Author Topic: Screen becomes high contrast (or more dark) by getting a picture shown  (Read 22865 times)

Offline mr.tyler-durden

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Re: Screen becomes high contrast (or more dark) by getting a picture shown
« Reply #15 on: February 06, 2015, 09:39:17 AM »
Good morning and btw. thanks for discussing my issue.

As I read it, the problem is that the image controls on the mede8er are global. I.e. they adjust globally and not separately for GUI, Photos and video. On my equipment, it is not causing any problems, but apparently it does for the OP.
Correct.

The op  has calibrated his TV to another source..or not bothered to  calibrate it at all.
To quote OP:  I've calibrated the TV with test videos played by Mede8er.

So, it seems that he has done the correct thing, but I will let him comment.
Yes, like you've quote me, a calibration has to be done with test material played by the specific source -> Mede8er.

What about the mede8er image controls? Are they a global adjustment?
Like I wrote: But brightnes adjustments on Mede8er while showing photos are affecting video as well.

It looks like his personal  view of what videos should look like is too dark, making the photos even darker.
No. Calibration images and videos do not give you something like personal and subjective impression. So it has nothing to do with thinking 'the photo looks way to dark while video is OK with the same personal view'. Because I can see the Mede8er is becoming a black crushing view right on the GUI just after selecting a photo.

First of all, to be clear, I had used a test video iso to calibrate the panel of my TV, which has been started from Mede8er. The adjustments on Mede8er like brightness and contrast (what is accessible only from picture and video playback) are absolute. Means global. One correction to my posts: All is set to 25 on Mede8er, what should be standard. The black level and contrast is brilliant on the TV when playing videos (and test videos) from the Mede8er. No blacks are crushed and just one more brightness step would give obvious gray on blacks. Yesterday I had a look on the settings again and tested some things. On my TV I experimented a little with the "Dynamic Range". It was set to <Auto>, what causes the same (well calibrated) result like <Limited>. If it is set to <Full>, there is way to much brightness all over everything, regardless of the x.v.Colour settings or other adjustments made on the Mede8er. And it makes no difference to what happens by selecting a photo on the Mede8er (gets black crushed). So "Dynamic Range" on the TV has been left on <Limited>, to ensure nothing changes automatically by setting <Auto>. If I would do a calibration again while having a test photo shown by Mede8er, the brightness adjustment (on Mede8er) should have been set to value around 32 (!). Like mentioned before, this is global and causes grey instead of black on every other material (video). From my point of view it's neither a calibration issue nor adjustment issue on the TV. My Mede8er switches to a much darker (less brightness) view immediately when selecting a photo. What I'm confused about is that pallec can't reproduce this behavior.
« Last Edit: February 06, 2015, 09:51:39 AM by mr.tyler-durden »
MED: 1000X3D - V4.0.1 (April beta)
A/V:   Onkyo TX-NR616 (7.1 setup)
TV:    Sony KDL-55W905
NAS:  Synology DS414 (4x4TB)

Offline jer1956

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Re: Screen becomes high contrast (or more dark) by getting a picture shown
« Reply #16 on: February 06, 2015, 09:59:35 AM »
I believe the issue is rgb black level.  With photos its 0, with video its 16.  So they are trying to accommodate converting photo rgb to video rgb. Perhaps its a case of two wrongs don't make a right.  The GUI is created from Photoshop, using black level 0, so it looked too dark once running on the player  They then raised the brightness when the GUI is running, but found actual images in a folder looked too bright, so set it back to normal as needed.  

If they actually converted the GUI images so they looked bright in photoshop....i.e black level 16 , then there would be no need to up the brightness when thevgui is running.



