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Pandora Pluto

August 3, 2020

CalMAN takes advantage of the Pandora Pluto features to calibrate a video display with a 10-bit 17x17x17 3D cube lookup table (LUT) for SMPTE video level signals. This setup guide assists you in calibrating the Pluto with the CalMAN Color Cube workflow.

CalMAN Recommended Workflow

  • Color Cube (3D LUT)

Pluto Required Firmware

  • Version 1.36 or newer

Pluto Control Port

  • Ethernet (use standard straight-through cable)

Pluto Initial Setup

To set up a Pluto for 3D LUT color calibration:

  1. Connect the Pluto signal output to the display to be calibrated.
  2. Connect a video input signal to the Pluto.
  3. Power on the Pluto.
  4. Connect the Pluto and your calibration computer to the same network.
  5. Click the left knob on the Pluto front panel. On the video display, record the Pluto IP address at the top of the screen (192.168.0.198 default).
  6. On your calibration computer, either disable any firewall or create an exception for the Pluto IP address.
  7. Rotate the left Pluto knob to select the Setup screen.
  8. Set both the Black level and the White level to Full range.

Note: The Pluto needs to be set for Full range during 3D LUT calibration, even if you are calibrating for SMPTE range operation, and it must be left in Full range, even for operation in a SMPTE (legal) signal path.

CalMAN 3D LUT Display Calibration

CalMAN can calibrate the 3D LUT in the Pluto with a direct USB control connection. To produce an optimized 3D LUT calibration file and automatically load it into the Pluto:

  1. In CalMAN, load the “Color Cube (3D LUT)” workflow.
  2. On the CalMAN Settings tab (gear icon), under Workflow Basic Options, select either Video (16-235) [SMPTE legal] or PC (0-255) [Full] to match the intended signal levels to be sent to the display.
  3. Proceed through each step of the workflow in the normal fashion, using the following notes for guidance on the indicated workflow pages.
  4. On the CalMAN Session Setup page, click the Find 3D LUT Device button, then select “Pandora – Pluto (Ethernet).”
  5. On the Dynamic Range page, adjust the display’s black level/Brightness control to the black level of the signal content that will be processed through the Pluto (16 for video or 0 for PC/full range).
  6. On the RGB Adjust page, under the RGB Adjust Levels selection, select “2 Point 30, 100%.” Click Read Continuous and adjust the display’s RGB Gain controls for RGB balance at 100%. Adjust the display’s RGB Offset/Bias controls (if provided) for RGB balance at 30%.
  7. Skip the 1D Ramp LUT page (a 1D LUT does not need to be created).
  8. 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.
    1. 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).
    2. Under Calibration Type, select the desired type of 3D LUT calibration process.
      • 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.
      • 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.
      • 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.
    3. 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.
    4. Click OK

Upon completion of the AutoCal 3D hardware LUT calibration process, CalMAN automatically loads the optimized 33x33x33 LUT calibration data into the Pluto.

DONE – Pluto 3D LUT calibration and setup is complete.

Tags:  Pluto