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Disclaimer The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice. Planar Systems, Inc. makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this material. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this manual, the Company shall not be liable for errors or omissions contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material.
Landscape Portrait The m40L/m46L is only 5” deep. Both have an aspect ratio of 1.77 (16:9). The m40L has a native WXGA (1366 × 768) resolution. The m46L has a native HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. Both accept a wide range of input pictures from VGA to 1080p.
WARNING! Wall mounts must be secure. If the display is hung on a wall, the wall must be strong enough to hold it. The m40L weighs about 63lbs (29kg) and the m46L weighs about 84lbs (38kg). Simply mounting it to wallboard or wall paneling won’t be adequate or safe. The mounting method must be capable of holding five times this weight, 315/420 lbs (145/190 kg).
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Safety for You and the m40L/m46L Caution: This product contains a lithium battery. There is a risk of explosion if the battery is replaced by an incorrect type. Dispose of the battery according to the instructions on the next page.
LCD device from any LCD manufacturer. Here are some guidelines to help you avoid TIR: • Use the m40L/m46L to show a screen saver, moving images or still pictures that change regularly. When using high-contrast images, reposition the images frequently.
Recommended Usage Normal Use Thermal Guidelines Normal use of an m40L/m46L is defined as operating in the open air to prevent heat buildup, and without direct or indirect heat sources such as adjacent displays, lighting fixtures, heating ducts, or direct sunlight that can cause the display to experience high operating temperatures.
VESA Mounts, General Description VESA Mounts, General Description VESA mounts are used to secure the m40L/m46L for display. The m40L/m46L can be installed using a variety of VESA mounts available through Planar. If you do not have a VESA mount and would like to purchase one, contact Planar.
Installing an m40L/m46L This section explains how to install an m40L/m46L. We suggest that you read the entire section before you attempt to install the unit. Before You Begin Make sure you have all the items in these checklists before you begin unpacking and installing your m40L/m46L(s).
Unpacking and Checking Accessories Accessories With Each m40L/m46L Display Quick Start Guide The Quick Start Guide provides the basic setup needed to get the m40L/m46L up and running. It does not contain the detailed information included in this Installation & Configuration Guide.
• RJ45 to 9-pin adapter, if you will use RS232 commands to control the displays • RJ45 cable, computer network type • Component video cables • S-video cables • SDI cables • RS232 cable m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
Connecting Source Cables Connecting Source Cables All cabling for the m40L/m46L must be run through the rear of the display. Connecting Picture Sources The three main types of inputs are: • Analog computer (from UXGA down to VGA) • Digital computer •...
Digital Video Interface (DVI) digitally connects computers to their monitors or interconnects to any displays. The m40L/m46L converts the analog inputs to DVI and makes this available at the Digital Out connector. This means you can bring in a picture source - UXGA, SXGA, VGA, 1080p - to the first display and connect the rest of the displays in the loop with DVI.
Connecting Power Connecting Power The m40L can draw up to 2.0A at 100V or 1.0A at 200V. The m46L can draw up to 2.6A at 100V or 1.3A at 200V. For countries outside of North America, it is the responsibility of the installer to provide the power supply cord certified for use in the destination country.
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Connecting Power m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
(This computer does not have to be the same one as the computer used as a picture source.) The serial output is sometimes called the Comm Port, and sometimes there is more than one. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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Connect a cable from the RJ-45 adapter to the nearest display’s RS232 In connector. For more information about configuring RS232 communications, see "Serial Port Settings and Diagnostics" on page 75. RS232 port connection is on the control board. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
• Set up Tiling for the image on multiple displays (See "Tiling a Display" on page • Adjust Scaling and Cropping (See "Zoom and Viewport" on page 49) • Color Balance the displays (See "Adjusting Color Balance" on page 53) m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
• IR remote action was disabled by an RS232 command. Note: The remote control has a large spread of its IR radiation. It is difficult from a distance to control only one display in an array; step closer. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
With VIM Digital Digital input loop- through Connect the power cord and turn on the power switch. If the power was already on, and the backlights are off, press the button on the remote. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) is not supported. Composite Video and S-Video These two inputs accept NTSC and PAL. The composite connector also accepts SECAM video. SD/HD SDI This input accepts NTSC, PAL, 720p and 1080i. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
1 366 Vert ic al Re so lu t io n 1 602 Fr eq u en cy 22 .5 ° Phas e S h arp n es s In p ut L e vel s m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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If the source is a laptop, ensure that the VGA output on the rear of the source is enabled. If no message is displayed, maybe the source has timed out and is displaying a blank screen. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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NT SC 6 0 H z /3 .5 8 M Hz Ve rti ca l F re q ue nc y (f ra m e l oc ke d ) 60 Hz Sh a rp ne ss I np u t L ev els m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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H o r iz o n tal Re so lu t io n 136 6 Ve rti ca l R es o lu ti o n 76 8 Sh a rp ne ss Note: For additional information about source selection, see "Preferred Source Detection" on page 60. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
