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Pixel Magic Crystalio II VPS-3100 Owner's Manual

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Summary of Contents for Pixel Magic Crystalio II VPS-3100

  • Page 1 Owner’s Guide For Model VPS3100...

  • Page 2: Safety Information

    SAFETY INFORMATION • The apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing and that no objects filled with liquid, such as vases, should be placed on the apparatus • The apparatus with CLASS I construction shall be connected to a MAINS socket outlet with a protective earth connection •...

  • Page 3: Additional Safety Instructions

    13. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time. 14. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

  • Page 4: Welcome

    Configuration. Register your Crystalio II to enjoy official warranty, technical support, and software updates from Pixel Magic Systems Ltd. Upgrade your Crystalio II with the USB Firmware upgrade thumb disk as provided. Also check the official Crystalio II website (http://www.crystalio.com) regularly to download the latest firmware.

  • Page 5: Table Of Contents

    TABLE OF CONTENTS Safety Information Important Safety Instructions Additional Safety Instructions Product Compliance Welcome Product Registration 1. About Crystalio II Why do I need Crystalio II? Video Processing History Video Processing Technology Primer Gennum VXP Technologies 2. Familiarizing yourself with Crystalio II Crystalio II Front Panel Crystalio II Rear Panel Remote Control...
  • Page 6 5. Crystalio II Configuration Tips for using this section INPUT Sub-Menu 5.1.1 Input Select 5.1.2 Input Port Configuration 5.1.3 Hide Input Source 5.1.4 Input Profile IMAGE Sub-Menu 5.2.1 Video Settings 5.2.2 Color Temperature 5.2.3 Gamma Correction 5.2.4 Aspect Ratio 5.2.5 Overscan 5.2.6 Position...
  • Page 7 6. Front panel configuration Front panel LCD menu tree Controls unique to the Front Panel 6.1.1 System Info 6.1.2 OSD Control 6.1.3 Front Panel 6.1.4 Power Up Action 7. Advanced OSD options HDMI Input Configuration DynamicVP Advanced Gamma Correction 7.3.1 User Defined Gamma Curve 7.3.2 R/G/B Individual Gamma Curve...

  • Page 8: About Crystalio

    1. ABOUT CRYSTALIO II With the huge success of Crystalio in past years, Pixel Magic Systems Ltd. is now proud to introduce an absolute must for any videophile passionate about their hi-performance home entertainment system: Crystalio II. It has been designed to deliver the most natural and artifact-free images with smooth motion, true colors and stunning detail that you have ever experienced.

  • Page 9: Video Processing Technology Primer

    1.3 VIDEO PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY PRIMER Crystalio II gets to the very heart of this problem by a combination of expert video engineering design from Pixel Magic together with the awesome power of the Gennum Visual Excellence Processing (VXP) image processor. Crystalio II is the first video processor on the market to use the latest Gennum VXP processor so, if you want to enjoy the benefit of the new benchmarks for video realism and processing flexibility, Crystalio II is your video processor of choice.

  • Page 10: Familiarizing Yourself With Crystalio

    2. FAMILIARIZING YOURSELF WITH CRYSTALIO II CRYSTALIO II FRONT PANEL POWER button Press once to switch on; press once again to switch to standby. The status is shown by the power indicator LED. Caution: When Crystalio II is switched off, please wait for at least 10 seconds before switching it on again.
  • Page 11 FILM & 2:2 PULLDOWN indicator LEDs Film 2:2 Pulldown Mode Video (Motion Adaptive Deinterlacing) Film (3:2 Pulldown) Film (2:2 Pulldown) Not applicable PASSTHRU indicator LED LCD Display The LCD display has 2 distinct modes see Section 6 for further details: Status Display By default, the LCD displays the current status of Crystalio II, which includes the following information:...

