MGP 464: How to Get the Most from the MGP 464 for Successful Presentations The Extron MGP 464 is a powerful, highly effective tool for advanced A/V communications and presentations. It has the ability to simultaneously display up to four windows of still or full-motion graphics from high resolution computer-video, HDTV, and video sources. To ensure the MGP 464 performs at its best, delivering very high image quality with exceptional detail and definition, several considerations must be taken into account when installing and implementing an MGP 464. First, the display should have a high native resolution, preferably 1080p, so that each window shows content at a sufficient resolution. Second, the display must be properly set up so it is fully optimized to receive signals from the MGP 464. Finally, the MGP 464 itself must be properly configured to process all incoming signals so that it can deliver the best possible scaled output signal, matched to the native resolution of the display. We'll explore all of these aspects in this article. Effectively Utilizing Your Pixels The MGP 464 can display up to four windows, from a variety of sources and in a variety of sizes, on a single display. It is the native resolution of the display, however, that defines the total number of pixels available to the MGP 464. Each window, therefore, is a subset of the total display area, and the number of pixels available for each window will always be less than the display s native resolution. The exception, of course, is if a window happens to be full-screen. Within the MGP 464, the window size values are used to denote the actual horizontal and vertical pixel dimensions, which change accordingly as the user adjusts the size or shape of the window. In other words, these values define the pixel resolution available for displaying a selected input signal. Since the resolutions of the input signal and display window rarely match, the MGP 464 will scale the input signal as necessary while window size adjustments are made. The Challenge: Displaying Text and Fine Details For most presentations, standard video content and photos can usually be scaled up or down in size without a significant impact on image detail. In most cases, the scaling will be virtually invisible to the viewer. However, scaling images that incorporate text or graphics comprised of single-pixel width elements, such as from Microsoft Excel or Word documents, is another matter. Scaling artifacts can compromise the legibility of these finedetail elements if too much downscaling is needed to make the content fit within the defined window size. Making Your Documents Clear Let s take a look at some guidelines designed to help get the most out of your multi-window presentation systems. First, use the highest resolution display possible in your system designs. Of course, the choice of display is dictated by many factors, from application to client preference to budget, but as price points continue to drop, more and more multi-window projects can be specified with an HDTV 1080p display as shown in Figure 1. With full 1920x1080 resolution and a 16x9 aspect ratio, the display has enough native pixel resolution to accommodate two full-size, high resolution windows side by side, one 1024x768 and one 800x600. With a more modest display, such as one with SXGA+ 1x1050 resolution see Helpful Hint 8 point typeface 10 point typeface 12 point typeface 14 point typeface 16 point typeface 18 point typeface 20 point typeface 24 point typeface Increasing typeface size will help ensure legibility of documents on-screen. 22 ExtroNews 18.1 Spring 2007
768 800 600 have a significant effect on readability when the image is scaled and displayed. Another approach is to size the window as large as possible and then format your presentation to fit within the window. This helps keep the resolutions of the window and the input signal similar in size, and only a small amount of video processing will be necessary. 1024 Figure 1 - An HDTV 1080p display allows for 1024x768 and 800x600 windows side by side. 1920 1080 With a small or moderate-resolution display, you can further maximize the effectiveness of the presentation by creating a preset in the MGP 464 to perform a fly-out, as shown in Figure 3, which can be used to enlarge any scaled, on-screen window by expanding it to fill the full native resolution of the display. This allows documents to be shown at or near their full resolution whenever necessary. 800 600 1 1050 The MGP 464 offers up to 128 available user-defined window presets, which can be recalled from the front panel, via IP Link, or as part of the presentation system s control automation. In this scenario, create the first preset to store and recall the original multi-window layout. Then, create individual window presets for each window enlarged to full-screen. Using the MGP 464 s built-in transition effects capability, enlargement of an individual window can be executed as a simple cut or as an animated effect. Figure 2 - An SXGA+ 1x1050 display offers room for one 1024x768 or 800x600 primary window with three smaller windows. Figure 2, you can set up a 1024x768 or 800x600 resolution window, with up to three smaller windows also on-screen. For most applications, a window at either 1024x768 or 800x600 resolution is generally of a sufficient size to display legible text from a Word or Excel document. The key is to have the PC set to output at the resolution of the primary, critical window, so documents are displayed pixel-for-pixel with minimal scaling. In presentation systems where a lower resolution display, such as XGA 1024x768, is employed, you can help ensure the readability of documents on-screen by encouraging the use of simple graphics and large typefaces. Increasing type size from 10 points to 12 or 14 points can Proper Set-Up is the Key to a Great Image The MGP 464 features sophisticated signal conversion and scaling technology from Extron with the capability to produce a very high quality image at resolutions up to 1600x1200 and HDTV 1080p. A key aspect of this technology is high performance upscaling and downscaling of continued on page 24 www.extron.com 23
