FSI XM Series User manual

Monitor User Manual
Updated 6.7.2021
Flanders Scientic, Inc.
6215 Shiloh Crossing
Suite G
Alpharetta, GA. 30005
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-Mail: Support@FlandersScientic.com
www.FlandersScientic.com
XM Series
XM310K
This manual is based on rmware V2.1.20.
Some selections may be unavailable or not work correctly if
using a different rmware build.

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Contents
TOPIC PAGE(S)
Safety Precautions 3 - 5
Parts & Their Functions 6 - 7
Menu 8 - 18
Understanding Modulation Modes 19 - 20
Dimensional Drawing 21

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Safety Precautions
• All operating instructions must be read and understood before the product is operated.
• These safety and operating instructions must be kept in a safe place for future reference.
• All warnings on the product and in the instructions must be observed closely.
• All operating instructions must be followed.
• Do not use attachments or accessories not recommended by the manufacturer. Use of inadequate
attachments may result in serious accidents.
• Do not place heavy objects on the power cord. Route power cord to prevent people from stepping
on or resting objects on the cord. Check to ensure that both outlet and product connection points
are properly seated and secured.
• This product must be operated on a power source as specied on the specication label or product
screening. Always operate the product within the voltage range specied.
• Do not overload AC outlets or extension cords. Overloading can cause re or serious electric shock.
• Never insert an object into the product through vents or openings as this can cause serious electric
shock or damage.
• Do not expose product to water or other liquids as this can lead to electrical shock or permanent
damage.
• Keep this product away from heat generating sources such as radiators, heaters, stoves, or other
heat generating products.
• When mounting the product to a wall, ceiling, or within a rack/enclosure, be sure to install the
product according to the instructions of both the mount and monitor manufacturer.
• Do not attempt to service the product yourself. Removing covers can expose you to high voltage
and other unsafe conditions. Please seek the assistance of a qualied service professional for all
service needs.
Safety Precautions
CAUTION
DO NOT LAY FLAT. DO NOT ROTATE OR TURN UPSIDE DOWN.
Monitor must be transported, stored, and operated upright at all times. Please ensure monitor is kept
clean and free of dust. Failure to follow these guidelines may lead to dust inow or panel damage.
Panel bending, bruising, and dust inow are not warrantable conditions. Please exercise caution with
the display, especially when transporting or operating.
Connecting and Disconnecting SDI BNC Cables
To prevent damage to components from electrical discharge follow these steps:
• Connect power rst on all devices.
• Power on all devices.
• Connect BNC cables.
To disconnect:
• Disconnect BNC cables.
• Power down and disconnect power from devices.

