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Author Topic: NEC SpectraView 2690  (Read 2269 times)

meierruedi@hotmail.com

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NEC SpectraView 2690
« on: November 16, 2015, 12:05:01 pm »

Hi all

Today I tried to calibrate my trusted NEC Spectraview 2690. During the calibration on OS X 10.10.4 with Spectraview Profiler 5 and the EyeOne spectrometer the monitor suddenly showed funky colors (see attachment).

The first few times the monitor reset to normal colors after a reboot. I tried different USB cables but ran into the same problem until finally the monitor got stuck on LSD. I reset the monitor via OMD but alas no success.

The only way the monitor displays normal colors is if I select sRGB via OMD but if I then try to calibrate I'm back on the trip...

Additionally I connected the monitor with the same cable to a different computer, then with a different cable to a) the original computer and b) to a different computer. Unfortunately no success either....

Any ideas what's going on?

Cheers
Ruedi

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digitaldog

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Re: NEC SpectraView 2690
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2015, 12:26:50 pm »

Going out on a limb, try zapping the PRAM. Reboot and after the tone, hold down Command-Option-P-R keys until you hear the tone again (another reboot). You can hold the key's down a couple cycles to be one safe side. Let go, Mac will boot.
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meierruedi@hotmail.com

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Re: NEC SpectraView 2690
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2015, 03:53:24 pm »

Hi Andrew

Well, I did it a few times already. No luck! As the problem showed up on a second computer and with two different monitor cables as well, it looks like a monitor problem. Funny thing is: although the screen looks funky a screenshot via the OS results in a normal looking picture....

Do you know if there is an age limit with screens?

Anyway I'm looking at my options for a new monitor: might go with the Eizo CG277 or the NEC SpectraView Reference 272. During researching these I notice that Eizo recommends Gamma 2.2 whereas NEC L* in their respective software. Could you enlighten my ignorance?

Thanks
Ruedi

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digitaldog

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Re: NEC SpectraView 2690
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2015, 04:13:58 pm »


Funny thing is: although the screen looks funky a screenshot via the OS results in a normal looking picture....
Not surprised. You can probably do the same with no display hooked up
Quote
Do you know if there is an age limit with screens?
I do not as it's based on hours used and the backlight technology among other factors. That's a rather old unit. It should show you the number of hours used within SpectraView.
Quote
Anyway I'm looking at my options for a new monitor: might go with the Eizo CG277 or the NEC SpectraView Reference 272. During researching these I notice that Eizo recommends Gamma 2.2 whereas NEC L* in their respective software. Could you enlighten my ignorance?
I love my PA272W and yes, it's going to last a longer time backlit with LEDs (newer GBr LED). Before you dump your unit, I'd give NEC a call, they are usually very good about tech support and might have some other tricks (like smacking it with the back of your hand).


As for Lstar or Gamma, not even worth the debate, in the end, doesn't matter. And I think you may it backwards (my NEC doesn't do Lstar with SpectraView written in the US) In Europe, for a time, Lstar was a 'big deal' of which no one I'm aware of could explain. There was a debate on the ICC users list years ago, one of the best replies is pasted below from a fellow who knows a lot about the subject!


Quote
Subject:   Re: [Icc_users] L* workingspaces and L* output calibration
Date Received:    Tuesday, March 11, 2008 8:46:58 PM
Date Sent:   Tuesday, March 11, 2008 8:38:07 PM
From:   Lars Borg <borg@adobe.com>


L* is great if you're making copies. However, in most other
scenarios, L* out is vastly different from L* in.  And when L* out is
different from L* in, an L* encoding is very inappropriate as
illustrated below.


Let me provide an example for video. Let's say you have a Macbeth
chart. On set, the six gray patches would measure around  L* 96, 81,
66, 51, 36, 21.


Assuming the camera is Rec.709 compliant, using a 16-235 digital
encoding, and the camera is set for the exposure of the Macbeth
chart, the video RGB values would be 224,183,145,109,76,46.


On a reference HD TV monitor they should reproduce at L* 95.5, 78.7,
62.2, 45.8, 29.6, 13.6.
If say 2% flare is present on the monitor (for example at home), the
projected values would be different again, here: 96.3, 79.9, 63.8,
48.4, 34.1, 22.5.


As you can see, L* out is clearly not the same as L* in.
Except for copiers, a system gamma greater than 1 is a required
feature for image reproduction systems aiming to please human eyes.
For example, film still photography has a much higher system gamma
than video.


Now, if you want an L* encoding for the video, which set of values
would you use:
96, 81, 66, 51, 36, 21 or
95.5, 78.7, 62.2, 45.8, 29.6, 13.6?
Either is wrong, when used in the wrong context.
If I need to restore the scene colorimetry for visual effects work, I
need 96, 81, 66, 51, 36, 21.
If I need to re-encode the HD TV monitor image for another device,
say a DVD, I need 95.5, 78.7, 62.2, 45.8, 29.6, 13.6.


In this context, using an L* encoding would be utterly confusing due
to the lack of common values for the same patches.  (Like using US
Dollars in Canada.)
Video solves this by not encoding in L*. (Admittedly, video encoding
is still somewhat confusing. Ask Charles Poynton.)


When cameras, video encoders, DVDs, computer displays, TV monitors,
DLPs, printers, etc., are not used for making exact copies, but
rather for the more common purpose of pleasing rendering, the L*
encoding is inappropriate as it will be a main source of confusion.


Are you planning to encode CMYK in L*, too?


Lars
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D Fosse

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Re: NEC SpectraView 2690
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2015, 05:51:54 pm »

Well, I didn't understand any of that, but I did try L*, long time ago, with ColorEyes Display Pro software. What I got there was a calibration correction curve with a little lift in the shadows, compared to 2.2.

Of course none of this matters in a color managed context. But it might produce a better match with non-color managed apps, since that should neutralize the little shadow dip most LCDs have natively.

In case anyone thinks that's important.
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Czornyj

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Re: NEC SpectraView 2690
« Reply #5 on: November 16, 2015, 07:23:08 pm »

my NEC doesn't do Lstar with SpectraView written in the USt

Actually it does - you can choose L*, DICOM etc. as custom TRC in SVII target settings.

BTW - using the US SpectraView II profiler to sort out the above mentioned problem can be a good idea. Otherwise I'd update SVP to newer or install older version, it may be a software bug.
« Last Edit: November 16, 2015, 07:33:04 pm by Czornyj »
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Marcin Kałuża | [URL=http://zarzadzaniebarwa

WillH

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Re: NEC SpectraView 2690
« Reply #6 on: November 16, 2015, 07:30:10 pm »

Any ideas what's going on?

Either the LUT in the display isn't being updated correctly, or the ICC profile has a corrupt LUT (VCGT tag).

Easy way to determine which it is:

- If you select a different display profile in the Mac "Displays" -> "Color" -> "Display Profile" settings for the display and everything goes back to normal, then it's the ICC profile.

- If you change the Gamma mode of the display (via the OSD) from "Programmable" to something else such as 2.2 and everything goes back to normal then it's the display LUT.

I would recommend you contacting BasICColor for support on this since they provide support for this software.
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Will Hollingworth
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NEC Display Solutions of America, Inc.

digitaldog

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Re: NEC SpectraView 2690
« Reply #7 on: November 16, 2015, 08:19:07 pm »

Actually it does - you can choose L*, DICOM etc. as custom TRC in SVII target settings.
Thanks, I sit corrected. See it now (never thought to use it):


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