Pro 5XXX has a fixed I/O configuration.

The adaptability of the Radiance Pro is second to none. Using Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology, the Radiance Pro can add hardware image processing and setup features long after installation with a simple software update. Just as 3D video support was added to earlier Radiance models years after introduction, the Radiance Pro is adding new features over time. One example is DTM which was added four years after product introduction and is available to all Radiance Pro owners by updating to the latest release.

Extra $500 off ChromaPure advanced auto-calibration package

The $500 discount on our Chromapure advanced auto-calibration package applies to all B-stock Radiance Pro models as well. Includes a high end meter and all the software you need. Advanced auto-calibration allows anyone with little or no training to fully calibrate their display with almost no user input to almost 5000 points. It adjusts the display's grayscale, gamma, and colours to levels of accuracy that are simply not achievable by manual (hands on) methods. Just choose a few simple options in the included ChromaPure software, click "Auto-Calibrate", and then go have a cup of coffee while the process completes. There is no need for the user to understand how calibration works. Suitable for all display types.

Interested in a discounted Radiance Pro B-stock unit or have questions? Email kal@curtpalme.com

Kal

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PostLink    Posted: Tue May 09, 2023 2:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Effective immediately:

- All Radiance Pro models now feature 18 Ghz inputs and outputs by default. Our new order page now reflects that. 18 Ghz is required to support HDR at higher refresh rates. On the input side there is no reason to use 9 Ghz over 18 Ghz. 9 Ghz outputs are still available for projectors and audio processors with marginal HDMI inputs. Contact us at lumagen@curtpalme.com for details.

- All new sales of Radiance Pro models now come with a Standard Limited Warranty of two years, doubling the old one-year Limited Warranty.

- Extension of this Limited Warranty to five years has been reduced in price.

For pricing and more information, see our order page: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm

There is incorrect information about the Radiance Pro being spread, so Jim from Lumagen has released a short FAQ:

Quote:
FAQ

Does the Radiance Pro support instant auto aspect ratio selection?

Yes. The latest release (031023 as I write this) has an instant auto-aspect feature that detects and automatically changes the source aspect ratio selection in less than 0.1 seconds when it is enabled. While we recommend against using auto-aspect for intra-movie aspect changes, it is available for those who want it.

How does the Radiance Pro DTM compare to the competition?

The Radiance Pro HDR DTM continues to be the best. It is “color preserving” which is the studio reference standard, and what is used by Dolby for Dolby Vision. The Radiance Pro transfer function best optimizes the content for any source maximum scene levels.

The Radiance Pro is so good it is being used by a post-production producer at a major studio for his consumer HDR post-production quality assurance. He called the Radiance Pro DTM “sublime” and said, “if it looks good through the Radiance Pro, I know I have done my job right.” In this instance you “See what the producer intended™” when you use the Radiance Pro DTM.

Does the Radiance Pro support Non-Linear-Stretch (NLS)?

Lumagen has supported NLS since 2004 in the Vision series. Its programmability has been judged the best for NLS applications.

The Radiance Pro does *not* support vertical NLS. Back in 2004 we evaluated doing vertical NLS and decided it looked horrible and should not be done. So, we did not add this “quality reduction” non-feature.

If you want to stretch to fill a 16:9 screen, or other less than 2.40 aspect ratio screen, it is much better to do a linear vertical stretch to make the letter-box-bars smaller, or eliminate them altogether. Please contact us at lumagen support if you would like help with setting this up in a home cinema.

Does the Radiance Pro have a Game Mode, with all processing enabled, and a delay short enough for gamers?

Yes. Unlike the competition, for 16:9 in and out with Genlock enabled, the Radiance Pro Game Mode has an internal video delay of approximately 3 mS with all features enabled. The competition has a processing delay reported to be about 230 mS, which is unusable for gaming.

Does the Radiance Pro have a Genlock feature to insure no dropped or repeated frame when watching content?

Yes. Unlike the competition, the Radiance Pro Genlock feature ensures that frames in the source content are seen exactly once as they need to be to avoid added motion judder. This is especially important for 24 Hertz movies.

Genlock also helps insure lipsync is constant. Without a true genlock feature, for 24 Hertz content lipsync will vary by 42 mS in a video processor. This is noticeable in content. Because of this, a true Genlock feature is essential for a video processor to be considered as “reference grade.”

Does the Radiance Pro have a programmable video delay Lipsync feature?

Yes. The Radiance Pro can delay video by a user programmable amount. The user can specify a different video delay for every input and for every input-memory. While sources are supposed to have audio and video be output in sync, this is not always the case. The Radiance Pro makes it simple to have an adjustable video delay to use for lipsync.

Does the Radiance Pro have “profile” memories?

Yes, but we call them configuration memories.

There is an independent configuration memory for every input, every input memory (four) and then for each input memory there are configuration memories associated with each of the eight supported input resolutions.

Is the Radiance Pro difficult to set up?

