Its been released the LG 2019 PQ Curve Upload Template REV.1 (28 August 2019) Free Template for all LightSpace users of DeviceControl Interface which add support for Custom PQ Curve Upload (7 HDR10 tone mapping parameters) for LG 2019 C9/E9/W9/Z9/R9 OLED TV's.

This template is free for all people, whatever calibration software they will use.

There full instructions about how to install DeviceControl, how to create an account to the DeviceControl Cloud, and about how to submit for getting that free table here: https://displaycalibrations.com/lg_templates_for_device_control.html

Some info about below:

LG 2019 OLED TV's feature a Dynamic Tone Mapping algorithm (Picture -> Picture Mode - Setting -> Expert Controls).

When Dynamic Tone Mapping is enabled 'On', the HDR10 tone-mapping curve will be dynamically generated after analysis of signal peak and histogram information on a frame by frame basis.




When Dynamic Tone Mapping is disabled 'Off', the LG TV will use the default 'factory' HDR10 tone curve parameters (Peak Luminance, 3x Tone Curve Metadata Point and 3x Roll-Off Point) and will determinate the PQ Luminance of content based to the HDR10 compliant stream static metadata info (SMPTE ST.2086, MaxFALL and MaxCLL) as follows:

1) Use ST.2086 Mastering Metadata - Mastering Display Color Volume -> Maximum Display Luminance value.

2) If 'MaxCLL' (Content Metadata -> Maximum Content Light Level) is present and lower than the ST.2086 Maximum Display Luminance value, use MaxCLL.

3) If ST.2086 Maximum Display Luminance and MaxCLL are both signaled as zero (as defined for un-available), assume a peak luminance of 4000 nits.



LG 2019 OLED TV's PQ Curve Upload Template is providing a DDC interface to configure and upload these 7 tone mapping engine calculation parameters data to the TV, to match the actual measured (calibrated) peak luminance of your display and adjust the roll-off point for 3 different user-specified mastering display peak value (Maximum Display Luminance) HDR10 ST.2086 static metadata of your HDR10 content.

That template can be used from any user, even if it has calibrated his display or not. It doesn't matter what software will be used to calibrate the display.

When the user has calibrated his display using HDR10 patterns, it will be required to set the calibrated peak output 'nits' values to the Peak Luminance parameter.

For users which will only want to test different tone-mapping parameters and don't have any calibration instrument/software, then the default '700' value to the Peak Luminance parameter should be used.

The Peak Luminance parameter is the most important setting for the proper tone-mapping calculations.

HDR10 Tone Mapping default 'factory' parameters values

Peak Luminance: 700 nits

Metadata Point 1: 1000 nits

Roll-Off Point 1: 70%

Metadata Point 2: 4000 nits

Roll-Off Point 1: 60%

Metadata Point 1: 10000 nits

Roll-Off Point 1: 50%

Use these values if you want to restore the 'factory' default settings.

Explanation of HDR10 tone mapping engine parameters

Peak Luminance: Used to set the target output luminance range for tone mapping calculations. Measure your calibrated peak white using a 100% White pattern (940 digital level) with 10% window size (L32 loading) pattern with black background.

To verify how the roll-off point value affects the PQ curve tracking, you have to generate HDR10 patterns with the same 'Maximum Display Luminance' value as the Metadata Point number (1,2 or 3) vales you want to test.

Tone Curve Metadata Point (3x): Used to define which content metadata peak luminance 'Maximum Display Luminance' value you are defining the tone curve for.

Roll-Off Point (3x): Used to se the point at which the tone curve deviates from PQ, expressed as a percentage of the Peak Luminance value.

With the 3 Metadata and Roll-Off Points, it is possible to accurately define tone curves for content with 3 specified metadata points; as example for 1000/4000/10000 nuts peak content.

Content with metadata peak luminance 'Maximum Display Luminance' value between these points will result in a tone curve that is interpolated between the three defined points.

