Crystalio VPS-2300 User manual

VPS-2300 HDTV Video Scaler/Processor User Guide
Crystalio is the realisation of a dream long held by the engineers and product designers at Pixel Magic Systems
Ltd. To create a modular, expandable, network ready video processing solution using the best of breed
components, to deliver a truly breathtaking visual experience at an affordable price point.
“We dreamt of a product that would be powerful and configurable enough for the Videophile, but at the same time
accessible to the film enthusiast that cares about the picture, not the technology. Finally, it had to integrate with
the new breed of 21st century ‘connected homes’. We are happy that we achieved these goals”
Crystalio is here
Relax and enjoy the show

Crystalio VPS-2300 User Guide
Rev 1.2.0 Page 2
Contents
Contents ................................................................................................................................................................ 2
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................ 5
Compatible Equipment....................................................................................................................................... 6
Product Registration........................................................................................................................................... 7
Video Processing History ................................................................................................................................... 8
How did it all start?......................................................................................................................................... 8
Video Processing Technology Primer............................................................................................................... 11
Aspect Ratio Conversion .............................................................................................................................. 11
Putting it all together..................................................................................................................................... 12
Overview of Crystalio Controls and Connections.............................................................................................. 13
Front Panel Controls .................................................................................................................................... 13
Rear Panel ................................................................................................................................................... 17
Getting Started................................................................................................................................................. 20
Mains ........................................................................................................................................................... 20
Video Inputs ................................................................................................................................................. 20
Video Outputs .............................................................................................................................................. 21
Configuring your Video Source..................................................................................................................... 21
Configure Crystalio Input.............................................................................................................................. 21
Configure Crystalio Output ........................................................................................................................... 21
Switch On..................................................................................................................................................... 22
Configure Output Format / Resolution .......................................................................................................... 22
Configure Aspect Ratio................................................................................................................................. 22
Congratulations! ........................................................................................................................................... 22
Crystalio Configuration..................................................................................................................................... 23
Pixel Magic System – configuration of output display device ........................................................................ 23
1. Input Select .................................................................................................................................................. 25
Description ................................................................................................................................................... 25
Available Modes........................................................................................................................................... 25
2. Aspect Ratio................................................................................................................................................. 25
Description ................................................................................................................................................... 26

Crystalio VPS-2300 User Guide
Rev 1.2.0 Page 3
Available Modes........................................................................................................................................... 26
Configuration (Standard) .............................................................................................................................. 26
Configuration (Custom) ................................................................................................................................ 27
3. Video Settings.............................................................................................................................................. 28
Description ................................................................................................................................................... 28
Available Modes........................................................................................................................................... 28
Configuration................................................................................................................................................ 29
4. Advanced..................................................................................................................................................... 30
Description ................................................................................................................................................... 30
Available Modes........................................................................................................................................... 30
5. System Config.............................................................................................................................................. 39
Description ................................................................................................................................................... 39
Available Modes........................................................................................................................................... 39
6. A.R Profile.................................................................................................................................................... 57
Description ................................................................................................................................................... 57
Available Modes........................................................................................................................................... 57
7. Video Profile................................................................................................................................................. 59
Description ................................................................................................................................................... 59
Available Modes........................................................................................................................................... 59
8. Pixel Magic System...................................................................................................................................... 62
Description ................................................................................................................................................... 62
Remote Control (Optional) ................................................................................................................................... 65
Main Menu ....................................................................................................................................................... 66
Crystalio 1 sub-menu ....................................................................................................................................... 67
Crystalio 2 sub-menu ....................................................................................................................................... 68
Crystalio 3 sub-menu ....................................................................................................................................... 69
Troubleshooting ................................................................................................................................................... 70
No LEDs displayed (including power)........................................................................................................... 70
Power LED is On, but no other LEDs shown / LCD not showing a display.................................................... 70
No Picture is Displayed ................................................................................................................................ 70
Picture is displayed but is unstable............................................................................................................... 70
Picture appears stretched............................................................................................................................. 70
Product Support................................................................................................................................................... 71
Specifications....................................................................................................................................................... 72

Crystalio VPS-2300 User Guide
Rev 1.2.0 Page 4
Safety Information................................................................................................................................................ 74
Support and Warranty Information ....................................................................................................................... 76