  • Page 12: Crystalio Ii Rear Panel

    2.2 CRYSTALIO II REAR PANEL POWER Power Supply Cable Entry Use the cable supplied with your Crystalio II VIDEO INPUT TERMINALS These allow you to connect your video sources to . Please refer to Section 3.4 Crystalio II details. Digital HDMI 1;...
  • Page 13 S-Video 1 and S-Video 2 Support the following formats: • S-Video 480i and 576i AUDIO INPUT TERMINALS Digital Optical Coaxial 1; Coaxial 2; Coaxial 3 Analog Stereo Audio 1; Stereo Audio 2 VIDEO OUTPUT TERMINALS Your display device(s) should be connected to these terminals. Crystalio II offers the following connection configurations: Digital HDMI 1;...

  • Page 14: Remote Control

    2.3 REMOTE CONTROL 1 OSD group keys Keys for OSD operations are: • Menu - enters and exits the on-screen display (OSD) • Arrow keys: Up, Down, Left, Right - selects different items, or adjusts values • OK - confirms the selected item, or performs an action •...
  • Page 15 2 Quick Mini Menu Selection When these keys are pressed, a mini menu selection list pops up on screen. The following mini menu options are available: • Input - selects the input source • Output - selects the primary output port •...
  • Page 16 4 Other keys On: Power on Off: Power off Light: • Turns on Crystalio II Front Panel LCD light for a short time • When in OSD menu, toggles Hide/Show of the whole OSD (note that the OSD menu will still exit after the time-out period) Profile: Video Profile recall Macro: Macro recall Passthru: Toggles the current input source between passthru mode and normal processing mode...

  • Page 17: Hardware Installation

    3. HARDWARE INSTALLATION 3.1 COMPATIBLE EQUIPMENT In simple terms, Crystalio II serves as a video processor which enhances video signals from source devices and then delivers the enhanced video signal to the display devices. Crystalio II is compatible with: Any source device capable of outputting: •...

  • Page 18: Video Inputs

    3.4 VIDEO INPUTS Crystalio II includes a comprehensive set of input terminals to allow you to connect a wide range of video sources. Please refer to Section 2.2 for the supported input resolutions of each input port. For the best results you should: •...

  • Page 19: Basic Setup

    4. BASIC SETUP 4.1 CONFIGURE YOUR VIDEO SOURCE Even if your standard definition video source has the option to output progressive video (denoted by a number and then the letter ‘p’, for example 480p), for maximum results, it is recommended to disable such an option and select interlaced video mode instead (denoted by a number and then the letter ‘i’, for example 480i).

  • Page 20: Set Output Format/Resolution

    Using the front panel control 1 Press OK button to start Main Menu 2 Select Output and choose Output Select 3 Choose output terminal to which your display device is connected 4 Press OK button to confirm Press the Output front panel remote control key to cycle through the various output terminals and stop at the one through which your display device is connected.
  • Page 21 Video Test Pattern: Vertical Line 50 Video Test Pattern: Vertical Line 50 Pixel Perfect Not Pixel Perfect Video Test Pattern: Pixel Magic Video Test Pattern: Pixel Magic Pixel Perfect Not Pixel Perfect TIP: If you think that you have set Crystalio II to your display's native resolution, yet the images above still don't appear correctly, try using the 'Horizontal Line 50' pattern and making small adjustments to your display's V-Size.

  • Page 22: Output 50Hz Or 60Hz Automatically

    4.6.2 OUTPUT 50HZ OR 60HZ AUTOMATICALLY If your display supports 50Hz input and can produce real 50Hz refresh rate video image*, it is better to configure Crystalio II to output 50Hz resolution when source video is 50Hz (i.e. PAL signal); and output 60Hz resolution when the source video is 60Hz (i.e.

  • Page 23: Source Video Level And Color Calibration

    • If you are not sure which video level is correct, leave it at the default setting. Or, if the picture is excessively dark or very washed out, try changing the HDMI output level to see which one looks correct Step 3: Calibrate the black level (brightness) of your display: •...