If a PQ 'Hard Clip' is desired regardless of content metadata the TV will receive, for content creation purposes, or to use the display as a PQ reference, this can be easily achieved by setting all three Roll-Off Parameters to 100%.

It will be interesting about what will be the calibration results if the user will calibrate with PQ curve parameters applied to provide a 'Hard Clip' and then after the calibration to restore them back to normal values.

Using that method, you will calibrate using the normal TV RGB Balance controls but without any tone-mapping as active.

If content metadata signals a peak luminance lower then the Peak Luminance Tone Curve Parameter, a Peak Hard Clip tone curve will be used, tracking PQ up to the Peak Luminance Tone Curve Parameter and clipping content at higher luminance.

When you are calibrating HDR10 using the available to normal TV menu RGB balance controls (without bypassing the HDR processing math's), all these available RGB Balance controls adjustments are taking place in Gamma space. If the panel peak luminance is higher or lower that the assumed peak luminance of the HDR processing math's, you may find yourself pushing the grayscale adjustments in odd directions to compensate, resulting in the potential for banding.

How to upload the PQ Curve parameters data to the LG 2019 OLED TV

1) Click the 'Send Icon' on 'Request Pin' to request LG OLED TV to show the pin number.

2) LG OLED TV should pop-up a window with a pin number. Enter it on 'Set Pin' input box and click the 'Send Icon'.

3) Click on 'Enable Calibration' checkbox.

4) Set the 7 parameters for custom HDR10 Tone mapping to the values you desire.

5) Click to 'Send Icon' for the 7 parameter values to be transferred to the TV Tone Mapping engine.

6) Click on 'Enable Calibration' checkbox to disable the connection with the TV for the procedure to complete.

When you have 'Enable Calibration' checkbox ticked, the changes of the parameters you will upload they will not affect the picture, since the HDR10 Tone Mapping at this step has been disabled and content is displayed as gamma based with inaccurate colors. This is normal behavior. You have to untick the 'Enable Calibration' to be able to see the changes you have apply.

Can I safely use DeviceControl Interface?

DeviceControl Interface will install a web-server which provides the capability to registered users to publish or download any template shared by other users.

DeviceControl Interface will require internet connection only when the user will select to refresh the cloud to check if there available for download any newer LG Template version or when the user will actually download a specific template to his system.

Each LG Template will require a file download with size between 24 KB (min) - 2 MB (max).

Once the user will download any LG Template, the software will work in offline mode, there will be no call to the cloud unless the user will click to About Menu, to check if there any newer version of DeviceControl Interface available for download.

DeviceControl Interface will not connect with any web-server unless the user will click to check for LG Templates or DeviceControl Interface updates.

When the user want to download any LG Template for DeviceControl Interface from a facility or office where the internet connection capabilities are limited or secured, then the user can download the LG Templates from his home or temporary enable a WiFi-spot from a mobile phone only; and connect the notebook with the DeviceControl Interface installed to that temp network for some seconds, just for downloading only the LG Templates.

When DeviceControl Interface will connect with the LG OLED TV, it will require local network connection only, it will not require any active internet connection.

All the DeviceControl Interface code is open source and anytime the user can see what the software is doing.

The extra software which DeviceControl Interface using is available inside the 'extra_software' directory.

How to use the LG 2019 PQ Curve Upload Template for DeviceControl Interface with LG 2019 OLED TV's.

LG 2019 OLED TV's feature a Dynamic Tone Mapping algorithm (Picture -> Picture Mode - Setting -> Expert Controls).



When Dynamic Tone Mapping is enabled 'On', the HDR10 tone-mapping curve will be dynamically generated after analysis of signal peak and histogram information on a frame by frame basis.

