Christie Projector Mirage S+/HD/WU User Manual

							 Section 3: Operation 
Mirage S+/HD/WU, Matrix S+/HD/WU, Christie HD/DS+/DW, DLV User Manual  3-61 020-100001-07 Rev. 1 (11-2009) 
Preliminary Calibration 
As a final part of the manufacturing process, all primary colors in the projector are 
precisely set to pre-established values to ensure that overall color performance is 
optimized and is as accurate as possible. Upon installation at a site, however, lighting 
and other environmental factors may slightly change how these colors appear on your 
screen. While the change is negligible in most cases, you may prefer to recover the 
originally intended color performance before trying to match colors from several 
projectors. Or you may be renting a projector in which the colors were corrected for 
use at its previous site, but are not ideal for yours. 
The recommended first step in achieving such consistency is to use a color meter to 
measure the native primary colors—red, green, blue, and white—as they appear at the 
screen and record these as Color Primary Settings in the Service menu (password-
protected) for each projector. On the basis of these new values, which are stored in 
memory, each projector will then automatically calculate any necessary corrections to 
reproduce the original factory colors under the current environmental conditions. This 
essentially calibrates a projector to its surroundings, compensating for factors such as 
screen type; lamp and/or ambient lighting that can alter the final color characteristics 
on-screen, and will improve color accuracy and consistency in a group of projectors. It 
ensures a good starting point for further customizing and matching; however, is not 
critical for all installations. 
To return to the factory-set color primaries, such as when a projector is moved to 
different site, you must access the Service menu (password-protected). Select the 
“Reset to Factory Defaults?” option in the Color Primaries submenu. Then repeat the 
calibration process describe above, if desired, and continue with matching of colors. 
Color Adjustment Procedure 
Once the Color Primary Settings are calibrated for the site (see above), use the Color 
Adjustments by X,Y or Color Saturation menu to further refine each projector’s 
fundamental colors so that the hue and intensity of each color appears the same from 
one display to another. Once matched, you will have created a single new shared 
range of colors or “color gamut” that all of your projectors can produce. This 
palette—named User 1, 2, 3 or 4—can be applied or disabled for a source at any time 
throughout a bank of adjacent displays, simplifying both the setup and maintenance of 
a “seamless” wall. 
1. Set up and optimize all projector settings. You can ignore color temperature, since 
you will be redefining color performance in this procedure, but do optimize each 
projector in every other aspect. Closely align all screen edges. 
2. Assign projector numbers to make communications easier. Use desired keypad. 
3. Use the same lamp mode for all projectors, and do the following: 
 Set Select Color Adjustment to “Max Drives” 
 Display a full white test pattern 
 Adjust lamp power and Optical Aperture until adjacent white fields appear the 
same brightness.  
						

							Section 3: Operation  
3-62  Mirage S+/HD/WU, Matrix S+/HD/WU, Christie HD/DS+/DW, DLV User Manual  020-100001-07 Rev. 1 (11-2009) 
4. Display the Color Adjustments by X,Y menus for all projectors. Each menu shows 
the x/y coordinates defining the “Max Drives” color gamut for this projector. Note 
the values shown in one (any) of the displays. See Figure 3.14. Or use the “Copy 
From” function to copy them into a “User” gamut in one projector.  
 
Figure 3.14. Jot Down a Set of ”Max Drives” X/Y Values 
5. In each projector, select a “User” color adjustment (1-4) to enable Color 
Adjustments by X,Y changes. Then enter your recorded x/y values into each menu 
(Figure 3.15). 
 