  • Page 24: Calibrating Color To Compensate For Display And Source Inaccurracies

    Step 3: Calibrate the black level (brightness) of your video source: • Find a video test pattern for adjusting black level, e.g. the Black Bar pattern from AVIA DVD from Ovation Multimedia • Turn the brightness setting of Crystalio II down excessively so that you see the whole image as black •...

  • Page 25: Digital Projector With Anamorphic Lens

    When to use the adjustments: Output Gamma Correction If you have already adjusted the color balance of your projector’s Offset and Gain controls and the final result still isn’t accurate enough, you can use the separate R, G and B Gamma Correction tools to compensate. This will allow you to fine tune the color of grey at 20 different points in the greyscale ramp if using the User setting, or you can use the predefined curves: Standard;...

  • Page 26: Tips For Avoiding Burn-In On Plasma Displays

    4.6.5 TIPS FOR AVOIDING BURN-IN ON PLASMA DISPLAYS In order to avoid the possibility of burn-in on your Plasma display (for video that does not occupy the whole screen) it is recommended that you change the background color from the default Black to another mid-tone color.

  • Page 27: Sweet Spot Timings

    4.7.1 SWEET SPOT TIMINGS For CRT projectors people tend to talk about the Sweet Spot for a particular projector. This will vary considerably between models and it will also be affected by projector condition and setup. Here are some general guidelines; they will not suit every viewer’s taste and they will not suit every model of projector but they offer a range to consider: •...

  • Page 28: Crystalio Ii Configuration

    5. CRYSTALIO II CONFIGURATION TIPS FOR USING THIS SECTION • Throughout this manual OSD refers to the On-Screen Display • SD video is Standard Definition video such as 480i or 576i • HD video is High Definition video such as 1080i or 720p •...

  • Page 29: Input Port Configuration

    5.1.2 INPUT PORT CONFIGURATION This option is used to define the characteristics of the input ports • You can define the format of the component input ports • You can assign a name to each input port to improve day to day operation. For example, the input port for DVD could be called ‘DVD’;...

  • Page 30: Hide Input Source

    5.1.3 HIDE INPUT SOURCE Crystalio II has a comprehensive set of input connections. For ease of use it may be more convenient to remove any unused inputs from the OSD and LCD front panel menu selections. 5.1.4 INPUT PROFILE Input Profiles store input configuration parameters, which include: •...

  • Page 31: Image Sub-Menu

    5.2 IMAGE SUB-MENU The Image sub-menu consists of all primary image adjustments. 5.2.1 VIDEO SETTINGS • Use the Left/Right arrow remote control keys to adjust the sliders • Use the Up/Down arrow remote control keys to select between Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Sharpness and Hue •...

  • Page 32: Gamma Correction

    • Use the Left/Right arrow remote control keys to adjust the sliders • Use the Up/Down arrow remote control keys to select between R, G, B Offset, and R, G, B Gain • When OK is pressed on the remote control, the slider control is moved to the lower left corner of the display •...
  • Page 33 The following graphs represent the Gamma Correction acheived by using Crystalio II's preset options. The 'x axis' is the original source IRE value and the 'y axis' is the corrected output IRE value. All the graphs plotted below are for POSITIVE values.

  • Page 34: Aspect Ratio

    5.2.4 ASPECT RATIO This option is used to set the image aspect ratio. • 4:3 LetterBox is for 4:3 LetterBox material, which is a 4:3 source, with black bars at top and bottom and which places meaningful video data at the centre of a 16:9 area •...

  • Page 35: Position

    • When overscan is smaller than zero, the image is reduced in size and borders are filled with the background color (see Section 5.2.7 on how to change the background color) • Use the Left/Right arrow remote control keys to adjust the slider •...

  • Page 36: Deinterlace

    When the action button is pressed, the OSD turns to the following page: • The background color can be defined by selecting the color and pressing OK • Default background color is Black 5.2.8 DEINTERLACE This option allows the user to select the deinterlacing method of Crystalio II. •...