This issue arose with the 1185 SDK. It would appear up to then  the SDK itself handled the fact the GUI images where from Photoshop.  It could have had  inbuilt dynamic range compression to shift the black level when the GUI was built. Realtek then created confusion by leaving it out.
« Last Edit: February 06, 2015, 10:22:22 AM by jer1956 »

Offline mr.tyler-durden

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Re: Screen becomes high contrast (or more dark) by getting a picture shown
« Reply #17 on: February 06, 2015, 10:24:21 AM »
I believe the issue is rgb black level.  With photos its 0, with video its 16.  So they are trying to accommodate converting photo rgb to video rgb. Perhaps its a case of two wrongs don't make a right.  The GUI is created from Photoshop, using black level 0, so it looked too dark once running on the player  They then raised the brightness when the GUI is running, but found actual images in a folder looked too bright, so set it back to normal as needed.  

If they actually converted the GUI images so they looked bright in photoshop....i.e black level 16 , then there would be no need to up the brightness when thevgui is running.

This issue arose with the 1185 SDK. It would appear up to then  the SDK itself handled the fact the GUI images where from Photoshop.  It could have had  inbuilt dynamic range compression to shift the black level when the GUI was built. Realtek then created confusion by leaving it out.

This is just a guess? That would mean other ones would have the same issue but do not talk about... An neither you nor pallec can reproduce this.

At the moment I have to adjust brightness on Mede8er up to 33 when looking at photos. The borders on the screen then are grey (left and right of crop, image is 4:3 - panel is 16:9). Back on GUI or watching movies, changing brightness back to 25...
MED: 1000X3D - V4.0.1 (April beta)
A/V:   Onkyo TX-NR616 (7.1 setup)
TV:    Sony KDL-55W905
NAS:  Synology DS414 (4x4TB)

Offline jer1956

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Re: Screen becomes high contrast (or more dark) by getting a picture shown
« Reply #18 on: February 06, 2015, 10:30:44 AM »
I was part of the discussion when the dark GUI first  appeared. Hence why I said i know the brightness level shifts as you see the photo images, because the solution used was to add the missing photo level compensation by raising the brightness when the GUI is running.


Anyway.....ones man's guess is another man's deduction. We solve a lot of problems by deducing what the coders have got wrong from black box testing. You dont have to be white box testing with the code in front of you.
« Last Edit: February 06, 2015, 10:36:15 AM by jer1956 »

Offline mr.tyler-durden

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Re: Screen becomes high contrast (or more dark) by getting a picture shown
« Reply #19 on: February 06, 2015, 10:48:32 AM »
So no solution at all at the moment? Don't get me wrong, I love that player and the work that has been done on it. But I'm very confused about that I'm the only one who can see the brightness is changing and complains about this.
MED: 1000X3D - V4.0.1 (April beta)
A/V:   Onkyo TX-NR616 (7.1 setup)
TV:    Sony KDL-55W905
NAS:  Synology DS414 (4x4TB)

Offline jer1956

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Re: Screen becomes high contrast (or more dark) by getting a picture shown
« Reply #20 on: February 06, 2015, 10:51:29 AM »
I'm sure everyone sees the change....I'm confirming it happens and why. The real issue is why you  find the photo images are too dark.

Offline Mede8er1

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Re: Screen becomes high contrast (or more dark) by getting a picture shown
« Reply #21 on: February 06, 2015, 10:57:05 AM »
I will ask our engineers if they can split the Video Adjustments for Pictures and Video

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Offline jer1956

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Re: Screen becomes high contrast (or more dark) by getting a picture shown
« Reply #22 on: February 06, 2015, 11:32:20 AM »
I think the alpha  gui used to look as dark as you say your photos do now.  So it looks like the image codec has lost black level compensation for both images in the GUI and in folders, in this chip.  If the above fix can be done, then in theory GUI compensation would become redundant.  Both GUI and photos would use the same calibration, now separate from that for video.

Offline ch90

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Re: Screen becomes high contrast (or more dark) by getting a picture shown
« Reply #23 on: February 19, 2015, 07:55:53 PM »
I've just encountered this issue by accidently displaying a jpg instead of starting a movie. Now I can't see any video or image file. They're extremely dark.