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Safety Precautions
• If any of the following occur, unplug the power cord from the AC outlet and consult a qualied service
professional to perform repairs:
• Power cord or plug becomes damaged.
• When any liquid is spilled on or in the product.
• When the product has been exposed to rain or water.
• When the product does not operate properly as described in the instruction manual.
• When the product has been dropped or damaged.
• If the product requires replacement parts, make sure that the service person uses replacement
parts specied by the manufacturer, or those equivalent parts having the same characteristics and
performance specications as the original parts. Use of unauthorized parts can result in re, electric
shock, and/or other damage.
• Upon completion of any service or repair work, request that the service technician perform safety
checks to ensure that the product is in proper working order.
• Unplug the power cord from the AC outlet before cleaning the product.
• For proper screen maintenance please follow the guidelines below to prevent scratches, discoloration,
or other damage to the panel:
• Avoid striking the screen with any object.
• Do not wipe screen hard. Apply only gentle pressure if cleaning.
• Do not wipe the screen with solvents such as alcohol, paint thinner, or benzene as this can
cause permanent damage to the panel.
• Do not spray detergent or other cleaners directly on the monitor or panel.
• Do not write on the panel with any substance or object.
• Do not paste or stick anything to the screen as any adhesive can cause damage to the panel.
• Screen may be cleaned by gently wiping with lint free cloth to remove dust. For more thorough
cleaning use a lint free cloth that has been very lightly dampened with distilled water. Please
dry any excess moisture from the monitor or panel immediately to prevent damage.
• Take care in moving this product as serious injury or death can result from the sudden shifting or
falling of this object.
• The vents and openings in the product’s chassis are designed for ventilation. Do not cover, block, or
otherwise obstruct these vents and openings as insufcient ventilation can cause overheating and/
or shorten the life of the product.
• Do not place the object on a bed, sofa, rug, or other similar surface as this can result in serious
obstruction of ventilation areas. If using in enclosed space make sure to provide proper ventilation
to maintain allowable operating temperature range.
• The panel used in this product contains glass and can cause serious injury if broken. If the unit is
dropped or otherwise damaged take care to avoid possible injury by glass shards.
• Avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight as this can cause damage to the panel.
• For proper chassis maintenance please follow the guidelines below to avoid any potential damage:
• Do not wipe the chassis with solvents such as alcohol, paint thinner, or benzene.
• Do not expose the cabinet to any volatile substances.
• Do not allow prolonged contact with rubber or plastic.
• Apply only gentle pressure to chassis when cleaning.
• To clean use soft, lint free cloth to remove dust. A lightly dampened cloth, as described in the
screen maintenance section, may also be used to clean the chassis.

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Safety Precautions
FCC (Federal Communications Commission)
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a class A digital device, pursuant to part 15
of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interface when the
equipment is operated in a commercial environment.
This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy, and if not installed and used in accordance
with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
Warning: Changes or modications not expressly approved by the manufacturer responsible for compliance void
the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

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Parts & Their Functions
• SDI 1: Used to select SDI Input 1 as the active Input.
• SDI 2: Used to select SDI Input 2 as the active Input.
• SDI 3: Used to select SDI Input 3 as the active Input.
• SDI 4: Used to select SDI Input 4 as the active Input.
• DP: Used to select the Display Port Input. Reserved for future use, inactive in 2.1.2
• F1: Assignable function key. This key’s function is selectable from the Function Menu.
• F2: Assignable function key. This key’s function is selectable from the Function Menu.
• F3: Assignable function key. This key’s function is selectable from the Function Menu.
• F4: Assignable function key. This key’s function is selectable from the Function Menu.
• F5: Assignable function key. This key’s function is selectable from the Function Menu.
• MENU / LEFT: Used to toggle and navigate On Screen Menu.
• UP: Used to navigate On Screen Menu.
• DOWN: Used to navigate On Screen Menu.
• RIGHT / ENTER: Used to navigate On Screen Menu and to conrm selections within the On
Screen Menu.
• PHASE / H POS: Used to adjust hue higher or lower. Pressing down on the center of this button
will return the hue setting to its default position.
• CHROMA / V POS: Used to adjust chroma higher or lower. Pressing down on the center of this
button will return the chroma setting to its default position.
• BRIGHT / Ref POS: Used to adjust brightness higher or lower. Pressing down on the center of
this button will return the brightness setting to its default position. The brightness knob should
NOT be used increase the overall peak white luminance of the unit, use the Luminance setting to
adjust overall luminance.
• CONTRAST / F Stop: Used to adjust contrast higher or lower. Pressing down on the center of this
button will return the contrast setting to its default position.
• VOLUME: Used to adjust volume. Press down on this knob to instantly mute or unmute the
volume.
• POWER: Used to turn power ON / OFF.
Keyboard

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Parts & Their Functions
• SDI In: 4 Multi-Format 12G/6G/3G/HD-SDI
Inputs.
• SDI Out: 4 Looped 12G/6G/3G/HD-SDI
Outputs.
• MON Out: Processed output.
Follows Mode Selection
• DP In: Display Port Input.
• Audio In/Out: Analog Stereo Mini-phono Au-
dio Input & Output. Unbalanced, Audio Out
delayed by exact amount of monitor video
processing time to maintain sync.
• USB Type A: USB power, can be used to
power MediaLight Bias Lights and connect
other peripherals.
• RS-485: RS-485 Ports (In/Out) for looping
remote control interface.
• LAN: IP Control via select programs.
Back Panel