Figure 3.15. Copy X/Y Values into All Projectors 
6. In each projector, judge by eye and adjust x/y coordinates slightly in the following 
manner:  
						

							 Section 3: Operation 
Mirage S+/HD/WU, Matrix S+/HD/WU, Christie HD/DS+/DW, DLV User Manual  3-63 020-100001-07 Rev. 1 (11-2009) 
 To match reds, decrease 
“Red X” until full field red 
screens match. 
 To match greens, decrease 
“Green Y” until full field 
green screens match. 
 To match blues, increase 
both “Blue X” and “Blue Y” 
until full field blue screens 
match. 
NOTE: For speed, enable the “Auto Color Enable” checkbox. Each color coordinate 
you select will then automatically trigger a full field display of the corresponding 
color. 
Alternatively, use the Color Saturation menu for these adjustments or to fine tune. 
NOTE: For speed, enable the “Auto Color Enable” checkbox. Each color coordinate 
you select will then automatically trigger a full field display of the corresponding 
color. 
These coordinate adjustments move the three color points closer together (see below) 
to establish a “shared” gamut attainable by all projectors in your group. Adjust only as 
necessary to ensure that the resulting color palette is as large as possible. When done, 
you may need to adjust lamp power slightly. 
7. All screens should now be color-matched. Apply this new “User” gamut to a 
source at any time by selecting it in the “Select Color Adjustment” list accessed in 
the Advanced Image Settings menu. 
Using the Color Saturation Menu for Color Matching 
You may prefer to use the 
Color Saturation menu to 
match colors across 
multiple screens. In the 
three Color Adjustment 
submenus (Red, Green, 
Blue—see right), set all 
main values to 100 and 
the secondary values to 0. 
Then judge by eye and 
adjust the slide bars as 
needed. Note that 
adjustments here define 
new x/y coordinates in the 
Color Adjustments by X,Y 
menu. 
For best results, use this 
menu after doing the color 
adjustment procedure. 
 
 
Figure 3.16. Color Matching Using Color Saturation      
Menu  
						

							Section 3: Operation  
3-64  Mirage S+/HD/WU, Matrix S+/HD/WU, Christie HD/DS+/DW, DLV User Manual  020-100001-07 Rev. 1 (11-2009) 
 
WHAT IS BRIGHTNESS UNIFORMITY? When used to refine screens already matched for 
their primary colors (see Matching Colors in Multiple Screens, above) and overall 
light output, proper adjustment of Brightness Uniformity can create an exceptionally 
smooth screen in which: 
 No area of the screen appears more red, green or blue than another  
 No area of the screen appears brighter than another 
 Color and light output from one screen closely matches adjacent screens 
Although the Brightness Uniformity control can be used for a stand-alone projector, it 
is particularly useful for setting up and maintaining tiled images that form a cohesive 
display wall in which the color “cast” and light output appear uniform throughout 
each image as well as throughout the entire wall. The procedure provided here 
assumes a multiple-screen application. 
 Before You Begin 
Read through the entire procedure before attempting to adjust Brightness Uniformity 
controls, and keep in mind the following checklist of prerequisites and guidelines:  
 ADJUST COLORS FIRST—Always adjust the primary colors as described in the 
“Matching Colors in Multiple Screens” procedure (above) before attempting to 
work with Brightness Uniformity. This ensures that primary colors, color 
temperature, and maximized light output are all well matched from one screen to 
another. These matches are needed before you can achieve good Brightness 
Uniformity results. 
 RUN LAMP FOR 100 HOURS—Light output and Brightness Uniformity can vary 
significantly during the first 100 hours of lamp use. For best results with new 
lamps, either set up Brightness Uniformity after this period, or do an initial setup 
and re-check at 100 hours. 
 SET LAMP POWER—Ensure that each “Lamp Power” setting is as high as possible 
for your application while still maintaining a good overall match of light output 
from screen-to-screen. By nature, achieving a uniform brightness will require a 
slightly reduced overall brightness—this reduction will help ensure that you have 
enough range of adjustment when examining brightness variables more closely 
from screen-to-screen, and will help prevent premature “maxing out” when trying 
to match to a certain color, zone or projector. 
 USE A “USER” COLOR TEMPERATURE—Always adjust Brightness Uniformity for 
a User color temperature defined when you matched primary colors, and continue 
to use it for all sources displayed on the wall. Your other color temperatures will 
not necessarily be matched from screen-to-screen. 
 WHITE UNIFORMITY SLIDE BARS—White Uniformity slide bar values may not 
reduce to “0”. Each slide bar adjusts overall light output in a specific screen zone, 
but the value shown represents the current setting for green in this zone. When 
other “hidden” values (red or blue) are lower than green, during adjustment in the 
White Uniformity menu their values will reach “0” first, causing the slide bar to 
stop earlier than expected. 
 JUDGE BY EYE OR USE A METER—Good brightness uniformity can be achieved 
with either.    Achieving Brightness 
 Uniformit
y 
  