When Dynamic Tone Mapping is disabled 'Off', the LG TV will use the default 'factory' HDR10 tone curve parameters (Peak Luminance, 3x Tone Curve Metadata Point and 3x Roll-Off Point) and will determinate the PQ Luminance of content based to the HDR10 compliant stream static metadata info (SMPTE ST.2086, MaxFALL and MaxCLL) as follows:

1) Use ST.2086 Mastering Metadata -> Mastering Display Color Volume -> 'Maximum Display Luminance' value.

2) If 'MaxCLL' (Content Metadata -> Maximum Content Light Level) is present and lower than the 'Maximum Display Luminance' value, it will use MaxCLL value.

3) If ST.2086 Maximum Display Luminance and MaxCLL are both signaled as zero (as defined for un-available), it assumes and use 4000 nits values as 'Maximum Display Luminance'.



LG 2019 OLED TV's PQ Curve Upload Template is providing a GUI (Graphical User Interface) to configure and upload these 7 tone-mapping engine calculation parameters data values to the TV, to match the actual measured (calibrated) peak luminance of your display; for the tone-mapping calculations to be more accurate and also to adjust the roll-off point for 3 different user-specified mastering display peak values (Maximum Display Luminance of HDR10 ST.2086 static metadata) of your HDR10 content.

That template can be used from any LG 2019 OLED TV user, even if his display has been calibrated or not. It doesn't matter what calibration software will be used to calibrate the LG 2019 OLED TV in HDR10 mode.

When the user has calibrated the display using HDR10 patterns, it will be required to set his measured 100% White calibrated peak output 'nits' to the 'Peak Luminance' parameter value.

For users without any calibration instrument/software who want only to test different tone-mapping parameters, then the default '700' nits value to the 'Peak Luminance' parameter should be used.

For users with calibrated displays from professional calibrators, its not recommended to change any value unless they can get the info from their professional calibrator of what value for Peak Luminance parameter its been uploaded after calibration, as there no way to see what value the professional calibrator has entered internally to the LG 2019 OLED TV.

As a tip, the panel Peak Luminance number in nits can be found to the professional calibrator post-verification grayscale report. This is a detail the user has to discuss with the professional calibrator first, before adjusting the Peak Luminance parameter. When the user will know the Peak Luminance parameter value, then any custom adjustment upload of other parameters it will not alter/undo the current calibration, it will only change the tone-mapping behavior.

The Peak Luminance parameter is the most important setting for the proper tone-mapping engine calculations.

HDR10 Tone Mapping default 'factory' parameters values

Peak Luminance: 700 nits

Metadata Point 1: 1000 nits

Roll-Off Point 1: 70%

Metadata Point 2: 4000 nits

Roll-Off Point 2: 60%

Metadata Point 3: 10000 nits

Roll-Off Point 3: 50%

Use these values above if you want to restore the 'factory' default tone-mapping parameter values.

Explanation of HDR10 tone mapping engine parameters

Peak Luminance: Used to set the target output luminance range for tone-mapping engine calculations. Measure your calibrated peak white using a 100% White pattern (940 digital level) with 10% window size (L32 loading) pattern with black background. The 'nits' number of that peak white measurement it will be the 'Peak Luminance' value of that panel.

To verify how the roll-off point value affects the PQ curve tracking, you have to generate HDR10 patterns with the same 'Maximum Display Luminance' value as the Metadata Point number (1,2 or 3) value you want to test.

'Maximum Display Luminance' is the peak luminance of the mastering monitor used for color grading of each HDR10 title. Currently, industry is using 1000/1100/4000 or 10000 nits capable post-production monitors. The 'Maximum Display Luminance' info is part of each movie HDR10 Metadata InfoFrame.

Tone Curve Metadata Point (3x): Used to define which content metadata peak luminance 'Maximum Display Luminance' value you are defining the tone curve for.

You have the option to define the TV tone-mapping engine behavior (based to the entered roll-off point setting) for 3 different 'Maximum Display Luminance' (peak luminance of the mastering monitor used for color grading) scenarios.