This is not about adjusting color or contrast. It’s about telling the display what the computer or processor means by black and by white. Semi-Automatic Level Adjustment Select a source in the menu. PICTURE m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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Although it is not required, we recommend that you save the configuration to a memory slot. (See "Saving Configurations" on page 82.) If you have more than one source coming through the same connector, adjust Input Levels for each source. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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Although it is not required, we recommend that you save the configuration to a memory slot. (See "Saving Configurations" on page 82.) If you have more than one source coming through the same connector, adjust input levels for each source. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
Although it is not required, we recommend that you save the configuration to a memory slot. (See "Saving Configurations" on page 82.) m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
Adjust to make the outer two color bars match. Match them in SATURATION brightness; they will already match in color. Adjust to make the inner two color bars match. Uncheck BLUE ONLY m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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Although it is not required, we recommend that you save the configuration to a memory slot. (See "Saving Configurations" on page 82.) If you have more than one source coming through the same connector, adjust input levels for each source. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
Choose Image > Attributes to open a dialog box. In the Units section, choose pixels. In the Color section, choose Black and White. Set the Width and Height in pixels to match the native resolution of the Planar display. When you click OK, the program gives you a warning about losing color. Click Yes.
Find a point that has no streaking or minimal streaking. There is usually a fairly broad range of no streaking, so settle for the point in the middle of this range. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
The aspect ratio of any picture is its width divided by its height. W / H = Aspect Ratio The native aspect ratio of the m40L/m46L is 1.77, which is sometimes referred to as 16:9. The native resolution of the m40L is WXGA (1366 x 768).The native resolution of the m46L is HD (1920 x 1080).
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The display is not capable of compressing the image in one direction while stretching it in the other. For example, if you try to display an SXGA (1280 x 1024) on an m40L (1366 x 768) at Fill All, the display will letterbox the image and the following note will appear at the bottom of the menu: “Can’t display - Change Scale Mode.
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Its resolution is 720 x 640, which is not 4 x 3, but it should be displayed as 4 x 3 (the pixels aren't square). m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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One to One is to display the image without scaling artifacts and with minor cropping. Note: The One to One Scale Mode will produce different cropping results and the image size will be different for each input resolution. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
This is used to hide blank areas and stray lines in the edges of an image. The lower the overscan setting, the more of the optical image that is seen. Standard CRT televisions have an overscan of about 5%. Overscan defaults to 3% for video images. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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Aspect Ratio Settings m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
Mode set the way you will use it. Use Sharpness to reduce artifacts of scaling. Note: The Sharpness adjustments are in effect only when the image is scaled. For instructions on how to set Scale Mode, see "Scale Mode Settings" on page 35. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
Note: Adjusting the Vertical Position too far may cause the image to jump or hop. If the image appears to flicker or hop, readjust the Vertical Position. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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Adjusting Position m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
If you have a wall of multiple displays, you will need to set up a variety of options that relate to how each display fits into the wall. Whether you use Planar’s Big Picture an external video processor, your goal is to make the picture fit together properly at the edges.
This display would have a Unit Column value of 1 and a Unit Row value of 1. Wall Mode When checked, this turns on the Planar Big Picture™ feature. When not checked, the display shows the whole picture. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
One way around this is to adjust the image. Imagine looking out a window made up of many panes of glass. The image you see is partially obscured by the frames, but your mind assembles the image and ignores the frames. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
Width numbers default to the correct numbers for your display, assuming they are tiled with the frames tightly together. If your installation leaves more space between the frames, you will need to increase these numbers. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
Zoom fits the edges of a large picture - one that covers many displays’ screens - from side-to-side and top to bottom. Note: Zoom and Viewport adjustments are mainly used for Planar’s cube products with no mullions. Users with direct-view LCD monitors can skip this section. To access the Zoom menus, press...
Th i s U n it 42 1 x 2 28 Wa ll Se tu p 2: 1 Wal l S et u p 2 x2 2: 1 O v ers ca n 12 % Ove rsc an 1 2% m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
Re se t Al l Wi n do w s t o De fa u lt Pro g ram I nf o rm at io n Display Resolution Shows the resolution of the unit. This has nothing to do with the resolution of the source picture. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
For instance, if you are using the m40L/m46L in a television studio where you will be videotaping the content, you will want a low color temperature. The m40L/m46L defaults to the brightest setting...
