Inexpensive HD monitoring

Matrox MXO2 products and Mojito MAX turn your HDMI monitor into a true-color video display you can trust, even for color grading. They are packed with features that make them the ideal monitoring solutions for Adobe Creative Suite, Apple Final Cut Studio, and Avid Media Composer. Thanks to the Matrox HDMI Calibration Utility, you won't need to buy expensive HD monitoring equipment. It lets an HDMI monitor perform like a broadcast HD/SD monitor with 10-bit 4:2:2 color precision.

Broadcast monitors are typically adjusted to meet ITU-R Recommendation BT.709 (also known as Rec 709), the broadcast industry standard for color representation. HDMI displays are typically not adjusted to meet this specification and they are likely to introduce additional signal processing errors that the viewer might not be aware of. The Matrox HDMI Calibration Utility provides a wizard that walks you through a set of patterns that lets you effectively identify and compensate for five improper adjustments that may be present in your HDMI monitor. The goal is to meet the Rec 709 specification as closely as possible, given the characteristics of your particular monitor.

True 1:1 pixel representation

To accurately judge your video content, it is best to view it at its native resolution. However, some HDMI monitors scale the input signal by default. The Matrox HDMI Calibration Utility lets you easily identify if this is the case. Two of the five verifications that you can do with the Matrox HDMI Calibration Utility (gamma response and hue/chroma) require 1:1 pixel mapping.

White and black levels

The white level is the intensity at which the monitor will display the whitest pixel. The black level is the intensity at which a monitor will display a black pixel. The Matrox HDMI Calibration Utility lets you use the monitor's controls and the Matrox device's hardware controls to get the grey ramp to show the blackest patch (black) and the whitest patch (white) while still being able to see the different patches. Performing these adjustments ensures that the widest possible color gamut is available to the Matrox device.

White point

The white point is the color of the white reference for a particular display. Rec 709 specifies 6500K as that reference which is equivalent to the color of a white sheet of paper when seen outdoors at noon when the sky is overcast. Using an iterative process, the Matrox HDMI Calibration Utility lets you establish your monitor's 6500K white point under your particular viewing conditions.

Gamma response

The input to output response of a broadcast video monitor is a non-linear power function called the gamma response. The Rec 709 specification defines the gamma response expected of broadcast monitors. The Matrox HDMI Calibration Utility characterizes how your particular HDMI monitor's gamma response deviates from that defined by Rec 709 and creates a set of gamma correction curves (compensation equations). These corrections are then applied to the HDMI signal so that the colors displayed on the monitor will match the Rec 709 specification. Your HDMI monitor must support 1:1 pixel mapping to use this feature of the Matrox HDMI Calibration Utility.

Hue and chroma

The Matrox HDMI Calibration Utility includes patterns that let you ensure that the intensity of the primary and secondary colors are accurate. External references such as a blue-only button or a blue gel filter are not required, provided your HDMI monitor supports 1:1 pixel mapping.