It is straight forward to set up the Radiance Pro for most home cinemas. The “setup slide set” available by emailing (and attached here) walks you through the setup. In addition, Jim Peterson is available for setup assistance for both simple and complex home cinemas. Once setup, the user can just press one button to recall a configuration memory setup.

We are looking at ways to make setup simpler for a novice. Also, we make ourselves available to help with every install. Dealers and end users can call us directly. This can include evenings, and weekends.

Does the Radiance Pro do Frame Interpolation?

No. IMO Frame Interpolation (FI) is a demo only is the first thing I tell people to turn off. What I mean is FI can do great for demo's but turn it off to watch content.

FI is mathematically guaranteed to create artifacts. Consider an object in frame for a single frame. There can be no motion vector for that object and motion vectors are needed for every pixel or group of pixels. To make it harder, now consider a bird flying and in frame for one 24 Hertz frame, but that would be in multiple frames at 120 Hertz. Not only is there no motion vector for the bird, but the bird’s image needs to change for the interpolated frames. There is no information on how to do either of these using the one frame that shows the bird.

I have literally had people call saying their Radiance Pro is not working right, but once I have them turn off frame interpolation, they say "Oh! That's better."

We were working on FI when I worked at a different company. I won't get into technical challenges, such as handling motion-blur, and motion-vector search-area limitations. However, one major studio converting 24 Hertz movies to 60 Hertz is taking 30 seconds per frame using a large compute farm of GPU based computers, and human intervention on every scene, or more frequently, to do a good job. And even then, the "soap opera effect" remains an issue.

Tom Cruise did a video asking people to turn off their motion interpolation to have the best viewing experience for movies. Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbCZpcy0eAk

Pretty much every video expert I talk to dislikes motion interpolation.

If you want to decide for yourself, here are some ground rules that I think are essential for proper evaluation of FI:

- The content must be cinema grade. Do *not* evaluate cartoons, such a Coco that have virtually no motion blur. This is no different than putting your thumb on the scale to change the outcome. The evaluation you do for cartoons like Coco is useful only for similar cartoons that lack adequate motion blur. These are used to demo because they eliminate two of the hardest issues with FI. That is dealing with motion blur, and the fact that frame interpolation can create the dreaded “soap opera effect.” To properly deal with motion blur FI must identify and recreate all the original objects that have been blurred, so as to properly motion blur the objects at the new frame rate. This is impractical because of the very fact these objects have been blurred. In addition, without reasonable motion blur, the content already has the “soap opera effect” and so FI does not create it in this case since it is already in the content. Note: Some cartoons, such as Cars 3, have reasonable motion blur and can be used for evaluation. Big budget movies, including the special effects, generally have reasonable motion blur and can be used for evaluation.

- If the content is produced at 24 Hertz, you must evaluate it at 24 Hertz. Demos often show the 24 Hertz content at 60 Hertz, which creates judder. This judder makes the content worse, and fools those who are unaware by making the “without FI” case worse than when viewed as it should be at 24 Hertz. This is, again, no different than putting your thumb on the scale to change the outcome.

- View the FI on the display/projector you plan to use and evaluate at viewing distance. TVs have different characteristics than projectors, and you may well notice different FI artifacts on a projector versus a TV. As with all video evaluation, it must be at viewing distance. “Pixel Peeping” shows things you cannot see at viewing distance and hides things you can see at viewing distance. I strongly recommend ignoring screen shots and doing all your video evaluation with the intended projector at viewing distance.

I talked with a movie producer about FI for 24 Hertz content conversion to higher frame rates. He said, “people complain about color, brightness, or other things, but no one has ever complained to me about the motion.”

Some people like FI, but I do not. I find it neutral to negative. People who like it are apparently not bothered by the artifacts it introduces. In my opinion there are better things to spend time, effort, and cost on.


For more information or to order, see our order page: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm

Kal

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PostLink    Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2023 1:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Limited supply of discounted Radiance Pro B-stock units are still available. Prices are too low to advertise so please email me at kal@curtpalme.com for details.

These have all been reviewed / tested by the manufacturer and ship directly from them with full support and 2-year warranty just like new (A-stock) units. Optional extended warranty up to 5 years also available. Functionality on B-stock units is identical to A-stock, these are simply open box or gently used units. Supply is extremely limited. These do not come up often!

Kal

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TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7


PostLink    Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2023 12:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Update:

The Radiance Pro 4240+ is back in the lineup as the new entry level Radiance Pro product.

It has two 18G inputs and two 9G outputs. Lumagen does not see any image difference using the 9 GHz output, and the 9 GHz output card allows audio and video on both outputs, making the 4240+ an excellent option. Great option if you're looking to save a few bucks but don't want to give up anything the 4xxx lineup offers.

The 4240+ comes in the standard 1U rack mount case, includes rack ears, and the now standard 2 year limited warranty. The 4240+ can also be ordered in the compact “-C” case. As with all Radiance Pro processors, you can now extend the limited warranty to 5 years from initial ship date.

See our order page for pricing and complete details: See: http://www.curtpalme.com/Radiance.shtm

Kal

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Last edited by kal on Mon Jul 24, 2023 2:04 pm; edited 1 time in total
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