If you are color blind, even a little bit, do not color balance your array. Have someone else color balance the wall. Turn on all the displays in the array and let them warm up for at least five minutes. The backlights must be thoroughly warm before you color balance. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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B ac kli g ht C o n tr o l M o d e Ma nua l B ac kli g ht I n te n sit y Set (or confirm) to 10 (100%). BACKLIGHT INTENSITY m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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Why pick the “least bright” display? Why not pick the brightest and adjust to it? When the White value is 100, the display is as bright as it can get. You are adjusting for slight variations in backlight brightness. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
COPY TO CLIPBOARD You can then make more adjustments to see if it gets better or worse. RECALL will restore these saved settings. The clipboard is only for FROM CLIPBOARD testing. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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• You may find it easier to color balance displays using Cube Control 2, a software utility available from Planar’s website. For more information, see "Accessing Planar’s Technical Support Website" on page 93.
• Auto Setup Options: see "Auto Setup Options" on page 61 • Menu Options: see "Menu Options" on page 62 • Message in Picture: see "Message in Picture" on page 63 • Set Clock/Schedule Events: see "Setting the Clock/Scheduling an Event" on page 64 m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
Pre fe rre d So ur ce De t ect io n 16 x 9 Al lo w F ra me L o ck Curtain Pattern The curtain pattern determines what the m40L/m46L will show when you press the button. CURTAIN Plug and Play (EDID Enable) Plug and Play allows the source computer’s video card to query the display and send...
Works separately to find the frequency and phase of the computer picture and adjusts to them. This works best on a picture that has a lot of sharp changes in brightness, such as text (adjacent white and black pixels). m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
60 seconds. The shortest possible time is 5 seconds. If you have never changed , the default value is MENU TIMEOUT NEVER TIME OUT Rotate Menu Makes the menus readable when the display is arranged in portrait or landscape orientation. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
To generate and administer text messages, you must download the MIP Maker software application from Planar’s website. We suggest you also download the user guide. For more information, see "Accessing Planar’s Technical Support Website" on page 93.
Advanced Options Setting the Clock/Scheduling an Event The m40L/m46L can be easily programmed to update the clock during annual time changes, as well as to schedule specific events, such as turning the unit on or off. Press on the remote.
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ENTER EVENT Do one of the following: • To set the clock, see "Setting the Clock" on page 66. • To schedule an event, see "Scheduling an Event" on page 67. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
Hour line to 21 and the Minute line to 30. When you are finished making the appropriate changes, press to see the ENTER new time at the top of the menu. SET CLOCK SCHEDULE EVENTS Press to close the menu system. MENU m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
Advanced Options Scheduling an Event The most important event that can be “scheduled” for the m40L/m46L is to turn it on or off. Scheduling an automatic shut off time for the m40L/m46L helps ensure that Temporary Image Retention does not occur. The following events can be scheduled: •...
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9:30 p.m., set the Hour line to 21 and the Minute line to 30. Continue setting up events until you are finished. Changes are automatically saved each time you move from line to line. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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Advanced Options When you are finished making the appropriate changes, press to see the ENTER new events on the menu. SET CLOCK SCHEDULE EVENTS Press to close the menu system. MENU m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
This is useful when the m40L/m46L is in a location that sometimes has daylight, which can vary. When there is more light in the area of the m40L/m46L, the screen will have to be brighter to see it clearly, and the backlight intensity will be 100%. When there is less ambient light, the screen can be darker and still be easily read.
Note: Ambient light is a relative value, and is pertinent only to the m40L/m46L. It is not an absolute value. You may get different ambient light values with a handheld light meter. Note: The m40L/m46L has a nominal time delay of three minutes before it changes light levels.
Caution: To prevent temporary image retention (TIR), is recommended that you do not leave the m40L/m46L on for 24 hours a day. To get the most out of your display, see "Recommended Usage" on page 6. If the displays normally have the backlights off for part of the day or night, do not check this box.
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Backlight Control m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
It does not matter what order you use to set IDs for the displays. It is common practice to use Unit IDs that are in order, left to right and top to bottom, but this is not mandatory. The only rule is: DO NOT USE THE SAME ID FOR DIFFERENT DISPLAYS. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
. For computer-read data, use SYMBOLIC NUMERIC DATA ONLY ASCII Response Terminator Will be determined by what your serial program wants to see at the end of every transmission from the display. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
The RS232 protocol - the “rules” for controlling displays with RS232 commands - are described in a separate document. See “Accessing Planar’s Technical Support Website” on page 93 to see how to get to the web page. Then look for m40L/m46L and under that the RS232 Programming Guide.
