Brompton Tessera v3.3 streamlines Led video processing

The new features that Brompton Technology has entered in the version 3.3 of its Tessera software optimize the performance of Led panels to streamline professional workflows.

Led video processors Tessera SX40 and S8 of Brompton Technology now have a preset that supports color space Aces AP1. In addition, collaboration with the virtual production provider Mo-Sys adds support for camera tracking system StarTracker when using panels equipped with Tessera R2 or with the new receiver card Tessera R2+ and an SX40 or S8 processor with Frame Remapping.

specifically, Tessera R2+ has the same SO-DIMM form factor as the R2, which has set the standard for receiving cards for many years. In the case of R2+, which is compatible with all R2-based panel designs, provides additional data pins and ability to support new Led drivers.

Operating modes

Normally, when FAEs work with panel manufacturers to create their configuration it is necessary to make certain trade-offs between different aspects of visual performance.. Finding faster refresh rates can mean reducing PWM bit depth, while increasing maximum brightness can compromise low brightness performance.

Although Led panel manufacturers try to find a good balance, there is currently only one 'one size fits all' configuration that applies throughout the life of the panel

"This is a real challenge if you need to use Led panels in various scenarios that require prioritizing different aspects of visual performance., for example if maximum brightness is needed for an outdoor live event and the highest effective refresh rate to optimize performance with certain types of cameras in a studio. With Tessera's Operating Modes feature 3.3 from now on, both scenarios can benefit from the best possible performance of the panel", Says Chris Deighton, Brompton Chief Technology Officer.

Operating modes allow the same type of panel to offer different operations. Like this, operating modes can prioritize different aspects of visual performance, as the maximum frame rate, low brightness performance, the bit depth or effective refresh rate, among others.

Brompton Engineers, in close collaboration with panel manufacturers, can create additional operating modes. Once activated, users can instantly switch panels between operating modes through the processor, depending on the needs of each event or project.

PureTone batch

Rental companies know very well the problems posed by the combination of different batches of Led panels. Despite being of the same type and being calibrated with equal brightness, color temperature and color targets, often a new batch of led panels looks noticeably different when displaying content.

this problem is usually caused by differences in the nonlinearity of different batches of leds or driver chips, a behavior that Brompton's PureTone function corrects, and that in the version 3.3 de Tessera has been expanded so that each individual batch of panels is measured separately, generating a specific PureTone profile for that batch.

"With the new PureTone feature," explains Deighton., our customers and panel manufacturers can correct the non-linearity of each batch of panels, ensuring neutral grayscales and accurate luminance performance in all operating modes".

Thanks to this function, "it's much easier to match different batches of LEDs. PureTone is also very useful in film and television work, where screens typically work at a much lower brightness to fit camera exposures, but it is still necessary to maintain neutral grayscales and accurate color reproduction.", Adds.

ACEScg Support

As part of Brompton's commitment to streamline professional workflows for virtual production, Tessera SX40 and S8 now have a preset to support ACES AP1 primaries, used by the ACEScg color space, increasingly used, which avoids converting the color space on the source device.

ACES AP1 is automatically recognized by the processor through HDMI 2.0, or it can be selected manually on the processor. The user can also reference the ACES AP1 color gamut within Brompton's dynamic calibration tools.

"By supporting ACEScg color space, we guarantee that users working in that space can broadcast it directly without an unnecessary conversion of the color space," says Deighton.. The fact that the font has to do that conversion can sometimes mean a loss of accuracy or a cropping of the colors.. We wanted to simplify that process so that users who really care about color accuracy can further streamline their workflow.".

Bookmark tracking

In collaboration with Mo-Sys, Brompton has added support for the StarTracker camera tracking system when using Tessera R2-based panels, along with Led Tessera SX40 or S8 processors and Frame Remapping.

"Accurate camera position tracking is critical to many virtual production and xR applications," Deighton said.. Although there are many different systems to achieve this, a common approach has been the use of visible markers, what can be a challenge within an Led volume, which can now be solved by showing the appropriate markers on the Led itself".

Bookmarks overlap the video content that is displayed, and tessera's frame remapping feature is used to display frames only in output frames, that are not visible to the main camera, ensuring they will never appear in the shot or in reflections. Bookmarks are automatically generated, with the ability to configure its color and size from the processor user interface.

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