My flesh tones are lobstered again. I recently got a brand new (warranty replacement) 15" rMBP (10,1; 2.7 GHz 4-core; 16 GB RAM, 500 GB SSD) -- very similar to the 10-month-old machine it replaced (repeatable kernel panics, two logic board replacements, then machine replacement). I work in two studios, and take the MBP with me. I have a PA271W at one location, and an older 2490WUXi2 at the other. I am installing all software fresh (porting nothing but support files and data files). OS 10.8.3. All software is up-to-date as of this week. I use the Color Munki Photo to calibrate the laptop screen, and SpectraView II to calibrate the NECs. Everything works. Everything is calibrated. After three weeks of cascading hardware failures, I am excited to go back to work.
Suddenly, flesh tones when connected to the PA271W are too red -- like a fresh sunburn. Recalibrate. Voodoo power dance (all off, all unplugged, rebuild the set-up and power on unit by unit). Looks _great_. Lasts less than a day. Lobstering again.
I discover one method to bring this on reliably: open Aperture, and move the program window from the laptop screen to the PA271 screen. Lobster-slam. Once it happens, it happens to all images in Preview as well. Put a windowed image on the laptop screen, looks OK. Drag it to the NEC screen, goes lobstered. Drag it back, returns to normal.
If I drag these windows back and forth before the lobster-slam, they "flush" briefly, but settle to normal. The flush color from laptop screen to NEC screen is red. The flush color from NEC screen to laptop screen is olive (for a half-second it looks like a XV Netherlands underpainting).
One hour with NEC technician. The problem, he assures me, is with the OS. Seems to be a system level argument over which profile to use. The background of the NEC screen never is affected; just images in program windows. We run several test images. The PA271 firmware is up-to-date. "Talk to Apple" he tells me.
One and one half hours with Apple Level 2 support. Among much, test a newly created Admin account. Problem recurs exactly (note: only default profiles used). Apple insists the problem is not with their hardware or software, thus it must be with the monitor. "Talk to NEC".
I hasten to a nearby Apple store and check my laptop with a large Apple Cinema display as the second monitor. Cannot recreate lobstering. (Don't like the color, but that is a knot to tie in an other thread.)
Go to other studio and check machine with 2490WUXi2. Cannot recreate lobstering.
Suggestions? Will call NEC tomorrow.
NB: I had a similar problem when I first bought the PA271W. The solution (over my head, suggested by NEC) involved a special cable (non-DVI) and, iirc, disabling all ICC v. 4 profiles. That was maybe two years ago. Had not had lobstering since.
The new rMBP has two Thunderbolt ports. The PA271 is cabled using a Display Port to Mini-Display-Port cable purchased from NEC. The Cinema display was connected via the Thunderbolt cable that is permanently attached to that monitor (afaik). The 2490WUXi2 is connected via a DVI cable with an Apple DVI-to-Mini-Display-Port dongle. Prior to the first rMBP I used a 2010 (maybe '11) MBP. No Thunderbolt ports. I hooked the monitors up via the mini-Display-Port. No problems.
Thanks.