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Serial Port Settings and Diagnostics m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
Advantages of Saving Configurations to Memory Slots • You can compare multiple settings quickly • You don’t have to repeat settings when comparing entire configurations • You can revert to a known good setting when testing new configurations m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
Some parameters are associated with the input. The input in this instance means the input connector: analog, digital, composite video, etc. The parameters specific to mode and input are saved in memory slots. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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Wall Width Menu H Position White Boost Menu Timeout White Level: R, G, & B Menu V Position Zoom Window Bottom Overscan Zoom Window Left Phase Zoom Window Right Plug and Play (EDID) Zoom Window Top m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
Using the arrow keys on the remote, navigate to a slot: • An unchecked slot number allows you to save new settings. • A checked slot has settings already saved to it. If you want, you can overwrite what’s already saved. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
Mode is on, wall settings. In the following example, the name tells you that the source is connected to analog, which is displaying 1366 x 768, is part of a 2 x 2 array, and is the display in the upper left corner (column 1, row 1). m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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Use the up/down arrows to change the character. When you are finished, press PREV Select and press SAVE NOW ENTER Note: If you use RS232 control, you can also use commands to send a string name to a memory slot, saving time. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
Bl ac k L e vel Wh it e Le ve l 17 0 16 9 Note: If this slot number has exactly the same settings that are currently being used, a ) message appears on the top line. CURRENT m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
Navigate with the arrow keys to the slot you want to delete and press ENTER When navigating, you can only go to the checked numbers. All the slots with check marks have something stored in them. The others are grayed out. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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Ar e y o u Su re? Ye s Note: It is not necessary to delete the data in a memory slot before saving new data. Saving will overwrite the stored data. See "Saving Configurations" on page 82. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
CURTAIN disappeared to remote control” on page 90. remote. If the message does not disappear, press The message has If the correct source does not again CURTAIN disappeared appear, go to 3. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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ON and the front resolved the problem, see "Where LED is illuminated. to Go From Here" on page 92. m40L/m46L doesn’t respond to remote control Possible Cause Possible Resolution Power is not on Confirm that the power cable is connected and the power switch is on and the front LED is illuminated.
• FAILED if the backlight banks are not functioning normally Internal Temperature Indicates the current internal temperature at one point inside the unit. This is not the highest nor the lowest temperature of the unit, nor an indicator of ambient temperatures. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
Planar’s Technical Support Department. via mail: Planar Systems, Inc. Control Room and Digital Signage 1195 NW Compton Drive Beaverton, OR 97006 ts@planar.com via e-mail: via phone: +1 503 748 5799 via fax: +1 503 748 5532 m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
From there, you can access downloadable utility software, new firmware, user manuals, and service manuals. To access information for a specific model, click on that model name. For example, to download an electronic copy of this manual, click on m40L/m46L. To access user guides, service...
Downloading Additional Documentation and Firmware Some of the other documents for the m40L/m46L, which are or will be available from the Technical Support Department website, are listed below: Document Name Contents Installation & Configuration Information for installers and technicians to Guide (this manual) install and configure displays.
Composite Analog 5.0V p-p 0.3V p-p 75 ohm termination TTL H and V sync 5.0V 2.5V 3.5V TTL at 330 ohm termination Input connectors DVI-D x 1 Digital 15-pin HD D-sub x 1 Analog VGA m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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500 nits/150ftL without front shield m46L 350 nits/100ftL with front shield Contrast Ratio 1200:1 > Full Viewing Angle 178° Color Gamut NTSC 100% Color CIE ±0.03 for R, G, B, W m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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95° F 32° F temperature range. non-operating 60° C –20° C 140° F –4° F Altitude (barometric pressure) 2,000 meters Maximum temperature 30° C above sea level Humidity 80% R.H. 20% R.H. non-condensing m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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Mounting Specifications End to End, Longer End to End, Shorter Specification Screw Size Side of Display Side of Display VESA MIS-F m40L m46L m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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Dimensions Dimensions shown in parentheses are in inches. All other dimensions are in millimeters. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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Dimensions Dimensions shown in parentheses are in inches. All other dimensions are in millimeters. m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
Council Directive 73/23/EEC and amended by M1 and C1 on Low Voltage Equipment Safety: EN60950:2001 Safety of IT Equipment The Technical Construction File required by this Directive is maintained at the corporate headquarters of Planar Systems, Inc., 1195 NW Compton Drive, Beaverton, OR 97006.
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Any changes or modifications to the display not expressly approved by Planar could void the user's authority to operate this equipment. Other Certifications CISPR 22 m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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6 control, remote, 11 curtain pattern, 60 customer support information, 92 customer-supplied accessories, 12 backlight control, 71, 72 control and status, 72 control mode, 72 deleting a memory, 86 intensity, 73 digital m40L/m46L Installation & Configuration Guide...
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