$1,600,000 $1,,000 $1,200,000 $1,000,000 $800,000 $600,000 $,000 $200,000 $- East West Southeast Central T E C H C O R N E R Te c h C o r n e r continued lens set at its widest zoom setting. Both of these considerations will help maximize brightness. Next, the projector should be situated so that the image area is properly aligned, mechanically and optically, with the screen. Although many projectors offer digital keystone correction to electronically reshape the image area, this actually results in a loss of input signal resolution and should be avoided. $1,600,000 $1,,000 $1,200,000 $1,000,000 $800,000 $600,000 $,000 $200,000 $- East West Southeast Central With the projector now in place, the next step is to set the MGP 464 output rate to match the native resolution of the projector. If the display is equipped with a pixel by pixel or no scaling mode, it should be activated at this time. Now, it s time to ensure that the image from the MGP 464 properly fills the screen. Using the internal crop pattern from the MGP 464 as a reference, adjust the projector s horizontal and vertical position controls until this is accomplished. Figure 3 - A window fly-out can be programmed into the MGP 464, so that a window can be expanded to fill the screen. computer-video in order to optimize display of graphics within large and small window sizes. However, in order to fully appreciate the performance capabilities of the MGP 464, proper set-up is crucial. First, the projector must be positioned and calibrated for displaying signals coming from the MGP 464. Then the MGP 464 itself needs to be optimized for processing incoming signals, so that it will send the best possible signal output to the projector. Setting Up the Display One of the most important factors in image quality is set-up of the display device, particularly a projector. As projected images increase in size, even seemingly minor anomalies are magnified many times over. Therefore, it is important that you first set up and optimize the projector, and then focus on configuring the MGP 464. If the projector is not performing at its best, chances are you will not be able to properly optimize the MGP 464. For installation of a projector, the first important factor to consider is its environment. To achieve the best possible apparent contrast, there should be minimal ambient light in the room, and whatever light is present should be shielded from the screen. Physical position of the projector is also critical. Once you ve selected the appropriate lens for the application, try to install the projector at the shortest possible throw distance, with the Next, it will be necessary to set the projector s clocking adjustment and phase controls to match the incoming video signal from the MGP 464. This is an important procedure for analog RGB signals since the projector needs to sample and convert the signals to digital at the appropriate time intervals. Improper adjustment at this point will affect all information displayed on-screen, resulting in poorly resolved images with visible noise artifacts. To adjust the clocking and phase of the projector, use the alternating pixels test pattern built into the MGP 464. Since all sources within the system will be processed inside the MGP 464, it is critical that the projector be set to reference the incoming signal from the MGP 464. Using the alternating pixels pattern, adjust the clocking, and then the phase control on the projector until the lines of pixels are clearly resolved and there is little or no visible noise in the image. 24 ExtroNews 18.1 Spring 2007
TECH CORNER Finally, you ll need to fine-tune several picture settings, including: Brightness and contrast Sharpness also known as detail C olor, or chroma, and NTSC tint only with standard definition video sources Color temperature appropriately configuring the MGP 464 to process each of them. The procedure is similar to setting up Extron scalers and should be completed before proceeding with creating multi-window layouts and incorporating other presentation enhancement features of the MGP 464. The MGP 464 provides grayscale and ramp patterns for setting brightness and contrast, and color bars for setting color and tint levels. Most functions for setting up and operating the MGP 464 can be accomplished right from the front panel. In addition, you can also use the included Windows control software, RS-232 control, or the embedded IP Link configuration Web pages. Setting up the MGP 464 With the projector now properly installed and calibrated, we can now move on to optimizing the MGP 464. This entails specifying the incoming signals and then Alternating pixels test pattern Configuring Inputs to the MGP 464 The MGP 464 features four configurable inputs that accept high resolution RGB to 1600x1200, component video to HDTV 1080p, S-video, or composite video. You will need to specify the incoming signal for each of these inputs by accessing the Input Configuration menus. Then, the next step is to calibrate the MGP 464 to receive, sample, and process incoming signals through these inputs. This is primarily relevant to high resolution signals, and is important in order to ensure that video processing is optimized and the best possible signal output is delivered to the projector. Fine-Tuning Pixel Adjustments Keystone correction electronically "reshapes" the image to compensate for projector misalignment With keystone correction, the alternating pixels test pattern is distorted with a moire effect www.extron.com Select one of the configurable inputs and any window to display the input signal. The MGP 464 offers the capability to adjust the size and position of the