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Menu
Navigating the Menu
Pressing the MENU button on the monitor’s keypad will call up the on screen menu. To navigate use
the UP and DOWN buttons and press the ENTER button to select the highlighted sub menu. Navigate
the sub menu in the same way by using the UP and DOWN buttons to highlight a particular function
and press ENTER to change that function’s settings. To exit the menu or back out of a sub menu press
the MENU button.
Menus longer than the Main Menu may not fully display. These menus will scroll. Use the Up and
Down keys to scroll up and down a menu.
Function Menu
Function F1 Luminance Scope
Scope F2 Vector Scope
Video F3 Pixel Mapping
Color F4 LUM Coloring
System F5 Peak Optimize
OSD Motion Optimize
Contrast Optimize
Area Marker
Safety Marker
Center Marker
Load Prole 0
Load Prole 1
Load Prole 2
Load Prole 3
Load Prole 4
Load Prole 5
The Function Menu allows you to assign user selectable functions to any of the 5 function buttons (F1,
F2, F3, F4, and F5) on the monitor keypad. To assign a function to a function key, highlight one of the 5
functions and press ENTER. A list of assignable functions will appear. Select the desired function with
the UP and DOWN buttons and press ENTER.
Peak Optimize
Sets Optimize Modulation Mode to PEAK. When turned off the Backlight Modulation mode will default
to setting selected on Video menu.
Motion Optimize
Sets Optimize Modulation Mode to MOTION. When turned off the Backlight Modulation mode will
default to setting selected on Video menu.

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Menu - Function Menu
Contrast Optimize
Sets Optimize Modulation Mode to CONTRAST. When turned off the Backlight Modulation mode will
default to setting selected on Video menu.
Note, Optimization settings only apply if operating in Dynamic Luminance Mode. See Video
Menu section of this manual for details on modulation modes.
Area Marker
Use the Area Marker function to select what type of marker is displayed when the marker function is
active. The marker selections available from this option include most commonly used markers and
more complex user designed custom markers.
Safety Marker
Use the Safety Marker function to toggle the size, in percentage, of the safety marker displayed. This
option can be used by itself or in conjunction with the Area Marker function.
Center Marker
Toggles whether the center marker (cross-hair) is displayed when the marker is activated.
Load Prole
Saved prole congurations can now be loaded via function button. This acts as a “load” button only
as opposed to a toggle, so pressing a corresponding Function button twice does not revert to previous
pre-load state.
Please note: to avoid circular logic problems, loading prole congurations does NOT change
function button assignments. The function buttons are independent of the prole congurations.

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Menu - Scope Menu
Scope Menu
Function Luminance Off
Scope Lum Position Bottom Right
Video Lum Style IRE
Color Vector Off
System Vec Position Bottom Right
OSD Lum Coloring Off
Lum & Vec Position
Use Lum & Vec Position to select in what area of the screen you would like your Scopes to be displayed.
Lum Style
Select IRE or HDR (PQ) Waveform. HDR Waveform is currently in Beta (only works with YCbCr formats).
Lum Coloring (Customizable Exposure Check)
Generates an articial luminance map of the incoming source that can be particularly useful in identifying
overexposed areas in any given shot. An onscreen scale helps indicate what articial color corresponds
to what luminance from 0 to 100 percent.
You can change the range of these color coded regions to any preferred setting by using the monitor’s
rotary knobs. The H POS rotary knob will adjust the lower limit of the lower color coded region. The V
POS rotary knob will adjust the upper limit of the lower color coded region. The Ref POS rotary knob
will adjust the lower limit of the upper color coded region. The F Stop Rotary knob will adjust the upper
limit of the upper color coded region. These color coded ranges are retained in memory so you can exit
and reenter Lum Coloring Mode without having to reset your desired threshold levels.
Note: Scopes only work in Normal LUT Mode. Scopes will not operate in Advanced LUT Mode.