  • Page 37: Noise Reducer

    5.2.9 NOISE REDUCER This option can be use to remove noise from the source video. • Off will produce the best image quality from good video sources • Low or Medium may help reduce noise from TV broadcasts or from most analog sources •...

  • Page 38: Output Sub-Menu

    action button will store the current settings under the adjacent Profile. action button will recall the adjacent Profile settings and display it under Active Profile. action button will clear the name for that Profile You can define names for each profile. This can help with identification e.g. “TV”, “Sports”, “NTSC Movies”, etc. The maximum number of characters in each text box is 20.

  • Page 39: Output Select

    5.3.1 OUTPUT SELECT This option is used to select the Primary video output port. • Video output of Crystalio II is targeted for the Primary output port • Crystalio II simultaneously outputs video to both output ports. The Secondary Port will also be set at the same resolution (that of the Primary Port).

  • Page 40: Output Resolution

    When the action button is pressed, the OSD turns to the following page: • You can define names for each output port, to help with identify which display devices are connected to the output ports. For example, Plasma Display, 720p DLP projectors, CRT projectors, LCDTV, etc •...

  • Page 41: Screen Shape

    You can create a new customized resolution based on the timing parameters displayed. To do this, press the action button, and the OSD will turn to the following page: • To add a new customized resolution, edit the timing parameters and press the action button •...

  • Page 42: Screen Masking (Blanking)

    • 4:3 means the aspect ratio of the display is 4:3. Typical display devices with this aspect ratio are many data presentation projectors, and CRT projectors which are tuned to show a 4:3 image • 16:9 means the aspect ratio of the display is 16:9. Typical display devices with this aspect ratio are many LCDTV, Plasma TV, Home Theater projectors and CRT projectors which are tuned to show a 16:9 image •...

  • Page 43: Output Gamma Correction

    When the action button is pressed, the OSD turns to the following page: • The mask layer color can be defined by selecting the color and pressing OK • Default mask layer color is Black 5.3.6 OUTPUT GAMMA CORRECTION This option allows the user to correct the Gamma of the image being sent to your display. This should be done before Gamma Correction of the Crystalio Inputs.

  • Page 44: Audio Sub-Menu

    5.4 AUDIO SUB-MENU The Audio sub-menu consists of all options related to the audio features of Crystalio II. • Crystalio II has 2 audio output ports: • 1 digital coaxial audio output • 1 digital optical audio output • Audio output can also be embedded in the HDMI output ports •...

  • Page 45: Input Port Configuration

    5.4.2 INPUT PORT CONFIGURATION • You can define names for each input port, to help with identification • Maximum number of characters in the text box is 20 • Clear the name by pressing the action button 5.4.3 AUDIO DELAY This option sets the audio delay, or time difference, between the audio input and audio output of Crystalio II.

  • Page 46: Output Port Configuration

    5.4.4 OUTPUT PORT CONFIGURATION • You can define names for each output port, to help with identification • Maximum number of characters in the text box is 20 • Clear the name by pressing the action button 5.5 SYSTEM SUB-MENU The System sub-menu consists of all options related to the system settings of Crystalio II.

  • Page 47: Osd Options

    5.5.1 OSD OPTIONS You can change some characteristics of the OSD, such as: • The transparency of the OSD • The size of the OSD* • Whether the OSD animation effects# are ON or OFF • The time-out period of the OSD, i.e. how long before the OSD automatically exits if no remote control key is pressed * When output resolution is below 960p (e.g.

  • Page 48: Video Test Patterns

    5.5.3 VIDEO TEST PATTERNS Crystalio II has been designed and built to output broadcast standard video. Using the test patterns in this menu you can use Crystalio II as a reference video signal generator to help with display calibration (see Section 4.6).