Crystalio VPS-2300 User Guide
Rev 1.2.0 Page 5
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing Crystalio, the next generation of video processors!
Before we get started let us just check that you have all of the following contents:
• Crystalio VPS-2300 Video Processor
• Remote Control
• Mains power lead
• Pixel Magic DVD
• Crystalio User Guide (CD-ROM)
• Firmware upgrade cable
• USB Firmware upgrade thumb disk
• Rack mounting brackets
If any items are missing please contact your Crystalio retailer immediately

Crystalio VPS-2300 User Guide
Rev 1.2.0 Page 6
Compatible Equipment
Any source device capable of outputting
• Composite Video
• S-Video
• RGsB (Sync on Green)
• RGBs (Separate Sync)
• Component (Y-Pb-Pr)
• VGA (HD15)
• Digital DVI
• SDI (Serial Digital Interface)
Any analogue or digital display capable of inputting
• Analogue RGBHV
• Analogue RGB with composite sync
• Analogue Component (Y-Pb-Pr)
• Analogue Component (Y-Cb-Cr)
• Digital DVI

Crystalio VPS-2300 User Guide
Rev 1.2.0 Page 7
Product Registration
To ensure that you are covered by the 12 month warranty, you must ensure that you register your product.
Registration is completed online at www.crystalio.com/support and will just take a couple of minutes. You will
need your serial number so please make a note of it prior to installing your Crystalio.
Registration will entitle you to technical information, online product help, and of course software updates as
Crystalio is enhanced in the future.

Crystalio VPS-2300 User Guide
Rev 1.2.0 Page 8
Video Processing History
Crystalio is designed to deliver the best viewing experience from your video sources and video display device.
This is achieved by using award winning technology from Faroudja, inventors of the DCDi® technology which is
used in a wide range of different domestic and professional AV components.
If you want to simply sit back and enjoy the show, then you do not need to read this section. If however you are
interested in the technology that goes in to making a great image then read on!
How did it all start?
Faroudja®’s technology began in the early 1970s when Yves Faroudja and a group of videophiles invented state-
of-the-art video processing technologies and began licensing them to other companies. In the 1990s, Faroudja
became involved in the specification of High-Definition TV (HDTV). This is a new television standard which is
being introduced at different rates worldwide, and vastly improves the quality of the image that is displayed. How
is this achieved? Well quite simply by increasing the amount of picture detail used to make the image.
To put this in to perspective, a standard definition (SDTV) image is made up of around ¼ million pixels, or points
of light. This sounds like an awful lot of information, more than would ever be required to display a good quality
TV image. However, when this standard was defined the maximum screen sizes that could be used in a domestic
environment were much smaller than those available today. Consider that a 50” screen has four times the area of
a 25” display, and with the increased use of projection systems meaning that 100” or even 200” screen sizes are
commonplace (16 times the visible area). Suddenly, ¼ million isn’t very much detail at all, and the result is any
problems in the image are now magnified to such an extent that the viewing pleasure is reduced.
The solution is to use more pixels to make up the image, and HD increases this by a factor of eight to 2 million.
This makes a huge difference to the quality of the image, which has been likened to ‘looking through a window’ –
it really is that good.
However, while the hardware industry has now started to produce affordable HD capable displays, the availability
of source devices and programming to use with HD devices has been limited. The amount of HD programming
material is miniscule compared to the availability of SD material, which means that if you simply connect your SD
video source to your high quality display you will often be very disappointed with the results.