						

							 Section 3: Operation 
Mirage S+/HD/WU, Matrix S+/HD/WU, Christie HD/DS+/DW, DLV User Manual  3-65 020-100001-07 Rev. 1 (11-2009) 
Step 1: General Setup 
1a) Adjust primary colors (see Matching Colors in Multiple Screens) to ensure 
matched overall color temperatures and light output between screens.  
 IMPORTANT  
Double-check that all WHITES and LIGHT OUTPUT are well-matched. 
1b) 
Enable the Brightness 
Uniformity checkbox. 
This will enable 
access to the 
uniformity controls 
and will apply the 
settings to your image. 
 
1c) Select the 13-Point test pattern for display. 
This pattern provides nine screen “zones” 
with 13 targets.  
FOR BEST RESULTS: Rather than 
examining the CENTER of each zone when 
assessing Brightness Uniformity adjustments 
focus on extreme EDGES as indicated in the 
illustration at right. 
1d) In either Color Adjustments menu, select a 
“User” color. Then: 
 If you have created a “User 1” color gamut (recommended) for a well-
matched wall, continue to Step 1e. 
 If you prefer maximum brightness rather than a particular color 
temperature, select “Max Drives”.
 
IMPORTANT: Do not change User 1 Color Adjustment in color-matched 
applications! 
 
1e) In the White Uniformity 
menu, set the “Overall” 
output level to 50.0 and all 
remaining slide bars to 0.0. 
This decreases the light 
output just enough 
throughout the screen so that 
any color level can then be 
increased later as necessary 
for matching light output 
from zone-to-zone. Do not 
exceed 50.0 for “Overall”—a higher level will likely interfere with achieving 
brightness uniformity and is not recommended. 
 
 
 
  
						

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3-66  Mirage S+/HD/WU, Matrix S+/HD/WU, Christie HD/DS+/DW, DLV User Manual  020-100001-07 Rev. 1 (11-2009) 
Ensure that overall light output remains well matched from one screen center to 
the next. Where necessary, increase or decrease Lamp Power slightly to 
recover center matches. 
Step 2: Adjust Color (level of red/green/blue) in Eight Zones 
NOTES: 1) At this point, ignore the brightness of individual zones. 2) Always ignore 
menu colors. 
2a) On each screen, compare the color temperatures in the eight target zones (four 
edges and four corners) to that of the color temperature of the center. Compare 
using a white field only, and take note of any areas that do not match the 
center. Also decide if any screen exhibits a more obvious color shift than other 
screens—begin with this screen in Step 
2b.  
2b) Return to the Brightness Uniformity menu. Beginning with the screen that exhibits 
the most obvious color shift(s), for each edge that exhibits a noticeably different 
color temperature from the center, select the corresponding Uniformity adjustment 
menu—Left, Right, Top or Bottom. For example, if any part of the left side is too 
blue, too red or too green, go to the Left Uniformity menu and adjust the colors 
(i.e., change their light output) until all portions of the left side closely match the 
center color temperature. Adjust an edge first (focusing on its center), and then 
adjust its corners. See Figure 3.17. 
 