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Menu - Video Menu
Video Menu
Function Input SDI 1
Scope Mode AUTO
Video SDI Format AUTO
Color Pixel Mapping Off
System Deinterlace Mode Mode 1
OSD Optimize Modulation Motion
SDI Format
Select the correct incoming signal format. SDI Format selection overrides payload ID if not set to AUTO.
Mode
The mode selection allows you to set the SDI input conguration as well as the processed monitor
output conguration. Please note that the output conguration only impacts the outputs labeled MON,
the standard OUT connections are always clean loop throughs of whatever is being received by the
display. Note that when using a down-conversion conguration UHD will be down-converted to HD and
4K will be down-converted to 2K. All 2K and HD down-converted signals will be output to all 4 MON
outputs so the down-conversion may be accessed from any of these connections.
Available MODE options
AUTO: attempts to automatically identify signal type, particularly useful if simply switching between single link 1.5Gbps,
3Gbps, 6Gbps, and 12Gbps SDI signals formats.
6G_IN: single-link 6Gbps SDI input, single-link 6Gbps SDI output
6G_IN HD_OUT: single-link 6Gbps SDI input, 1.5Gbps HD output
6G_DL_IN: dual-link 6Gbps SDI input, dual-link 6Gbps SDI output
6G_DL_IN 3G_OUT: dual-link 6Gbps SDI input, single-link 3Gbps SDI Level A output
12G_IN: single-link 12Gbps SDI input
12G_IN 3G_OUT: single-link 12Gbps SDI input, single-link 3Gbps SDI Level A output
3G_DL-IN: dual-link 3Gbps SDI input, dual-link 3Gbps SDI output
3G_IN: single-link 3Gbps SDI input scaled full screen
HD_IN: single-link 1.5Gbps SDI input scaled full screen
3G_INx4: quad 3Gbps SDI input from inputs 1,2,3,4 to form UHD/4K signal on screen
HD_INx4: quad 1.5Gbps input from inputs 1,2,3,4 to form UHD/4K signal on screen
4K and UHD over 3G dual-link, 3G quad-link, and 1.5G quad-link should be formatted as Square
Division (SQ). Two Sample Interleave (2SI) support is planned for a future release.
Optimize Modulation
This setting controls how backlight modulation is optimized when in a dynamic luminance mode.
Peak: prioritizes peak luminance values of small bright objects even if that results in halation or are.
Motion: prioritizes motion handling and LED/LCD sync while balancing peaks and contrast.
Contrast: prioritizes dynamic contrast and halation reduction.
See: Understanding Modulation Modes addendum included in this manual

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Menu - Video Menu
Video Menu
Function Input SDI 1
Scope Mode AUTO
Video SDI Format AUTO
Color Pixel Mapping Off
System Deinterlace Mode Mode 1
OSD Optimize Modulation Motion
Deinterlace Mode
Mode1: Combines elds and displays as progressive scan image.
Mode2: Shows on screen as interlaced with correct eld order.
Pixel Mapping
Pixel Mapping toggles between various available pixel mapping options including:
OFF
With Pixel Mapping set to OFF the incoming source is scaled to ll as much of the screen as
possible while preserving aspect ratio. If the incoming source and panel share the same resolution
then there will be no difference between OFF and the other pixel mapping modes.
Center
Maps the signal 1:1 with the center of incoming video in the middle of the screen.
Top Left
Maps the signal 1:1 with the top left incoming video in the top left of the screen.
Top Right
Maps the signal 1:1 with the top right of incoming video in the top right of the screen.
Bottom Left
Maps the signal 1:1 with the bottom left of incoming video in the bottom left of the screen.
Bottom Right
Maps the signal 1:1 with the bottom right of incoming video in the bottom right of the screen.