Crystalio VPS-2300 User Guide
Rev 1.2.0 Page 9
From SD to HD
It was obvious to the engineers at Faroudja that for the pioneering broadcasters offering HD programming, that
there would need to be a solution to that fact there were virtually no HD programs available. The solution was to
build a device capable of ‘up-conversion’, increasing the detail of SD material in to HD. This of course was a
highly complex task to achieve, using specialised software the device had to ‘guess’ how to take ¼ million pixels
and produce a realistic looking 2 million pixel image, essentially creating nearly 90% of the image information
from the remaining 10%. Faroudja were successful, and in June 1998, Yves Faroudja was presented the Charles
F. Jenkins Lifetime Achievement Award by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
DCDi®
The equipment developed to achieve the SD to HD up-conversion for the broadcasters was of course way beyond
the budget of the domestic film enthusiast, but with the ever increasing power and sophistication of
microprocessors it was clear to Faroudja that this technology could eventually be made available to the domestic
market. DCDi® , or (Directional Correlational Deinterlacing) to give it its complete title, pioneered affordable, high
quality video processing for the first time in the domestic market.
DCDi® eliminates the jaggedness that conventional up-converters introduced to diagonal edges in video. DCDi®s
unique algorithm identifies all the moving edges in a scene and adjusts the angle of interpolation at each pixel so
that the interpolation always follows the edge instead of crossing it, eliminating stair-casing or jagged edge
artefacts. This technology was first used in the Digital Format Converter introduced in 1997 and with its
combination of decoding, de-interlacing and enhancement technologies, won an Emmy Award from National
Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2001. In addition to being used in all Faroudja Home Theater and
High Definition Broadcast products, the DCDi algorithm is now incorporated into a wide range of video sources
and displays from a wide range of manufacturers, identifiable by the distinctive DCD® logo on their front panel.
Why do I need Crystalio?
You may be wondering why you need a separate video processor, if you can purchase this award winning
technology built in to a projector or a DVD player. The reason is performance and flexibility. Crystalio delivers
detailed control over every aspect of the video processing, allowing you (or your installer) to optimise the
performance of your overall system to a far greater extent than the systems built in to other equipment. Crystalio
also allows you to enjoy this performance from many different types of source device, from basic composite video
sources right through to pure digital SDI and DVI video (Serial Digital Video is a specialist video distribution
standard used to transmit video in the broadcast industry at maximum quality over long distance using
inexpensive co-axial cable, and while it is not available for domestic equipment it is possible to purchase specially

Crystalio VPS-2300 User Guide
Rev 1.2.0 Page 10
modified domestic equipment that is SDI enabled. DVI (Digital Video Interface) on the other hand is a technology
used by the computer industry to connect digital displays (e.g. plasma panels, LCD monitors etc) to PC video
cards, and is only suitable for relatively short distances of a few feet)
This means that Crystalio is maximising the performance of all of your video sources, from your old SVHS
recordings, your collection of video games consoles, DVD player etc – you can rest assured that when you are
viewing these through Crystalio you are seeing them all at their best.

Crystalio VPS-2300 User Guide
Rev 1.2.0 Page 11
Video Processing Technology Primer
Aspect Ratio Conversion
The aspect ratio of a video source describes the proportion of the image’s width versus its height. Traditionally,
programs made for television have been made at a 4:3 aspect ratio (for every 3 units high the picture is 4 units
wide), whereas films have used widescreen aspect ratios (16:9 or wider).
The problem is that for the image to look correct (i.e. to prevent the image being distorted or stretched either
vertically or horizontally) then every part of the playback ‘chain’, i.e. the video source material, the video source
and the display must all be correctly configured.
Aspect Ratio Conversion is used to fit images on displays with different aspect ratios while best preserving the
correct aspect ratio of the image. NTSC and PAL content, including TV, VCR, Camcorder and video games
typically has an aspect ratio of 4:3.
NTSC and PAL content can be shown on a 16:9 display using various forms of conversion, including Pillar boxing,
Zoom and Non-Linear, referred to as Anamorphic or Panoramic. Faroudja’s technology varies aspect ratio and
picture position to handle traditional 4 by 3 aspect ratio sources and the wider 16 by 9 HDTV aspect ratio on a
variety of display types and video formats.
TrueLife® Enhancement
Conventional video enhancement is done by a basic ‘peaking filter’ that enhances the high-frequency components
of the video signal. However, this creates unwanted artefacts, which are distracting and spoil the viewing
experience. Faroudja does not use a peaking filter to enhance an image, but instead uses its TrueLife®
Enhancement technology to identify transitions considered to be the details in an image such as skin texture,
freckles or hair. These detail transitions are deliberately enhanced making them more visible and more lifelike.
The technology also enhances large edges to create greater depth of perception without introducing visible
artefacts or distortion.
Film Mode Detection Technology
In 1989 Faroudja invented and patented film mode detection or 3:2 pulldown detection.
Film-originated content (where conventional film cameras were used as opposed to digital video cameras) that
has gone through 3:2 pulldown for conversion to NTSC (the United States television broadcast standard) is
detected and the original film frames are recreated by blending the fields back together.