Any ideas!!!!

Offline markyb555

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Re: Screen becomes high contrast (or more dark) by getting a picture shown
« Reply #24 on: February 23, 2015, 08:30:57 PM »
I also have encountered this issue after updating the firmware from 6 months old software (cant remember the exact version number if im honest) to the now current 4.0 beta build.

The GUI is bright/vibrant/right contrast no problems with the calibration of the TV right up to either viewing a jpg of the file (doesnt matter what file it is movie,tv series, jpg, however I cant replicate it, its seems to be random) were the contrast and brightness drops so dramatically that its near impossible to view anything while its being played. Once the file is exited, the brightness/contrast returns back to its original state and I can navigate the browser/explorer with ease as normal.

The only way that Ive found to cure this is to reflash the media centre with another version of software to completely erase and replace it.
This has now happened twice since friday evening since updating it and obviously hasnt happened before this with previous versions.. Im considering rolling back to the last version of V3 to cure this issue as its rather frustrating not being able to view anything after it happens

Now that I know someone else are having the same issues, its not me pressing buttons by accident that is causing it.
My player is the 800X3D

Edit: To support this issue.. Ive created a small video taken on my phone. As you can see the brightness is all ok, I press play and the video is instantly dark. (You maybe able to make out the resume play window in the centre) I stop the video and the brightness is back fine again.   Please also notice that the background darkness/brightness doesnt not change so this is not the phones auto balance adjusting. Im pretty well up with tech btw

The video is 24mb and is available here:
http://vidmg.photobucket.com/albums/v112/markyb555/VID_20150223_2037301.mp4
Thanks
« Last Edit: February 23, 2015, 08:56:21 PM by markyb555 »

Offline jer1956

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Re: Screen becomes high contrast (or more dark) by getting a picture shown
« Reply #25 on: February 23, 2015, 09:04:44 PM »
I have just tested.  When running a jpg the image is made darker to account for the lack of photo black level compensation in this chip. Brightness is then reset when you return to the GUI. The problem is V4 is resetting it to 25, not the level you may have used calibration to set.


3.0.6 preserves any calibration settings.


No one spotted this testing 3.0.7 beta.

I have pointed this out to Sanji.
« Last Edit: February 23, 2015, 09:12:43 PM by jer1956 »

Offline zekon

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Re: Screen becomes high contrast (or more dark) by getting a picture shown
« Reply #26 on: March 15, 2015, 11:15:58 AM »
I have same problem from FW 4. So I understand correctly that this is a some bug in FW and will be solved? Or do we have to go back to the FW 3.0.6?

Offline mvdenzen

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Re: Screen becomes high contrast (or more dark) by getting a picture shown
« Reply #27 on: March 15, 2015, 04:30:32 PM »
same problem here today. So i should igo back to 3.06??
When going back to 3.0.6 the problem was over. But after restoring my settings from the backup the problem was back.
So did al my settings again and backed up that. After this i upgrade the firmware aigain and restored my settings.

Problem occured in the beginning when vieuwing a JPG on the harddisk
« Last Edit: March 15, 2015, 04:42:44 PM by mvdenzen »

Offline jer1956

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Re: Screen becomes high contrast (or more dark) by getting a picture shown
« Reply #28 on: March 16, 2015, 09:25:26 AM »
The issue of reseting video  back to the users contrast/brightness settings is down to be fixed in 4.0.1 development. So hopefully it will be back working like 3.0.6 within a couple of betas.


I don't know if the idea of having separate settings for video and images is being looked at yet.  
« Last Edit: March 16, 2015, 09:41:44 AM by jer1956 »

Offline zekon

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Re: Screen becomes high contrast (or more dark) by getting a picture shown
« Reply #29 on: March 17, 2015, 08:01:32 AM »
FW 4.0.0. is OK. Brightness hold.