VLOG & Articles

The Finish Line Adopts the Flanders Scientific XMP550 for Premium HDR Finishing

In the dynamic world of video post-production, The Finish Line stands out as a pioneering force with the UK’s largest team of Dolby Vision certified talent and the highest capacity for HDR finishing and delivery in the United Kingdom. They deliver to notable broadcasters and streamers like BBC Studios, ITV, Disney+, Discovery, MAX, and Netflix. This year, The Finish Line has doubled-down on their commitment to HDR program mastering having recently integrated the Flanders Scientific XMP550 into two of their premium HDR finishing suites. This state-of-the-art 55" UHD QD-OLED HDR monitor has significantly enhanced their capability to deliver superior color grading services for high-profile clients with a large format monitoring option that meets or exceeds the level of performance previously only found on smaller format mastering displays.

Why the XMP550?

The XMP550 from Flanders Scientific is a tier 1 HDR reference display designed with a revolutionary QD-OLED panel that boasts native 3840×2160 UHD resolution, 2,000nits peak luminance, and 4,000,000:1 contrast making it an ideal choice for the most demanding HDR monitoring applications. The XMP550 is also uniquely qualified for use as a single display monitoring solution offering a screen that is not only large enough for both colorists and clients to view at the same time, but also has unparalleled off-axis viewing performance with virtually no color shift or luminance drop from any viewing location assuring that any viewer, at any position relative to the monitor, is seeing a faithful representation of the image. The Finish Line’s Zeb Chadfield shares that these displays “represent a significant leap in HDR technology, providing high luminance levels, excellent viewing angles, no blooming, detailed shadows, and no display colour volume collapse. They are without a doubt the best displays I’ve ever seen.”

Calibration and Color Accuracy

A standout feature of the XMP550 is its ease of calibration. Like all current FSI monitors the XMP550 features GaiaColor Direct Connect Volumetric AutoCal, a proprietary system that allows a compatible probe to be plugged directly into the monitor for fast and accurate calibration requiring no software, computer, or calibration expertise to perform. Flanders Scientific CEO Bram Desmet explains: “Our goal with GaiaColor was to make calibration so easy and accessible that users would actually be inclined to calibrate their reference displays regularly and with confidence. Many other good standalone calibration solutions exist, and the XMP series additionally integrates with any of those systems for expert users that do prefer to use the solution they may already be familiar with, but by and large, we’ve found most users have, up until now, found calibration of displays to be quite a daunting task. Because calibration has historically been difficult, intimidating, or expensive, it often became a woefully neglected maintenance task. GaiaColor Direct Connect Volumetric AutoCal aims to resolve this conundrum with an accurate, affordable, and easy to use system that truly encourages users to keep their monitors performing optimally for years to come.”

Other Operational Advantages

The XMP550 also facilitates operational efficiency and room friendly design. With 12Gbps SDI connectivity, the XMP550 supports 444 UHD 12bit signals over a single cable, making for clean and simple video routing. Additionally, the XMP550 incorporates a graphite heat sink and all aluminum chassis to efficiently dissipate heat enabling a completely fan-less and silent display.

Power Efficiency and Environmental Consideration

The XMP550 is also noted for its power efficiency reducing both operational cost and environmental impact. Many other HDR mastering monitors, for example LMCL LCDs with their always-on backlights, consume significantly more power, even when not displaying particularly bright images. The XMP550 draws half, or even less, the power of many competing 31” HDR mastering displays despite being a significantly larger 55” display.

Conclusion

For The Finish Line, choosing Flanders Scientific’s XMP550 was more than an upgrade—it was a strategic decision aligned with their commitment to delivering top-tier content. The XMP550’s superior technology ensures that they can meet the exacting demands of HDR finishing and delivery, providing their clients with the best possible viewing experience.

The integration of XMP550 monitors demonstrates The Finish Line's ongoing commitment to adopting cutting-edge technology to stay at the forefront of the postproduction industry.