Figure 3.17. Match Zones to Center Color Temperature 
Repeat the color adjustment of sides and corners for each edge of the screen that does 
not yet match the center (note that each corner is adjustable in either of its two 
adjacent “side” menus). When done, all areas of a given screen should match. Repeat 
Steps 
2a & 2b for all remaining screens. 
Step 3: Adjust Light Output in Eight Zones 
3a) For each screen, compare the light output of each edge and corner to that of the 
center. If any of the areas differ, use the White Uniformity menu to match edges 
and corners to the center as described below (see Figure 3.18). Begin with the 
screen exhibiting the most obvious variations in light output. 
 Adjust edge White Uniformity first—note that each edge adjustment also 
affects the rest of the screen slightly. Keep all edges just slightly lower 
than the center light output rather than matching light output precisely. 
Otherwise, it may not be possible to brighten the corners (typically the 
dimmest areas of the screen) enough. I.e., the best uniformity is a 
compromise between the brightest and darkest areas of the screen.  
						

							 Section 3: Operation 
Mirage S+/HD/WU, Matrix S+/HD/WU, Christie HD/DS+/DW, DLV User Manual  3-67 020-100001-07 Rev. 1 (11-2009) 
 Adjust corner White Uniformity last—each corner adjustment affects only 
this quadrant.  
 Repeat for each screen.  
 
Figure 3.18. Match Zones to Center Light Output 
Step 4: Readjust Color Temperature (level of red/green/blue) in Eight 
Zones 
4a) Return to Steps 2a & 2b and, if necessary, fine-tune the zones so that they all 
still exhibit a single color temperature. 
Cancelling Brightness Uniformity 
If you do not want to use or apply Brightness Uniformity settings, delete the 
checkmark from the “Uniformity Enable” checkbox at the top of the Brightness 
Uniformity menu. 
Christie Edge Blending is an innovative set of software functions that can quickly and 
easily blend white levels along the edges of multiple adjacent projected images to 
create a single seamless larger image. 
What is a Blend? 
In simple terms, a blend appears as a gradient strip 
along an edge of a projected image. It is darkest along 
the extreme edge of the image, and lightens nearer to 
the rest of the image (see right). 
 
 
How Are Blends Used? 
In multiple-projector walls, complementary blends between neighboring images can 
compensate for the extra “brightness” or intensity where these edges overlap. By 
controlling blend width and other properties, you can achieve uniformity across the 
group of images. Visible overlaps will disappear:   Ed
ge Blending  
						

							Section 3: Operation  
3-68  Mirage S+/HD/WU, Matrix S+/HD/WU, Christie HD/DS+/DW, DLV User Manual  020-100001-07 Rev. 1 (11-2009) 
 
Figure 3.19. Edge Blending Concept 
For best results, use the same projector model and type throughout your display wall. 
In addition, avoid high-gain screens whenever possible—the optical performance of 
such screens demands minimal image offset, thus projectors must be located very 
close to one another. 
Edge blending software controls are located in the two-page Edge Blending 
submenu—access via Configuration menu, then go to the Geometry and Color menu 
and select Edge Blending. The More option opens the second page of the Edge 
Blending submenu. 
Main Functions 
Use Edge Blending controls to set the precise width, shape and midpoint you need to 
blend overlapping edges together smoothly. 
 
Blend Width determines how much area is used for blending along an overlapping 
edge. Slide bar values represent the number of eight-pixel steps used for the 
blend. For example, a setting of “eight” creates a blended edge 24 pixels wide. A 
setting of “0” signifies no blending. For best results in most applications, use a 
blend width of 16-48 steps (128-384 pixels). 
Ranges: 0-80 horizontal, 0-60 vertical. 
 
Blend Shape determines the rate of 
roll-off across the blend width, i.e. 
how quickly the white levels across 
the blend change from light and dark. 
Increasing the Blend Shape setting 
accelerates the rate of change at both 
extremes so that less of the region 
appears mid-gray (see Figure 3.20). 
Decreasing the Blend Shape setting 
slows the rate of change so that more 
of the region appears mid-gray. For 
most applications, this subtle control is 
best left close to 50.  
 