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Menu - Video Menu - Pixel Mapping

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Menu - Color Menu
Color Menu
Function ColorSystem User
Scope LUT Mode Normal
Video Range SMPTE Full 4-1019
Color Gamut BT.709
System Temperature Default
OSD EOTF Gamma 2.4
Luminance Mode 100
Luminance Custom 45
ColorSystem
Select from GaiaColor, USER, LightSpace, CalMAN, and NONE.
On the XM310K GaiaColor is the factory default Color System. When in GaiaColor use Luminance
Mode, Gamut, Temperature, and EOTF selections to activate various calibration congurations.
GaiaColor is calibrated using the closed loop Factory Cal process. See calibration guides for details.
None disables all calibration and calibration support and should not normally be used.
The USER, LightSpace, and CalMAN Color System selections are additional memory banks that
can support user generated 1D+3D LUT calibrations. These can be used with both static and dyanmic
luminance (backlight) selections. When used with the dynamic backlight selection the EOTF settings
will determine the baseline peak luminance and EOTF that the user generated 1D/3D LUTs sit ahead
of.
LUT Mode
Does not apply to GaiaColor Color System. Note: Dynamic (modulated) Luminance mode ONLY works
in Normal LUT mode. In USER, LightSpace, or CalMAN modes select Normal or Advanced.
In Normal Mode up to 6 LUT positions are accessible as follows:
Front DIT 1D LUT -> DIT 3D LUT -> Post DIT 1D LUT-> Front Calibration 1D LUT -> Calibration 3D LUT
-> Post Calibration 1D LUT (Post Calibration 1D LUT not active / accessible in Dynamic LUM Mode)
In Normal Mode all 1D LUTs are 4096 entry point using 12bit values in the Flanders.lut format and all
3D LUTs are 17x17x17.cube format using only the header LUT_3D_SIZE 17.
The DIT LUT positions should be used for technical transforms or look LUTs, calibration LUTs should
normally only be stored in the Calibration LUT positions.
In Advanced Mode 3 LUT positions are accessible as follows:
Front Calibration 1D LUT -> Calibration 3D LUT -> Post Calibration 1D LUT
In Advanced Mode all 1D LUTs are 4096 entry point using 12bit values in the Flanders.lut format and
the 3D LUT is 33x33x33.cube format using only the header LUT_3D_SIZE 33.
LUTs can be saved to the display using the IP Remote Utility or directly from LightSpace or CalMAN.
Application Note: LUTs are applied within the range active on the monitor’s color menu.

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Menu - Color Menu
Color Menu
Function ColorSystem User
Scope LUT Mode Normal
Video Range SMPTE Full 4-1019
Color Gamut BT.709
System Temperature Default
OSD EOTF Gamma 2.4
Luminance Mode 100
Luminance Custom 45
Gamut
Select from available options to instantly change the active color space.
Luminance Mode
Select from static backlight options of Custom, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1000 or dynamic backlight mode.
Dynamic should be used for HDR, but may also be used for SDR monitoring if higher contrast ratios
are desired. When set to a dynamic mode the Optimize Modulation toggle on the Video Menu will
regulate dynamic backlight behavior. Dynamic (modulated backlight) Luminance mode ONLY operates
in Normal LUT Mode.
Luminance Custom
When Luminance Mode is set to Custom the Luminance Custom slider becomes active allowing
for a static backlight setting between 40 and 1000 and 5 step increments.
Range
Video Range 64-940
Extended Video Range 64-1019
SMPTE Full Range 4-1019
Full Range 0-1023
Temperature - Only Active in GaiaColor Color System
Allows for variable correlated color temperature selection. In most modes (e.g. Rec709, Rec2020)
‘default’ will be the same as the 6500K selection. In all P3 selections ‘default’ will yield a DCI P3 white
balance of 0.314, 0.351, but 6500K may be manually selected to yield a P3 gamut with D65 white point.
EOTF - Only Active in Dynamic Luminance Mode and/or GaiaColor Color System
The EOTF setting allows you to set the desired gamma response / EOTF.
Red / Green / Blue Gain and Bias settings
White balance may be adjusted / customized from one of the Temperature selection presets using the
custom Red, Green, Blue Gain and Bias settings.

