CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

[Nashou66]

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http://videoeq.com





VideoEQ Mx
VideoEq is an innovative external video color processor that allows you to easily calibrate a video display’s gamma, white balance and color gamut for up to four different source and viewing conditions to give you screening room color fidelity at an affordable price.

Getting color correction right is a challenging balance between electronics, color science, and the calibration interface. Most manufacturers get the electronics right, a few manufacturers get the color science right, but almost none get the calibration interface right. This means that even if you install video displays and projectors that are engineered correctly and are technically capable of delivering accurate color, the available controls make the task of precise color calibration all but impossible.
VideoEq adds all these missing controls to your video path and enables you to calibrate your display precisely towards any standard – just the way the movie director intended the movie to be viewed.
VideoEq Mx builds on top of the familiar VideoEq PRO line adding enhanced processing accuracy and fine tuning capabilities. VideoEq Mx has preset settings for four different scenarios and further adds six (6) completely customizable profiles for calibration in any environment or for any time of day. The selection of any of these ten profiles can be automated using the control IR interface or the USB interface.
VideoEq Mx is very easy to setup. You will connect the input and the output HDMI/DVI cables, the power supply (included) and you are ready to go. For further control, USB port is included that is used for firmware upgrades as well as calibration software from X-Vue, LLC (see the download page) as well as 3rd party industry standard software such as Calman(tm) 4/5 from Spectracal Inc. With a 3rd party software VideoEq Mx can be used for smooth fully automated calibration flow.



Powerful enhanced industry proven CMS multi-axis color control
Comprehensive adjustments for up to four sources and conditions
4 integrated presets for off-the-shelf-use
Complete 12-bit fully linear CMS processing
1024 point RGB gamma/grayscale correction
Simple to use digital video in, digital video out
Universal remote control with electrical 1/8″ IR jack
Easy USB calibration interface for various calibration software


Specifications

Six programmable 1024 point luminance and RGB correction tables
Six full controllable CMS tables
Four preset tables for off-the-shelf use for typical viewing conditions.
IR remote connection for control and automation
USB interface for easy, reliable setup
Simple HDMI / DVI-In to HDMI / DVI -Out configuration
Simple push-button control for manual operation
Industry proven color lookup table technology
Proprietary multi-axis linear Color Management System

HDMI 1.4a digital video support with pixel clocks up to 225 MHz
Video resolutions from 480i to 1080p60, US / EURO modes
Supports all 3D modes and 3D calibration flow
PC resolutions up to 1920×1200@60Hz
RGB, YCbCr 4:4:4 and YCbCr 4:2:2 supported
Powerful GUI based control for calibration

Nashou

[thewolfman]

It's strange why CMS is not available by software by now, it's 2014.

[Nashou66]

Whats wrong with that? You put it before the Video processor of your choice or after etc. Put it after a 1x4 splitter. It is what Bob Stephan uses for his CRT blend.

Nashou

[thewolfman]

So you still need a VP before or after? I thought it was a VP on its own. What's it's good for then?

[Nashou66]

[thewolfman]

Cool. I should have read it through more carefully.. but in end it does suit my needs. Any of those cheaper ones, that dose 817p@72Hz, + this one, is a must for me now. I really need CMS as cheap as it gets.

[Rolls-Royce]

[HogPilot]

[Spanky Ham]

3D or cube is not needed with a CRT. I still agree that it is conspicuously absent and has less of an appeal for digital owners.

[HogPilot]

[ecrabb]

[Nashou66]

I think it is that the way phosphor behaves, the colors in between the Primary colors , secondary colors and White fall into their proper location on the CIE graph closer than they do with DIgital technologies. Or in other words. Digital's need more help with those points than CRT's do. CRT's color's have a natural smoother transition along those points once the Primaries and secondaries are locked in.

nashou

[Spanky Ham]

I think Nash has got it. Craig either told me in person or on the forum last year what the reason is.

[CIR Engineering]

You only need a 6-pont CMS on a CRT because of the natural emission characteristics of the phosphors. This would be true for any RGB CRT with direct pass through (like pretty much every front projection CRT). The digital signal is converted to RGB through a known voltage matrix computation (output). When the D goes to A, the output of the DAC is predictable and the response of the phosphors conforms to SMTPE standards (gross over simplification, but adequate). Because of this, once you set the primary colors at 100% saturation the colors at any other stimulus or level of saturation will be correct as well.

With a digital projector, the digital signal must be decoded to colors inside the display device's "black box." Since there is not simply a direct DA conversion to RGB, the digital display must convert the digital video signal to a color image. How this conversion takes place and under what "rules" is questionable. It is very possible for the manufacturers of digital displays to make them respond in ways similar to CRT, but most manufactures really mess this up. In fact, the only manufacturers that get it right that I work with are DPI, Sim2, and Christie.

For example, if the digital signal calls for 50% magenta, than with CRT this will be converted DA and the output will be correct. Where the CRT might have problems is that the primary red is over saturated so the projector will create a magenta with too much red. What the CMS can then do is add more blue or add green to the magenta to make the output conform to whatever standard you are using (most likely Rec 709).

On a digital the same 50% magenta is left up to the black box to interpret. Maybe you calibrate and get this 50% magenta perfect, but then you may find that all other levels of magenta are not properly calibrated. This is because the black box is not using a constant conversion that is variable with respect to saturation and stimulus levels. This is why a 125-point CMS or higher is beneficial on a digital projector. The 125-point CMS gives enough finite points to correct a very wonky black box that has nonlinear output characteristics.

Really on CRT there is limited need for a CMS. With a 9" LC projector with correct celements only the red needs to be corrected. On 8" sets with color corrected lenses all six points are required because every color except blue is over saturated.

No time to proof read, gotta go...

craigr

[HogPilot]

Interesting, thanks for the great explanations!

[ConnecTED]

[ConnecTED]

[robarivas]

So if my TV produces too low of gamma (i.e., too bright) because its blue control (across all 10 IREs by the way) doesn't go low enough will this box overcome that? In other words will this box effectively expand my control range? Or does it simply effectively expand the number of IRE steps?

I hope my question makes sense.

[thepiecesfit]