Figure 3.20. “Shape” Examples  
						

							 Section 3: Operation 
Mirage S+/HD/WU, Matrix S+/HD/WU, Christie HD/DS+/DW, DLV User Manual  3-69 020-100001-07 Rev. 1 (11-2009) 
 Blend Midpoint determines the white 
level at the blend midpoint (the point 
equidistant between the beginning and 
end of the blend). Increasing the Blend 
Midpoint setting creates a blend that 
appears brighter than the rest of the 
image. Decreasing the Blend Midpoint 
setting creates a blend that is darker than 
the rest of the image. A setting of 50 
means the midpoint is approximately 
50% black—for best results in most 
applications, keep fairly close to this 
default.  
 
Show Blending Overlap turns your 
defined blend width area to solid gray so 
that, if needed, simply overlapping the 
gray bars can seamlessly align two 
adjacent images. Toggle the Show 
Blending Overlap off to reactivate the 
blend effect.  
NOTE: Blending Overlap appears as 
Reserved when Christie TWIST is 
installed. 
Other Functions  
For convenience, the Edge Blending 
submenu also includes related options for 
enabling a specific color and/or test pattern, 
or for working with colors or the lamp. Such 
functions duplicate those provided elsewhere 
in the menu system. 
 
Edge Blending Procedure 
NOTE: Before attempting to work with edge blending software functions, you must 1) 
physically align the projectors/images by correctly overlapping the displays from your 
intended external source, and 2) Match colors and Brightness Uniformity. 
IMPORTANT: For a shared edge, all Blend procedures and settings should be 
identical on BOTH projectors. 
 
1. Start with two projectors. Display full white field test pattern from both. 
2. In the Edge Blending submenu, enable Edge Blending by entering a checkmark in 
the top checkbox. 
3. 
SET STARTING POINTS FOR ADJUSTMENT: 
 Set all blend widths to 0. 
 Go to “More” and set everything in the Edge Blending (2) menu to 50. 
 
Figure 3.21. “Midpoint” Examples 
 
  
						

							Section 3: Operation  
3-70  Mirage S+/HD/WU, Matrix S+/HD/WU, Christie HD/DS+/DW, DLV User Manual  020-100001-07 Rev. 1 (11-2009) 
 
Figure 3.22. Set Starting Points for Each Projector 
4. SET BLEND WIDTH: On one projector, increase the Blend Width for an overlapping 
edge (for example, if the projector’s image is on left, its right edge overlaps the 
adjacent image—adjust Right Blend Width). Use the same setting on the second 
projector for this shared edge. 
5. Re-adjust width (both projectors) until the overly bright band at the midpoint of the 
overlapping blends disappears or just changes to very light gray. For the shared 
edge, use the same Blend Width setting on each projector. If the “best blend” 
appears to be between two settings, choose the wider setting for both projectors. 
6. 
CHECK BLEND: If the blended region appears too dark or light in relation to the rest 
of the image: 
 Increase Blend Midpoint in both projectors to “lighten” the overall blend, 
decrease to “darken” the overall blend. 
 Adjust Blend Shape in both projectors to fine-tune change the amount of mid-
gray intensity (as opposed to black/white) in the blend. 
7. Repeat with remaining projectors / overlaps. 
8. Check completed display wall with the desired external signal. 
9. Adjust mechanical alignment if necessary to maintain perfect pixel-on-pixel 
alignment over time. 
In applications where you are projecting only white or light images, the Blend Width 
may be slightly higher—set according to how much overlap you have between 
images. Use the following as a guide (examples show overlapping width only—values 
for overlapping height will differ): 
 Recommended overlap is 12.5% - 25% 
 
Similar to Edge Blending, Black Level Blending allows you to adjust the black level 
hues of multiple adjacent projected images to create one large seamless display. Edge 
blending must be enabled in order to use the Black Level Blending features. 
The use of Black Level Blending feature and the use of Christie TWIST module are 
mutually exclusive. On WU models, Keystone is only available when Christie TWIST 
is in use. If Christie TWIST is installed and Black Level Blending is desired: 
 
1. Disable use of warps or 2D Keystone. 
2. Enable edge blending; if not enabled. 
3. Enable Black Level Blending. 
4. Power down the projector then power up again.         Black Level Blendin
g   