  • Page 49: Import/Export Settings

    5.5.6 IMPORT/EXPORT SETTINGS Crystalio II’s settings can be exported and saved onto a USB disc for later import and restore. • Input Settings, Image Settings, Output Settings and Global Settings refer to the current menu settings of the system • Prior to Import/Export, insert a FAT32 formatted USB disc to Crystalio II’s USB port •...

  • Page 50: Factory Settings Reset

    5.5.7 FACTORY SETTINGS RESET This option resets all settings to Factory Default. When the action button is pressed, you will be presented with a Cancel/ Proceed option. Warning: All Crystalio II custom settings and firmware upgrades will be lost by performing a Full Factory Reset.

  • Page 51: Front Panel Configuration

    6. FRONT PANEL CONFIGURATION A sub-set of Crystalio II configurations can be done using the front panel and LCD Display. The menu tree diagram on the following page illustrates the navigation of the menu and the configuration options available. For details about how Crystalio II can be configured using the options, please refer to Section Crystalio II Configuration Section...

  • Page 52: Front Panel Lcd Menu Tree

    FRONT PANEL LCD MENU-TREE Input Image Input Select Video Settings HDMI1 Brightness -99 - 99 HDMI2 Contrast -99 - 99 HDMI3 Saturation -99 - 99 HDMI4 Sharpness 0 - 99 Component1 -99 - 99 Component2 S-Video1 Color T e mp R Offset -99 - 99 S-Video2...

  • Page 53: Controls Unique To The Front Panel

    6.1 CONTROLS UNIQUE TO THE FRONT PANEL Most of the front panel controls are duplicates of menu items found in the main OSD (On-Screen Display), however there are some System setup controls unique to the front panel menus. These items are shown in bold on the tree diagram and described below: 6.1.1 SYSTEM INFO The LCD front panel will change to a screen showing the following information:...

  • Page 54: Advanced Osd Options

    7. ADVANCED OSD OPTIONS 7.1 HDMI INPUT CONFIGURATION When the action button is pressed, the OSD turns to the following HDMI Input Configuration page: • Default is Auto Detect (both Color Space and Video Level), which means the input video format of HDMI ports are auto detected.

  • Page 55: Dynamicvp

    7.2 DYNAMICVP Crystalio II can perform a set of programmed actions according to the video input format. For example, output resolution can be changed according to the input video frame rate. DynamicVP™ can be found in both the Input and Output sections of the Crystalio II interface. Settings entered in the Input DynamicVP™...

  • Page 56: Advanced Gamma Correction

    Input menu Dynamic VP Action/Resolution options Dropdown menu 1 Dropdown menu 2 Load Output Profile A list of previously saved Output Profiles (numbers or defined names) will become available (see Section 5.3.7) Load Video Profile A list of previously saved Video Profiles (numbers or defined names) will become available (see Section 5.2.10)

  • Page 57: User Defined Gamma Curve

    7.3.1 USER DEFINED GAMMA CURVE When User is selected as the Gamma Type and the action button is pressed, the OSD turns to the following page: Use the Left/Right remote control keys to select one of the 20 Input IRE Adjustment Points (refer to the graph above).

  • Page 58: Non-Linear Stretch (Nls) Configuration

    • Use the Left/Right keys to adjust the gamma value, and the Up/Down keys to select color channel. The exception is when gamma type is User, then the Left/Right keys select the IRE adjustment point instead of adjusting the gamma value (refer to the graph on the previous page). To adjust the gamma value, press the OK key first, then the Left/Right keys to adjust.

  • Page 59: Smooth Scaling

    correctly match the Chrominance (color) part of the video signal to the rest of the picture • When Pixel is greater than 0, the Chrominance (color) signal is shifted to the right by one pixel at a time. Moving the slider to the left moves the Chrominance signal to the left by one pixel at a time •...