Crystalio VPS-2300 User Guide
Rev 1.2.0 Page 12
(If you are unfamiliar with the concepts of ‘pulldown’ then don’t worry, basically it is technique used as part of the
process of transferring film to the broadcast standard)
However, this creates an artefact (or visible ‘glitch’) known as a comb. Faroudja was the only company with “bad
edit” detection capability to detect the original frames of film within the video stream and reconstruct an accurate
image. This produced an image free of motion artefacts with full vertical resolution. This Film mode processing is
widely accepted in the industry.
Cross Colour Suppression
Cross colour is an artefact produced by the imperfect decoding of composite video. High frequency luma
(brightness) components are incorrectly decoded as chroma (colour) signals, causing colour effects to appear
where there should be none. This problem can be detected in many types of “busy” scenes including tiled
rooftops, herringbone patterned clothing, leafy scenery, etc. The most common and visible cross colour artefacts
are flickering, flashing colours or rainbow patterns. The artefact can be eliminated in still images, but is much
more complex to detect and correct in moving images. Faroudja’s Cross Colour Suppression uses motion
detection to selectively perform the filtering in an intelligent manner, identifying where there is no motion in the
image and using the already existing frame memory for the chroma storage required.
Motion Adaptive Noise Reduction
Noise on an image is typically eliminated or reduced by filtering. Filtering can be done spatially, (1-D), or
temporally, (3-D). Spatial filtering results in a soft image with loss of detail. Temporal filtering does not create loss
of detail, but if done incorrectly, does result in smearing or ghosting of moving objects in the image. Faroudja uses
Motion Adaptive processing to reduce noise without introducing smearing.
Putting it all together
Crystalio is the only video processor on the market that uses the latest Faroudja FL2300 DCDi® central
processor, so quite simply if you want to enjoy the benefit of over 30 years of pioneering video excellence –
Crystalio is your video processor of choice.

Crystalio VPS-2300 User Guide
Rev 1.2.0 Page 13
Overview of Crystalio Controls and Connections
Crystalio has been designed to be very flexible and highly configurable, yet at the same time very easy to use. a
number of unique features make this possible
First of all, let us familiarise ourselves with the basic controls and indicators
Front Panel Controls
Power button
Press once to switch on, press once again to switch to standby.
The status is shown by the Power Indicator LED (see below)
Please note – when you have switched off Crystalio please wait at least 10 seconds before switching Crystalio
back on again.
Power Indicator LED
• Green – Crystalio is running
• Red – Crystalio is in standby
Film and 2:2 Pulldown Indicator LEDS
Film 2:2 Pulldown Mode
OFF OFF Video (DCDi)
ON OFF Film (3:2 pulldown)

Crystalio VPS-2300 User Guide
Rev 1.2.0 Page 14
ON ON Film (2:2 pulldown)
OFF ON Not applicable
RGB indicator LED
• On - analogue video output is in RGB mode
• Off - analogue video output is in Component Y-Pb-Pr mode
Input button
Cycles through the various Crystalio video input sources, e.g., SDI1, SDI2, SDI3, Component1, etc. (see table
below)
Input Name
Displayed
Input Format
HDTV Component HD Analogue Component (YPbPr)
HDTV RGBHV HD Analogue RGBHV
HDTV RGB HD Analogue RGB sync on Green
HDTV DVI HD Digital DVI DVI
SDI 1 SDI 1 SDI
SDI 2 SDI 2 SDI
SDI 3 SDI 3 SDI
Component 1* Component 1 Component (YPbPr)
Component 2* Component 2 Component (YPbPr)
S-Video 1 S-Video 1 SVideo
S-Video 2 S-Video 2 SVideo
Video 1 Composite video 1 Composite (CVBS)
Video 2 Composite video 2 Composite (CVBS)
RGB 1* RGB sync on Green 1 RGB sync on Green (RGsB)
RGB 2* RGB sync on Green 2 RGB sync on Green (RGsB)
RGBs 1* RGB separate sync 1 RGB Separate Sync (RGBS)
RGBs 2 * RGB separate sync 2 RGB Separate Sync (RGBS)
* Input channel setup through “System Config” -> “Port Arrange”

Crystalio VPS-2300 User Guide
Rev 1.2.0 Page 15
Output button
Cycles through the Crystalio output modes, <RGBHV>, <RGB(Cs)>, <DVI>, <YPbPr> and <YCbCr>

