I’ve attached two images. The better looking one is the raw image, the other is the captured output from the ESG3.
I understand the better looking image may be higher res than 1080, but it looks very similar on my HD video mixers at 1080 so is a fair enough comparison.
The image seems really distorted/blurred and the colours are very different.
I’ve tried the below tests to isolate the issue to the ESG3:
Replacing the TBC2 with Syntonie Entree = same issue
BMIS direct into a HD video mixer → 2nd BMIS//JVC Monitor for capture = no issue
BMIS HDMI out → a HD video mixer → 2nd BMIS/JVC Monitor = no issue
ESG3 is powered from LZX DC power. I’ve tested with bus power and same issue.
Using 1080i 5994 on all equipment.
Signal Chain:
Arena w/BMIS → YPbPr → TBC2 → ESG3 → YPbPr → 2nd BMIS & JVC Monitor (Issue)
also tried
Arena w/BMIS → YPbPr → Syntonie Entree → ESG3 (Issue)
and
Arena w/BMIS → HDMI → Roland V8-HD → JVC Monitor (no issue)
and
Arena w/BMIS → YPbPr → Roland V440HD → BMIS 2nd Capture & JVC Monitor (no issue)
ESG3 has six small recessed trim pots on the front panel. These control the gain and bias of the module. You need to calibrate those so that the signal is passed through without alteration when all six knobs are centered. It’s supposed to be calibrated at the factory, but there’s no guarantee that will stay calibrated, which is why the trim pots exist.
To do this, you need a horizontal ramp, a color bars signal, a vectorscope and waveform monitor.
Many video artists resist the entire concept of learning how to read a waveform monitor and vectorscope. But it’s not optional if you want to control the system rather than be controlled by it. Reading a WFM and VS is not difficult. And there are many hardware and software options available.
At some point, Lars posted a complex ESG3 calibration procedure, but you don’t need to go that deep. Here’s the quick and dirty method:
Set all ESG3 knobs to center.
Send a horizontal ramp into the ESG3 Red input.
Looking at the waveform monitor, adjust the trim pots so that the ramp is perfectly linear, starting at zero and ending at 100 IRE. (IRE is basically percentage of total gain/amplitude.) This involves a lot of fussing. I recommend setting the gains first, then setting the bias, and then tweaking the gains.
This will get you most of the way there, but you also need to fine-tune the color balance. Send full-field, 100 IRE color bars into the system. Into the decoder and then directly to ESG3 RGB inputs. (Full-field means the bars take up the entire vertical space of the frame. 100 IRE means that the color bars are at full amplitude. Some versions of color bars only go up to 75 IRE. )
Looking at the vectorscope, adjust the trim pots so that the dots all land inside the boxes labeled for each color: Red, Green, Blue, Cyan, Yellow, Magenta. Make sure the dot representing the white bar is dead center in the middle of the vectorscope.
Unpatch the color bars and re-patch the ramp to the Red input. Looking at the waveform monitor, weak the trim pots again.
Unpatch the ramp and re-patch the color bars. Looking at the vectorscope, make a final adjustment to the trim pots.
Also, the blurriness may be normal in 1080. Depending on the decoder, it may or may not have the 75 ohm output resistor necessary for preserving HD detail. Earlier versions of the LZX standard specified 300 ohm output resistors, which was fine in SD, but loses detail in HD.
Dr Yo presents some sound advice for calibrating your ESG3, if you wish to do so. If you don’t, are you able to get closer to what you want by adjusting ESG3’s knobs? It looks to me like there is too much blue; if you adjust your blue channel, does it get closer to the original? Sometimes some fine tuning is all it takes.