  • Page 60: Advanced Output Port Configuration

    Chroma Upsampling Error (CUE) Correction: If your source device upsamples the chroma channel incorrectly (often called ‘the chroma bug’), this sophisticated chroma filter can be activated to smooth out the ‘jaggies’ in the chroma channel and therefore alleviate the problem. 3d Comb Filter: If the best connection available for your source is Composite Video (Laserdisc and VHS for example), then this 3D/2D 5-line (5H) adaptive comb and chroma trap filter for both PAL and NTSC signals can...

  • Page 61: Force Dvi

    Primary output port Secondary output port defined as Secondary port actual output HDMI RGB HDMI YCbCr 4:2:2 HDMI RGB HDMI RGB HDMI YCbCr 4:4:4 HDMI RGB HDMI RGB 16-235 Video Level HDMI 0-255 PC Level HDMI 16-235 Video Level HDMI YCbCr 4:4:4 HDMI YCbCr 4:2:2 HDMI YCbCr 4:4:4 7.8.2 FORCE DVI...

  • Page 62: Output Port Configuration When In Passthru Mode

    7.8.4 OUTPUT PORT CONFIGURATION WHEN IN PASSTHRU MODE This option defines the characteristics of output ports when in Passthru mode. • You can define the format of the HDMI output, which include: • Color Space • Output Level • Sync Polarity •...

  • Page 63: Output Sync Polarity/Sync Type When In Passthru Mode

    the video to the secondary output ports and attempt to maintain the Color Space and Video Level of secondary output ports; the following table gives a full list of cases where this may not be possible: Primary output port Secondary output port defined as Secondary port actual output HDMI RGB HDMI YCbCr 4:2:2...

  • Page 64: Color

    7.10 COLOR If there are any color issues that cannot be corrected in the display itself, then these color adjustments can be used to compensate. If a pure red image doesn't look pure red, we can adjust Primary Color R. For example, if a pure red looks a bit green, we can decrease Primary Color Red ->...

  • Page 65: Macros

    7.12 MACROS Each key of the Crystalio II Remote Control is preconfigured to perform certain tasks. Using the Macro configuration screens it is possible to change the function of these keys. This allows custom commands to be sent to Crystalio II, which may make operation more efficient in your particular system. There are over 180 functions to choose from and pressing a single key can perform up to 10 at once.
  • Page 66 If multiple commands are selected for a single key press, Crystalio II will execute these one by one in the order of the list. Note: Execution of commands will be stopped if an OSD setup command is executed in the Macro. Virtual Keys: If the action button is pressed, the OSD will turn to the following page:...

  • Page 67: Troubleshooting

    8. TROUBLESHOOTING Problem Solution No Picture • Check power cable • Check power switches • Ensure that the video cables are connected between the display device and the Crystalio II • Ensure that the video input source is selected (see Section 5.1.1) •...
  • Page 68 Problem Solution Picture is displayed but it is • Ensure that the Image Position (see Section 5.2.6) shifted to the right (or left) is set to the center of your screen (0,0) Objects in the image appear • Ensure that the Screen Shape (see Section 5.3.4) to be too tall or too wide...

  • Page 69: Support & Warranty Information

    Crystalio II. PRODUCT WARRANTY Pixel Magic Systems Ltd. warrants Crystalio II for One-Year from date of purchase to the original purchaser that this product is free from defects in materials and workmanship. If, after inspection, you discover any defects in materials or workmanship, Pixel Magic Systems Ltd. will have the option to repair, or replace the defective Pixel Magic Systems’...
  • Page 70 Email: sales@pixelmagicsystems.com © 2007 Pixel Magic Systems Ltd. All rights reserved. Crystalio, Pixel Magic, DynamicVP , UltraAR and Ultra-Fine Audio Delay are trademarks or registered trademarks of Pixel Magic Systems Ltd. VXP and Visual Excellence Processing are trademarks of Gennum Corporation. DCDi by Faroudja and TrueLife are registered trademarks of Genesis Microchip. Specifications subject to change without notice.

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