DSC Labs Revived Under New Ownership, Relocates to Los Angeles

March 24^th, 2026

DSC Labs Revived Under New Ownership, Relocates to Los Angeles

by Nino LeitnerMarch 24^th, 2026

DSC Labs, the iconic calibration and test chart manufacturer that announced its closure in 2024, is back in business. Digital imaging technician and workflow specialist Matt Conrad has acquired the company through his Spectral Arts & Science venture, relocating operations from Toronto to a new purpose-built facility in Los Angeles.

When we covered DSC Labs’ shutdown announcement in mid-2024, it felt like the end of an era. For over six decades, the company’s precision charts have served as foundational tools for broadcast engineers, DITs, and cinematographers worldwide. Here at CineD, the DSC Labs Xyla 21 High Dynamic Range chart is an essential component of our own Lab Test methodology, underpinning the dynamic range measurements we publish for every camera we review. Needless to say, news of the company’s revival is a welcome development.

A new chapter with deep industry roots

The acquisition was completed in summer 2025, with Matt Conrad stepping in as the new president and CEO. Conrad is not a corporate outsider looking for an investment opportunity; he is a working digital imaging technician with extensive credits across film, television, and live events. His IMDb page lists DIT and video control roles on productions including “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Swiss Army Man,” “Wolfs,” Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour – The Final Show,” multiple Super Bowl halftime shows, and numerous other high-profile projects.

That hands-on production background is significant. It means DSC Labs is now led by someone who has used calibration and color reference tools in the field, across exactly the kind of complex multi-camera, mixed-format workflows that make these charts indispensable.

Why calibration charts still matter

Conrad addressed this directly in the company’s announcement. While camera sensors have become more stable and reliable over the past decade, the reality on modern sets involves a wider mix of camera systems, recording formats, and lighting tools than ever before. Achieving a cohesive look across an entire production requires a strong baseline reference, and that is precisely what DSC Labs’ products provide.

This reasoning tracks with what we observe across the industry. Productions routinely combine footage from different camera platforms, from cinema cameras to drones to action cameras to smartphones. Without reliable calibration targets, matching color and exposure across these sources in post-production becomes significantly more time-consuming and less predictable.

From Toronto to Los Angeles

DSC Labs was originally founded in 1962 by David and Susan Corley, growing from a basement operation into an industry standard for calibration tools used in telecine, broadcast, and eventually digital cinema. The company’s list of innovations is long: the CamAlign front-lit chart system, the ChromeDuMonde hexagonal vectorscope simulation targets, the ChromaMatch color matching system, the Fuzzies soft-edged projection masks, large-format transmissive test patterns with Ambi illumination, 3D test charts, and of course the award-winning Xyla high dynamic range chart series.

Under new ownership, the company has moved from its longtime base near Toronto, Canada, to a newly outfitted facility in Los Angeles, California. According to the DSC Labs website, all charts are now made to order and ship from the LA location. The product catalog appears to be fully operational, with the familiar range of color correction, resolution, multi-purpose, and high dynamic range charts available for purchase.

Matt Conrad is bringing DSC Labs back to life. Image credit: DSC Labs

What this means for the industry

The revival of DSC Labs fills a gap that many in the industry feared would remain permanent. When the Corleys announced the wind-down of operations, there was genuine concern about the long-term availability of these precision tools, particularly the Xyla series, which has no direct equivalent on the market for high dynamic range testing.

With a working DIT now at the helm and a renewed focus on supporting modern imaging workflows, DSC Labs appears positioned to not only continue serving its existing customer base but also to develop new products tailored to evolving production needs. The LA location also places the company closer to the heart of the film and broadcast production community.

What are your thoughts on DSC Labs returning under new ownership? Are you planning to stock up on charts, or are you hoping for new product development from the Conrad era? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!