Monitor Calibration - need some advice on these questions please

[juan_su]

Hi everyone, I have been trying to do some research on these, wanted

to know from the people who have used them and compared them.

I'm referring about the Colorvision Spyder2Pro Studio vs. the

GretagMacbeth Display2.

 

I'm using two identical DEll LCDs that dont' match up in color. It's

very frustrating when working with images as one of them has a warmer

cast. Adjusting by eye hasn't helped much.

 

So my question is.. which one of these calibration devices would suit

my needs best? Also, how will calibrating two separate monitors work

with Windows XP? Like for example with the left monitor have a

different profile created than the one for the right one?

[roamingstudio]

Juan

 

There are a lot of posts on this - I asked a few in August. Basically there are very few differences between the systems - some have caevets, others dont. However getting a calibrator is necessary to 'resolve' your problem. I have the Monaco Optix Pro (more expensive than the other two, some say about the best you can get sub $1000) which I use to calibrate. There I get options of calibrating two monitors on the same machine, and more importantly - can match the profiles of the two monitors to give the same output. Im not sure whether this works on the other two packages. It was very easy and I just had to follow the on screen instructions (just make sure your monitor onscreen menu display does not overlap with the dialog box).

 

My current XP setup is a Dell D600 Latitude laptop - and now with an external monitor (Dell 2005 FPW) hooked up. Both screens are 1050 native resolution (high) - and the desktop stretches across seemlessly. I did not match the two monitors as a laptop screen is never ideal for colour processing - but I could if I had wanted to.

 

Marc

[ellis_vener_photography]

Monaco OPTIXxr Pro

[juan_su]

thanks for suggestions, but is Monaco Optix XR Pro the only one out of all of them that can do the muliple monitor setup?

[david arnold eugene, oreg]

Mac OS has no problem handling dual monitor calibration, but Windows does. How the problems manifest themselves varies with the calibration unit. The Colorvision Spyder2 units can calibrate two monitors under Windows XP, but only if the computer has two separate video cards. With a single "two-headed" card, where one video card runs two monitors, the Spyder2 can only calibrate one of them. Digital Light & Color's Color Mechanic unit cannot calibrate dual monitors at all with XP, though it does a fine job with a single monitor on an XP, and with dual monitors on a Mac. (DL&C told me they're working on adding dual monitor XP support in the future).

[juan_su]

David Arnold , oct 14, 2005; 11:53 a.m.

Mac OS has no problem handling dual monitor calibration, but Windows does. How the problems manifest themselves varies with the calibration unit. The Colorvision Spyder2 units can calibrate two monitors under Windows XP, but only if the computer has two separate video cards. With a single "two-headed" card, where one video card runs two monitors, the Spyder2 can only calibrate one of them. Digital Light & Color's Color Mechanic unit cannot calibrate dual monitors at all with XP, though it does a fine job with a single monitor on an XP, and with dual monitors on a Mac. (DL&C told me they're working on adding dual monitor XP support in the future).

 

Hi David, thanks for the clarification. I am really thinking of going towards purchasing the Colorvision Spyder2PRO suit as I read many good reviews about it. Yes my main objective is to make both of the Dell lcds have identical colors. What if I were to calibrate the first monitor and then just load up that same ICC on the second monitor. Will that work?