Import Calman software into PQ tunning trace

Here introduce Calman software for everyone, team peers provided great support on this project.

After several month great teamwork, finally we make a guideline and piolt run on Insignia F50 to make PQ tuning efficacy and PQ consistence with other TV models to get better review from 3rd parties.

We regular monitor and analysis 3rd parties' comments to find opportunity to improve customer experience.

Rtings.com draw an overall TV color accuracy score distribution of more than 100 TVs in US market, from this picture we can see EXB Fire TV score is low, worse than Sony, Samsung, LG, Vizio, and TCL, Hisense.

Out-of-box movie mode color accuracy is bad, noticeable inaccuracy, color temperature is much cooler than target, balabala….

In the meanwhile, we search other 3rd parties website, we saw similar commons of Fire TV color accuracy, they though Fire TV is not as good as Roku TV and Vizio.
It may impact customer to make decision before buy a TV, so we spend some effects to study why EXB color accuracy score not good.

According to our exploring most 3rd party test color accuracy on movie mode with Calman, judge the TV color performance according to DE2000, color inaccuracy levels distribute into 4 levels, different color inaccuracy level will be noticeable by different people. EXB Fire TV test result by Rtings.com is the color inaccurate, so they give Fire TV a not good score.

We spent lots of PQ tuning effect on standard mode and Dynamic mode every year to make better customer experience with default setting, then we base on standard mode, change contrast, brightness, color temperature setting value to define game mode, PC mode and movie mode PQ setting. This way makes Fire TV movie mode tuning target and method is not same as 3rd parties, we did not get perfect reviews on their side.

In the pass months we explored V-brand, ROKU TV, Rtings.com color accuracy measurement and calibration method, we find they are all use Calman on movie mode.
Breakdown Calman test items as this table, most of items are related to white balance adjustment, it is similar as EXB original PQ tuning. We can improve it by product line white balance control. The left items are related to panel performance and color calibrations, it can be improved by Calman during PQ tuning.

what is Calman?

Calman is a software install in laptop, it is used to automatic measure and calibrate color accuracy. The color accurate management is objective, it can automatically test and calibration process with workflows, and it could export report, easy to compare with model by model.

• Objective accurate color management and multipoint grayscale
• Automatic test and calibration process with workflows
• Export comprehensive reports, easy compare

After a long time study, we define a guideline to run Calman to make PQ tuning efficiency and movie mode PQ consistency among other TV models.

• Warm color temperature target change, same as 3rd parties.
• Movie picture mode PQ tuning with calman
• Accuracy color management by Calman, make the delta E2000 in a proper level.

The detail standard for each item show in the table:

On this slide chart team can see how we make it real when pilot run on this year new project.

Blue line show DVT sample without auto gamma, the overall color accuracy is not good, color inaccuracy is noticeable to everyone.

Orange line PVT sample did auto gamma and copy standard mode PQ setting, the color accuracy has been improved, but not enough.

Running Calman to calibrate color accuracy on PQ sample, we get a great improvement color accuracy value curve as the gray line. It is noticeable to professionals. Put PQ sample side by side compare with SONY TV, picture performance subjective is similar too.

To verify if it will be change after mass production. In PP stage, we random sampling PP products, the color accuracy curve show in yellow is close to PQ sample, only have a very litter variation on gamut. It proves our pilot run is successful the first step, next step is to monitor customer review and 3rd parties’ comments after F50 series launch on the market.