Software recommendations to make display profiles with a NEC sensor.

[Photopro888]

Software recommendations to make display profiles with the NEC SpectraSensor Pro (X-Rite i1 Display Pro). It would be more convenient to use the NEC device on my non NEC monitors, does anybody know of any options for use on a Win7/8 box. Something with a GUI would be preferred.

Thank you!

Darren

[Mark D Segal]

I use BasicColor and find it excellent - user-friendly and great profiling.

[howardm]

I also use BasICColor Display and find it quite good.  The only possible 'gotcha' is whether it actually can talk to the NEC branded sensor (or whether it's locked out via custom firmware).  Download the 14day trial and try it before laying down $$$.  Also, note that it is locked to a single CPU so when you upgrade, you'll need a new license key (which is free).

You might also want to try ArgyllCMS & dispcalGUI which is free and reportedly works w/ that sensor but can be pretty slow esp on the highest accuracy/patch count settings (ie. start it and go to sleep).

[Mark D Segal]

I'm also using an NEC-branded X-Rite sensor and they communicate. But this is very easy to find out - either on their website or failing that, by making an inquiry.

[howardm]

When you download the trial software, the .zip (or whatever) contains a list of the current supported sensors but as Mark said, he currently uses that sensor.

I could easily see a business situation where XRite vows not to 'compete' w/ NEC in order to sell them more sensors but other parties are not so encumbered.  Most likely, the NEC reports to the software it's own unique ID code and i1Profiler knows not to allow that ID.

It might be interesting to peek at the Argyll source code that contains sensor drivers, esp. since Mr. Gill reverse engineered the entire Colormunki driver.

[Mark D Segal]

When you download the trial software, the .zip (or whatever) contains a list of the current supported sensors but as Mark said, he currently uses that sensor.

I could easily see a business situation where XRite vows not to 'compete' w/ NEC in order to sell them more sensors but other parties are not so encumbered.  Most likely, the NEC reports to the software it's own unique ID code and i1Profiler knows not to allow that ID.

It might be interesting to peek at the Argyll source code that contains sensor drivers, esp. since Mr. Gill reverse engineered the entire Colormunki driver.

To be clear - I am using  that colorimeter on an NEC display with BasicColor profiling software. Not clear why it wouldn't also work with non-NEC displays (OP's situation) but the key thing is whether the sensor is the right kind of device for the non-NEC models he has in mind. This sensor was made for wide-gamut displays. Also, I don't think i1 Profiler software has come into the discussion before, but if he has that software, no harm trying; sometimes experimenting answers a lot of questions. The OP wants something with a user-friendly GUI. Would Argyll be the appropriate recommendation? I think a visit to the BasicColor website could be informative, or sending them an email if it isn't, or just downloading the software trial and using it. It's all harmless.

[howardm]

the dispcalGUI front-end to Argyll is quite good albeit a tad geeky for the neophyte user.  On the other side of the coin, that's a $0 solution vs. the $150 or so for BasICColor.  I have heard reports of i1Profiler NOT working w/ the NEC branded i1Display Pro.

[Mark D Segal]

BasiColor does support the OP's colorimeter. I just checked. The one real downside of it, however, isn't so much the money (at E 100 not so expensive) but the nuisance involved in buying it. There is no on-line shop for this software - you still need to buy through their dealer network. But you can download the software from their website and presumably use it on trial basis without the purchasing hassle.

[Alan Goldhammer]

For sure the NEC branded sensors work with ArgyllCMS as I've used mine.  However, I find Spectraview to be way more convenient and quicker than ArgyllCMS and the same results are achieved.

Alan

[Mark D Segal]

Alan, the OP mentions using non-NEC displays - do you know whether Spectraview works well with other display brands? As I recall - hopefully correctly - from previous discussions of these options, Spectraview makes matrix-based profiles which assumes a high degree of display linearity.

[howardm]

When I bought my copy back in approx 2010, I bought it directly from them.  I forget if it was Paypal or something else that escapes me at the moment but I definitely did NOT go through any dealer.

Here is me asking them that very question..............

Hello Howard,

purchasing is really easy: We just need your name, adress and your PayPal mailadress. When we have got these informations, we will send you a PayPal payment request. After receiving the payment you will get a TAN, which enables you to release the software.