window, and also the size and position of the image residing within the window. Set window to full-screen, and then the image to match the size of the window. The image should also be centered with its horizontal and vertical positions at zero 0,0. A full-screen window usually enables display of the input signal at full resolution and a 1:1 pixel ratio. This enables finetuning the calibration at the single-pixel level. If the input resolution exceeds the window size, adjust the size of the image to match the input. Repeat this procedure for the three remaining windows. Now, within the Input Configuration menus, and any selected window, confirm that the horizontal and vertical starting points are properly set for the active portion of the video signal, so that the active image is properly displayed within the window, with no surrounding black border and no cropping. Next, make sure that the scaling is properly synchronized to the input signal by setting the pixel phase. This process is similar to that previously described for synchronizing the projector to its input. As before, an alternating pixels test pattern is recommended. However, for this calibration, it should originate from an external source, such as an Extron VTG R Video and Audio Test Generator or VTG D Programmable Video and Audio Test Generator, with the output set to the signal type and resolution of the input source. Pixel phase adjustments will be necessary for each window, since there are essentially four scalers in the MGP 464. Finally, with the same alternating pixels test pattern, and any selected window, determine the number of total pixels, active pixels, and active VTG D continued on page 26 25
Te c h C o r n e r continued MGP 464 Checklist for Proper Set-Up Projector MGP 464 Reduce ambient room lighting to a minimum. Configure all inputs on the MGP 464. Check projector focus and lens zoom setting. Select an input to be calibrated. Check projector alignment to screen. Set electronic or digital keystone control to OFF or 0. Set the output rate of the MGP 464 to match the native resolution of the projector. Select the crop pattern in the MGP 464 as appropriate to the native aspect ratio of the projector. Adjust the size of all four windows to full-screen. If necessary, adjust image size and position so that the size of the window and image match and the position of the image is at 0,0. In any window, set the active horizontal and vertical starting points. Adjust the image position to fill the screen using the projector controls. For each window, use an alternating pixels pattern on an external source to adjust pixel phase. Select the alternating pixels test pattern in the MGP 464. In any window, set total pixels, active pixels, and active lines. Set the clocking and phase controls of the projector. Save all settings to one of the 128 available input presets. Using the available MGP 464 test patterns, adjust brightness, contrast, sharpness, color, tint - NTSC only, and color temperature. Repeat this calibration for all remaining inputs. Use the range of window customization controls to create custom window layouts. Save to any of 128 available window presets. lines in the signal. Accurately setting total pixels is necessary so that the MGP 464 properly samples the signal. Active pixels and active lines define the dimensions of the active image area in the signal. If all of these adjustments are made correctly, you should be able to discern the alternating lines in the test pattern with no banding in the image. Prior to calibration, the MGP 464 estimates all of the pixel settings by auto-detecting the resolution of the input signal, and then referring to an internal lookup table of corresponding pixel values. These are at least a close estimate of the final, calibrated values. Proceed to set up each of the remaining inputs. If desired, settings for each input can be saved to and recalled from any of up to 128 input presets using the Windows control software, IP Link, or through the presentation system s control automation. These presets can be useful when using the MGP 464 with a matrix switcher. Create Your Window Layouts Once optimization of the MGP 464 is complete, you can create your window layouts, make picture control adjustments for each input source, and further customize your presentations by incorporating a window border, window labels, and a color, image, or live video background. Be sure to save your window layouts into any of the 128 available window presets. Auto-Image Setup A feature of the MGP 464, as well as several other Extron video processors, Auto-Image enables many of the above settings to be automatically determined with a touch of a button. Auto-Image analyzes the incoming video signal and sets the active pixels and active lines, as well as pixel phase and horizontal and vertical starting points. It can also measure and estimate the resolution of the video signal. This is an especially useful feature whenever installation or operation of the MGP 464 needs to be expedited. However, for optimum performance, it is recommended that the MGP 464 be precisely calibrated using manual adjustments. DVI Simplifies Matters If you re using DVI connections within your system design, set-up is considerably simplified. The MGP 464 offers DVI in addition to RGBHV analog output. If your projector offers DVI input, you can reduce some of the time needed for set-up, since setting projector synchronization will not be necessary. The digital signal will be automatically mapped and timed to the video processing in the projector. Similarly, if you re using the MGP 464 DI with DVI inputs to connect to DVI-equipped video sources, you ll also cut down substantially on the set-up procedure. Pixel phase, active pixels, total pixels, and other parameters that would otherwise be set manually for analog signals are handled automatically with DVI. 26 ExtroNews 18.1 Spring 2007