For example, if you set to 'Tone Curve Metadata Point 1' the '1000' nits value, when you will playback a movie with HDR10 Metadata of 1000 nits @ 'Maximum Display Luminance', the TV will adjust the tone-mapping based to the entered 'Roll-Off Point 1' value for that content.

As there available 3x Tone Curve Metadata Point selections, it's up to the user preference which 3 different values he will pre-define.

To provide more help to the user's decision for these 3 'Tone Curve Metadata Point' values, from a very large list I personally keep with HDR10 metadata of many titles, below you will find a summary of current 'Maximum Display Luminance' values HDR10 titles are using:



Roll-Off Point (3x): Used to set the point at which the tone curve deviates from PQ, expressed as a percentage of the Peak Luminance value.

With the 3 Metadata and Roll-Off Points, it is possible to accurately define tone curves for content with 3 specified metadata points; as example, for 1000/4000/10000 nits peak content.

Content with metadata peak luminance 'Maximum Display Luminance' value different or between these points. it will result in a tone curve that is interpolated between the three defined values.

If a PQ-EOTF 'Hard Clip' is desired regardless of content metadata the TV will receive, for content creation purposes, or to use the display as a PQ-EOTF reference, this can be easily achieved by setting all three Roll-Off Parameters to 100%.

It will be interesting about which will be the calibration results if the user will calibrate with PQ curve parameters applied to provide a 'Hard Clip' and then after the calibration to restore them back to normal values.

Using that 'Hard Clip' method, you can calibrate using the normal TV RGB Balance controls but without any PQ curve tone-mapping active.

If content metadata signals a peak luminance lower than the 'Peak Luminance' Tone Curve Parameter, a Peak Hard Clip tone curve will be used, tracking PQ up to the Peak Luminance Tone Curve Parameter and clipping content at higher luminance.

When you are calibrating HDR10 using the available to normal TV menu RGB balance controls (without bypassing the HDR10 Tone-Mapping processing math's), all these available RGB Balance controls adjustments are taking place in Gamma space. If the panel peak luminance is higher or lower that the assumed peak luminance of the HDR processing math's, you may find yourself pushing the grayscale adjustments in odd directions to compensate, resulting in the potential for banding.

Banding also called as false contouring or posterization, refers to unrealistic solid strips of color in areas that should display a smooth transition.

How HDR10 PQ-Curve Tone Mapping works?

An HDR image is encoded using a perceptual quantizer opto-electrical transfer function (hereinafter, PQ-OETF) defined by the society of motion picture and television engineers (SMPTE) ST.2084 and has a high dynamic range of 0 to 10000 nits.

LG 2019 OLED TV will need to perform an image processing procedure using a perceptual quantizer electro-optical transfer function (PQ-EOTF) defined in SMPTE ST.2084, in order to display an HDR image.

When the peak luminance output capability of the LG 2019 OLED TV is not matching the luminance level performance of the mastering monitor used for content mastering, then some tone-mapping processing have to be applied.

Tone-Mapping procedure remaps luminance from the source values to the lower values the display can reproduce.

The LG 2019 OLED TV Tone-Mapping image processing module utilize 2 mapping functions.

When the content will have 'Mastering Display Color Volume -> Maximum Display Luminance' value equal or lower from PQ Curve Tone-Mapping 'Peak Luminance' parameter or when the MaxCLL number is lower from content 'Mastering Display Color Volume -> Maximum Display Luminance' value, then the calibrated TV will track accurately the PQ-EOTF up to 'Peak Luminance' value and it will hard-clip above of that value. In that case the TV's Tone-Mapping image processor will use only the first tone-mapping function and it will bypass the second tone-mapping function (roll-off).

When the content will have 'Mastering Display Color Volume -> Maximum Display Luminance' value higher from PQ Curve Tone-Mapping 'Peak Luminance' parameter, then the image processor will see if the Metadata point 1, 2 or 3