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Menu - Color Menu
Color Menu
Function ColorSystem User
Scope LUT Mode Normal
Video Range SMPTE Full 4-1019
Color Gamut BT.709
System Temperature Default
OSD EOTF Gamma 2.4
Luminance Mode 100
Luminance Custom 45
Factory Alignment Reset
This setting deletes the Factory AWB calibration. Do not use this setting unless you have the proper
equipment to redo the factory AWB calibration.
Suggested Monitor Settings for Common Congurations
For P3 D65 PQ HDR
Color System: GaiaColor
Gamut: P3-ST2084
Temperature: 6500K
EOTF: ST 2084
Luminance Mode: Dynamic
Optimize Modulation (Found on Video Menu): Peak or Motion
For Rec2020 D65 PQ HDR
Color System: GaiaColor
Gamut: BT.2020-ST 2084
Temperature: 6500K
EOTF: ST 2084
Luminance Mode: Dynamic
Optimize Modulation (Found on Video Menu): Peak or Motion
For Rec709 2.4 SDR
Color System: GaiaColor
Gamut: BT.709
Temperature: 6500K
EOTF: Gamma 2.4
Luminance Mode: Dynamic
Optimize Modulation (Found on Video Menu): Peak or Motion

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Menu - System Menu
System Menu
Function Update Firmware Allow
Scope Current IP 192.168.1.100
Video Version 2.1.20
Color Serial Number XM310A0000
System Payload ID 0000
OSD Prole Load
Prole Save
Set Static IP 192.168.1.100 192.168.1.100
IP Reset DHCP 255.255.255.0
192.168.1.1
Apply Settings
Update Firmware
When left to Allow (default) allows rmware to be remotely updated using the FSI IP Remote Utility.
When set to Block prevents rmware from being remotely updated.
Current IP
Shows monitor’s current IP address.
Version
Displays the current rmware version.
Serial Number
Displays the unit’s serial number.
Prole Load
Load a saved conguration by selecting it from the list. Congurations 1 through 5 are user adjustable
using the the Prole Save menu item. The Default Conguration returns settings to factory default of:
Color System: GaiaColor
Range: Full 0-1023
Gamut: P3-ST2084
EOTF: ST2084
Luminance: Dynamic
Optimize Modulation: Motion
Gain/Bias Adjustments: 0 (neutral)
Prole Save
Select a conguration position to save all current monitor settings to that conguration slot.

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Menu - System Menu
System Menu
Function Update Firmware Allow
Scope Current IP 192.168.1.100
Video Version 2.1.20
Color Serial Number XM310A0000
System Payload ID 0000
OSD Prole Load
Prole Save
Set Static IP 192.168.1.100 192.168.1.100
IP Reset DHCP 255.255.255.0
192.168.1.1
Apply Settings
Set Static IP
Allows you to set a static IP address, subnet mask, and gateway address.
While setting an IP using the on-screen keyboard, use the monitor’s Up, Down, Menu, and Enter keys
to navigate the keyboard. You can also use the H Pos and V Pos rotary knobs. Pressing the H Pos or
V Pos rotary knobs will make a selection of the highlighted on-screen key.
IP Reset
Re-enable DHCP after a static IP address has been used.

