Monitor Profiling

[ChasP505]

Can't answer about Spyder 3 because I don't have one, but I do use ColorEyes Display and I have a DDC issue as well, eventhough my display is also DDC capable. So I used the Monitor Precalibration/White Balance portion of ColorEyes Display to do the manual white balance and proceeded to calibrate and profile with that program. While the lack of DDC functionality is a nuissance procedurally, the resulting profile is fine and serves it purpose very well.

Thanks Mark...  That's exactly what I thought would be the answer but the software is new to me. Using the Spyder3 puck, I got avg. deltaE of 0.47 and max. deltaE of 0.94.  How do these numbers compare with what one would expect from higher level equipment than I'm using?

[Mark D Segal]

Thanks Mark...  That's exactly what I thought would be the answer but the software is new to me. Using the Spyder3 puck, I got avg. deltaE of 0.47 and max. deltaE of 0.94.  How do these numbers compare with what one would expect from higher level equipment than I'm using?

You're in very good shape.

[jackbingham]

A monitor company saying their display is ddc compliant is not really anything a customer should take seriously. While many companies adhere to a standard format that any of us can talk too, there are a fair amount of monitors out there that are just plain impossible to communicate with. Dell is a prime offender here. I spent 6 months trying to get the necessary information to talk to these things and all I got back from them was, hey it's ddc compliant. Swell Not only did it take several months to get to someone who even knew what ddc was but once we got there no one could give me any information about the communication scheme. Add to that Dell's habit of changing suppliers regularly and you have a moving target.
And Dell is not alone in this. Lacie is another great example. The 321 was pretty predictable for a very long time. The 324 changed everything and now the 700 series is actually a Samsung so it uses their scheme. This is the discontinued samsung of course. Now unless companies provide information about these changes it's all a crap shoot. Lacie, NEC and HP are now all withholding information so they can sell their own solutions. Is this a good thing? I'll let you be the judge. In the case of the Lacie 700 series how do you justify spending hundreds of hours figuring out how to communicate only to see the monitor end of lifed? I know, it's not yet but the Samsung XL is so it can't be too long now.
Add to this the multiplicity of video cards and driver versions particularly on the pc and you have a nearly insurmountable mess.
If you are looking for a guarantee of communication your best best is a proprietary solution or Eizo. Eizo is the only company that has a nearly bomb proof solution. Their scheme routs around the video card so they do not fall prey to video driver changes nor did they take a hit from Apple's most recent faux pas, 10.5.6. They also provide complete documentation and sdk to all third parties.

[ghervey]

I could use some guidance profiling a new Dell notebook monitor that has an RGB LED screen.  I used my ancient, original Spyder on it and, of course, it does not work.  I assume that I need a newer colorimeter to profile the newer technology monitors.  I am leaning toward the Spyder3Pro (not the elite).  Although I know quite a bit about digital photography, my knowledge and understanding of monitor technology is quite limited, so I am not following much of this discussion.  I am a serious and picky amateur photographer, but I don't have the need or budget for a high end profiling device.  Will the Spyder3 work with the newer LED screens?  If this info is at all useful, the Dell screen is a 15.4 inch Wide Screen WUXGA RGB LED LCD for Mobile Precision M4400.  The graphics card is 512MB NVIDIA Quadro FX 770M.  Any help would be appreciated.