I'm thinking about buying SpyderTV (non-PRO). I want to buy the Pro 2007 but the $1,000 (Canadian) price difference doesn't justify the price gap, IMO.

Is it good enough? or I shouldn't even bother with it?

Oh, every display in my house is CRT and LCD based (direct view and RP), only one InFocus IN82 that's coming to my "collection" but this is for mobile purposes... it'll be good if I can calibrate it using SpyderTV (non-PRO) but not essential.

Greetings

Should be fine for user control level settings on crt sets. May have some problems on the LCD RP unit.

Will this package be used with the Calman program or some other lower cost gryascale calibration software?

If not ... then I wouldn't bother at all. DVE/AVIA/DVE HD and Monster ISF will all give you more precise results on the user end.

Regards

Thank you for quick reply. I was thinking about using this with the supplied software (it comes with one, no?) However, most of my displays are LCD and LCD RPTV but you mentioned that this may also have some problems on LCD RP... therefore essentially this set is not worth the money then, correct?

PS: I've been using Avia and DVE with great success thus far (all my displays are calibrated annually by ISF technician, my computer monitors clibrated every two weeks or at least once a month using Spyder2PRO).

Greetings

If you already know how to use the various test discs ... the spyderTV package will not do a better job than what you achieve already (unless you are hopeless with the discs.). The product is meant for people that don't even have test discs.

The supplied software is wizard based ... walking you through the basics ... contrast ... brightness ... color ... tint ... and basic color temp. (It asks you to select the 3 or more temps the TV provides and it just tells you to use the closest one ... which it identifies.)

Regards

OIC, thank you very much for all the info. Last but not least, you mentioned that this may not work with LCD RP and the site states that it will not work with FP. Do you mind informing me the reasons? Thank you in advance.

I've gotten very nice, reproducible calibration results with the basic Spyder2 sensor for $60. Ditch the software that comes with it for calibrating your television, and use the free HCFR software that is out there (do a Google). Get the GetGrey DVD for $25 (google it) and you have almost all you need to get the "99.9% solution".

Remember, there is no point in being able to measure to the 5th decimal of accuracy if your digital set only allow digital changes to the 2nd or 3rd decimal... M2CW. The Spyder2 seems to do very well for the home theater setting, but YMMV.

Now, if I was a graphic designer or publisher, and my production print runs and profit margins depended on accuracy, then it might make good business sense for a more expensive calibration when millions of dollars rides on the final color product.

:cool:

Greetings

David,

(It has been surmised) Some of the RP LCD based sets have bulbs that give off a certain type of light that we cannot see ... but the probe does pick up ... and is interpreted as more of what we can see.

The guess is that the light element is in the UV range and it is confused with the normal visible blue. The end result is that the probe recommends too much correction for "excessive" blue and the end result is an image that is too red. Annecdotal field information suggests that the overshoot is in the range of 800 to 1000K.

So if you got a reading of ... say D6500 ... it really is 5500 to 5700 ish or something like that. Mind you, if you know about the potential error ... and the direction of that error ... then manually compensating for it is possible.

Regards

ahhhhh! Thank you for the detailed explanation. :)

Hello Michael TLV, What is your opinion of this probe used on a Panasonic plasma?

David

Greetings

David,

(It has been surmised) Some of the RP LCD based sets have bulbs that give off a certain type of light that we cannot see ... but the probe does pick up ... and is interpreted as more of what we can see.

The guess is that the light element is in the UV range and it is confused with the normal visible blue. The end result is that the probe recommends too much correction for "excessive" blue and the end result is an image that is too red. Annecdotal field information suggests that the overshoot is in the range of 800 to 1000K.

So if you got a reading of ... say D6500 ... it really is 5500 to 5700 ish or something like that. Mind you, if you know about the potential error ... and the direction of that error ... then manually compensating for it is possible.

Regards

Greetings

The probe is perfectly fine on a plasma set like the Panasonic. Only flat panels it may have issues with are recent XBR type Sony LCD displays. (Again, it's the bulb throwing it off)

Regards

I would like your input on using it on LED based DLP.

CJL