Crystalio VPS-2300 User Guide
Rev 1.2.0 Page 16
Front panel LCD display and navigation buttons
The display has two distinct modes
Setup
Utilising this display it is possible to control and configure Crystalio as follows.
• To enter menu set up mode, press <SETUP>
• To highlight previous or next item, press <UP> or <DOWN>
• To increase or decrease value, press <LEFT> or <RIGHT>
• To select item or confirm setting, press <OK>
• To escape and go back one level up of menu setup, press <CANCEL>
Status Display
When Crystalio is not in setup menu mode, it shows the status display, which includes the following useful
information:
• Video input source
• Video source format
• Screen aspect ratio
• Output resolution/format
• Image aspect ratio
• Image size
• Output selection
• Current de-interlacing mode

Crystalio VPS-2300 User Guide
Rev 1.2.0 Page 17
Rear Panel
Power
Power Supply cable entry
Use only the cable supplied with your Crystalio
Power Supply Voltage Selector
This must be set to the voltage appropriate to your supply, either 110v or 220v AC. It should have been set
correctly by your supplying dealer. Ensure that this is correctly set BEFORE connecting Crystalio to your power
supply
Video Input connectors
These allow you to connect your video sources to Crystalio.
Digital
Digital Input
SDI 1
SDI 2
SDI 3
DVI

Crystalio VPS-2300 User Guide
Rev 1.2.0 Page 18
Analogue
Component/RGB 1 Can be used either as:-
• RGBS (RGB with composite sync) or RGsB (RGB with Sync
on Green)
• Component Video Y-Pb-Pr
• 1 x Composite (CVBS) video and 1 x SVideo
Component/RGB 2 Can be used either as:-
• RGBS (RGB with composite sync) or RGsB (RGB with Sync
on Green)
• Component Video Y-Pb-Pr
• 1 x Composite (CVBS) video and 1 x SVideo
HDTV analog in Can be used either as:-
• High Definition Component Video Y-Pb-Pr
• RGBHV
• RGsB (RGB with Sync on Green)
Video Output connectors
Your display device(s) should be connected to these connectors. Crystalio offers the following connection
configurations
Digital
The DVI (Digital Video Interface) provides the best possible video connection from Crystalio. If you are connecting
to a display device that has a DVI terminal then this should be used, as it allows the video information to be
passed directly to the display without any conversion from digital to analogue.
Analogue
5 x BNC Connectors Can be used either as:-
• RGBHV
• RGB(Cs)

Crystalio VPS-2300 User Guide
Rev 1.2.0 Page 19
• Component Video Y-Pb-Pr, Y-Cb-Cr
Computer / Network connectivity
These are optional/advanced connections
USB (Universal Serial Bus)
Allows Crystalio to be upgraded using USB ‘memory stick’ devices.
RJ45 Ethernet connection
Allows Crystalio to be connected to a computer network. Future applications planned for this feature include
remote configuration and control of Crystalio
RS232 DB9 Male Serial connection
To allow Crystalio to be controlled by home theatre control systems

Crystalio VPS-2300 User Guide
Rev 1.2.0 Page 20
Getting Started
Mains
1. Ensure that the voltage selector is set correctly for your mains voltage. If you have any doubts then DO
NOT connect your Crystalio, instead contact your dealer for advice. Incorrect setting of the voltage
selector will result in serious damage to your unit and also a risk of fire / electrical shock.
2. Connect Crystalio to a power point using the mains cable provided.
Video Inputs
Crystalio includes a comprehensive set of inputs to allow you to connect a wide range of video sources.
For the best results you should
• use the highest quality output that your video source provides
• use high quality cables for all connections
When deciding on which output to use from your device, then use the following list as a guide (best quality first)
• SDI or DVI (a direct digital connection from a compatible set top box or DVD player)
• RGB(RGsB/RGBS - often available from set top boxes, DVD players etc, and as an optional
connection on games consoles.
• Component(YpbPr - typically available on mid range to high end DVD players and some games
consoles.
• S-Video - a general purpose connection found on many devices. It is also sometimes (but
incorrectly) referred to as SVHS
• Composite - the most common, and the lowest performing video connection.
Note – in all cases we recommend that you choose the interlaced output from your source device; instead of the
progressive (e.g. 480i instead of 480p). This is to allow Crystalio to perform the conversion from interlaced video
to progressive video as Crystalio has sophisticated processing dedicated to this task