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Menu - OSD Menu
OSD Menu
Function Time Code Off
Scope Status Position Top Left
Video Status Set 5s
Color Menu Position Top Left
System Menu Set 5s
OSD Area Marker Off
Safety Marker Off
Center Marker Off
Time Code
Allows you to select whether to display Time Code on screen pulled from an SDI signal. Reserved for
future use, inactive in 2.1.2
Menu & Status Position
Changes position of on-screen menu and signal status display.
Menu Set
Set menu to automatically disappear after 5s, 10s, or to stay On until manually cleared.
Status Set - Signal Status ID window
Select from On, Off, or 5 second display. When set to 5 second display the monitor will display signal
status ID window for 5 seconds whenever an input button is pressed or signal format is changed.
The rst line of the signal status ID window shows the user selected primary input and video mode
(default is Auto).
The second line shows the primary input’s detected bandwidth (e.g. 12G), resolution (e.g. 3840x2160),
and scan type (e.g PsF). Please note that if your video mode is set to something besides a single wire
format (e.g. Quad Link SDI) this second line will only show the detected bandwidth and resolution of
the primary (selected) input. A quad link SDI UHD signal will therefore only indicate the resolution of the
primary quadrant (HD) whereas a single 12G-SDI UHD signal will show 3840x2160 resolution.
The third line indicates the frame rate, whether the signal is RGB or YCbCr, and the signal bit depth.
Please note that this information is based on received VPID. If VPID is incorrect or missing you may
manually override using the Video Menu’s SDI format selection, but this line will continue to reect
signal type as indicated by VPID.

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Understanding Modulation Modes
The XM310K is a zoned backlight monitor featuring a full array local dimming (FALD) backlight with
over 2000 LED zones. The advantages of FALD backlights are that they remain one of the most ef-
cient, practical, and cost effective ways to achieve very high peak luminance as well as very good black
levels. The behavior and visual quality of any zoned backlight system are regulated both by the number
of zones and the performance of the display’s backlight/LCD driving algorithms.
Generally speaking, displays with a higher number of individually controllable zones will outperform dis-
plays with a lower number of individually controllable zones. A display like the XM310K with over 2000
zones can therefore be expected to outperform displays that may only have 500 zones. This comes
down to simple physics as more zones means ner tuned control over regions of the display. However,
it is also important to consider the behavior of the human visual system as there is a point of diminishing
returns as backlight density increases. Bright objects do result in a degree of veiling glare in the human
eye so our ability to discern local contrast (sometimes called point spread function), especially in HDR,
is not necessarily the same as the resolution of the display. This is ultimately very content and adaption
state dependent so it would be an overgeneralization to suggest that one particular zone count is the
perfect solution for all scenarios. Displays with near perfect pixel level luminance control are of course
the ideal target and there are in fact displays that essentially achieve this (OLED and LMCL for exam-
ple), but typically at the cost of other performance benchmarks like peak luminance to name just one
potential limitation.
The backlight algorithms that drive a FALD display will necessarily need to compromise between differ-
ent aspects of display performance. To minimize the appearance of halation for example the backlight
algorithms may dim highlights or globally lift black levels. Or conversely the algorithms may maximize
peak luminance response of even small bright objects at the cost of halation or are. Most consumer
displays and many professional displays have only one algorithm mode in place. This is not to say that
the algorithm behavior doesn’t adjust based on content, but ultimately there is often no way to force
specic behaviors that might be incredibly important in a professional mastering context. The XM310K
is built for use in a professional mastering environment and as such has three manually selectable
backlight modulation modes accessible to the operator to prioritize different viewing needs.
Peak
The Peak optimized modulation mode ensures the peak highlight code values are represented accu-
rately on screen even if this results in some halation or are. To put this in context if you have a black
background with just a few bright pixels present with code values representing 3000nits they will be
shown at 3000nit nits in Peak mode with the side effect of a halo around those bright pixels. The value
of the Peak optimized modulation mode comes in QC applications where operators want to ensure that
highlight details contain the information they expect. The backlight algorithm behavior of many other
FALD display devices may hide important small bright object highlight detail with no way to switch to
a mode like Peak to see highlight code values represented accurately. Peak is the mode we nd most
colorists use for grading any given scene. Because Peak Modulation mode prioritizes accurate code
value representation above all else it is also the mode that should be used for calibration verication.