Best regards

Dagmar Kühl


For direct sales advice, questions about our products or an order you can reach us:

Monday to Friday – 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM (CET)
Monday to Friday – 2:00 PM to 5:30 PM (CET)


Phone:     +49-8856-932505
Fax:           +49-8856-932503
E-mail:      sales@basiccolor.de

[Mark D Segal]

When I bought my copy back in approx 2010, I bought it directly from them.  I forget if it was Paypal or something else that escapes me at the moment but I definitely did NOT go through any dealer.


For direct sales advice, questions about our products or an order you can reach us:

Monday to Friday – 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM (CET)
Monday to Friday – 2:00 PM to 5:30 PM (CET)


Phone:     +49-8856-932505
Fax:           +49-8856-932503
E-mail:      sales@basiccolor.de

Howard, I bought mine perhaps a year or so later and I distinctly remember having to use a local dealer for the purchase. Also, when I just went to their website and clicked on the "Buy" button, a screen came up saying they purposely do not have a web store and directing me to find the local dealer. Maybe the policy was different when you bought your copy.

[howardm]

Don't know what to tell you but this page..........

http://www.basiccolor.de/sales/

yields 2 buttons.  The top one directs you to purchase it directly from them w/o a 'dealer'.

[Mark D Segal]

Yes Howard - go one step further and click on that top button and tell us what you see. :-)

[howardm]

what I see is that they do not have an online shop in the sense of "add product and quantity to a cart and then checkout".
No where do I see that they ONLY sell through their dealer network.  I know that that wasn't my experience.

But I maintain that all one has to do is send them an email with the aforementioned info and they will send a Paypal request and when paid, one gets a TAN # or license code.

I'd suggest that if the OP is seriously interested, an email to their sales email will clarify.

I'm done w/ this.

[Mark D Segal]

OK, they do clarify:

<<Where to buy?

You may ask: "Where is the Online-Shop?"

The answer may not be the one you expect. basICColor´s philosophy is not to mass market "one size fits all" boxes.

We believe that every solution requires world-class support. That is why we see every purchase that you make as a bundle - product and support expertise.

Direct inquiries or orders can be made both directly to basICColor or to our Local Dealers>>

So yes, you are correct, one can buy direct, just not on-line. I do distinctly remember when I bought mine this option was not possible, so they have changed the program since then. Which is good and all the more reason to give it a try.

[Photopro888]

Thank you to Mark and everyone else for the replies. I downloaded basICColor and have been using the trial for the last hour, and so far it looks good. I’m not using it with wide-gamut display (HP ZR24w) so I hope that won’t be an issue. And no the NEC branded device will not work with i1 profiler software I tried that awhile ago.

I was hoping that I could use basICColor on 1 desktop and 1 laptop but reading the documentation it looks like I would need to buy a second copy. So for 200 euro maybe I would be better off buying an x-rite product, and use it on the two computers.
 
If I go with basICColor I hope what Howard is saying is correct and they use paypal!
Thanks again!

[howardm]

Weird that that's the response you got from them.

Perhaps their direct sales people/person was having a 'bad hair day' and didn't want to be bothered.

I agree though that lack of online store is a fairly bogus reason.  One could certainly cart it, buy it and then request
support via email, just like I have done.  And we both know that most of the dealers for this or RIPs etc usually have
little real knowledge or interest in the fine art/photo user.

I think there is a discount for the 2nd+ computer but yea, you would need to cough up extra $$ to run it on multiple computers.

I dont know if ColorEyes is still a viable product but they historically charge a bit more but allow 3 different machines.

I think you should also take a serious look at ArgyllCMS/dispcalGUI too.

[Mark D Segal]

Weird that that's the response you got from them.

Perhaps their direct sales people/person was having a 'bad hair day' and didn't want to be bothered.

I agree though that lack of online store is a fairly bogus reason.  One could certainly cart it, buy it and then request
support via email, just like I have done.  And we both know that most of the dealers for this or RIPs etc usually have
little real knowledge or interest in the fine art/photo user.

Howard, I have to say, in mitigation, here in Toronto the dealer I bought it from was fine - very supportive. All I needed support for was getting it activated - a contorted procedure that was a consummate nuisance. Once that was over with, using the software itself, however, I found to be dead-easy. One just needs to read the meaning of the options for the calibration parameters to get the kind of profile one wants. The software itself is helpful in this regard.

Now - turning to the issue of the number of installs, I think this is worth discussing with their sales people.