Datacolor Spyder vs Spyder Pro [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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HAVIC
02-02-2007, 09:02 AM
I am trying to determine whether or not to get the Spyder pro vs the original Spyder.

I know that the pro has better software and support for Front Projectors. But the real question is will the original spyder work on more than TV.

The reason I ask is because the specs for the pro state. Multiple Monitor Calibration and Matching allows you to calibrate and profile multiple monitors on a single system or across an entire studio.

It seems that the original spyder will only calibrate 1 tv. As I have multiple HDTV's I would need to be able to calibrate more than 1.

Thanks

topspeed
02-02-2007, 09:16 AM
I thought you were involved in the original Tour Across North America that edyct did with his Spyder? The original Spyder will calibrate as many monitors as you want. Stick it on, plug it in, and away you go. However, as you well know, only the Pro model will do projectors.

You might try pm'ing edyct if he doesn't chime in soon as he has both models and I'm sure would be happy to give you his unbiased opinion.

Hope this helps.

edtyct
02-02-2007, 11:03 AM
Speedy, it's about time you changed the old socks.

Havic, as Speedy said, the original Spyder will tackle any TV that crosses its path. User results from the North American Tour testify to its success. Under certain conditions, however, the Pro version takes it a few steps further. First of all, as you know, it can calibrate front projectors. It also has better software functionality, offering more flexibility and more graphic content. Installation professionals will benefit most from the software package, but if you calibrate friends' TVs, etc., and want to move around various parameters and clients at will, it might have some value for you, too.

Be that as it may, the jewel in the Pro's crown is its ability to calibrate grayscale (color temperature). It doesn't seem to be able to do so at all degrees of light intensity, but the results from my experience are impressive. However, if you can't access the cut and gain controls in the service menu (or don't want to) or your TV doesn't have a custom menu for enthusiasts that includes them, the Pro may not be for you, unless you're planning for the future. I gave Eric a review of the Pro as deployed on one of Sony's SXRD displays a couple of months ago; I wish that he would hurry up and print it.

One more thing: the Datacolor meter (the "spyder" that attaches to the screen and takes the measurements), can be used a la carte with other software--most famously, calMAN. But calMAN is by no means as easy to deploy and understand as the Pro. It goes into great detail on grayscale and gamma and assumes that users are familiar with recondite features. The calMAN software is available with the Datacolor meter at the calMAN website for a very reasonable price. I hope to write something up about the combination sometime in the coming months. In the meantime, the Pro satisfies a niche in the market that nothing else can touch, especially at $500 to $700.

Tarheel_
02-03-2007, 05:15 AM
edtyct,
I have an HD front projector....panasonic l500. i would like to calibrate this and my 32" LCD. Does the Spyder attach to my projector screen? The projector also has gamma settings, does the Spyder also measure these settings as well?
I can't find any reviews on the Spyder calibrating a front projector and wonder if you have experience here?
More questions, there are a few packages from Datacolor, which is the least priced i can use on the front projector? I found a Spyder2Pro on amazon for $199, and it mentions front projector.
I don't have any HD source material, so would this help my SD picture?

thanks a bunch

edtyct
02-03-2007, 07:02 AM
The Spyder2Pro is primarily intended for computer monitors, and is especially useful for photographers who use their PCs for processing and viewing. The front projection that it covers is generally of the business display variety, with still pictures and charts. The meter itself is the same one that Datacolor's other products use, but the software is different. The 2pro package has presets for color temperature and gamma; most people would presumably opt for 6500K and 2.2, respectively.

The SpyderTVPro deals exclusively with the primary settings of consumer video displays (it also bundles the Spyder2Pro software for calibrating computer screens as an extracurricular activity). Calibrating a front projection system is pretty much the same as calibrating any other display, except that in the FP's case, a tripod is necessary for mounting the meter at the center of the screen. The Pro doesn't affect gamma per se. If the Panasonic offers its own controls, and you are sure that gamma needs adjustment, you can try the Panasonic's various presets. Some projectors provide a few gamma curves with some explanation of what they do, but unless something is obviously wrong, the default is usually safest.

In case you didn't know, gamma represents the rate at which a display renders the darkness-lightness scale (think of the slope of line--a steep or a gradual ascent). If, for instance, images seem to be too dark, only bright at the far end of the light-intensity spectrum without the proper intermediate steps of gray, or vice versa, gamma adjustment may be warranted. In the vast number of cases, however, proper adjustment of brightness, contrast, and color temperature (which is a finer adjustment of these two parameters--grayscale) will go a long way toward improving detail, depth, and fidelity. As I said, gamma is best avoided unless all else fails. I doubt that you are having any such problem.

HD is not a precondition for proper calibration. In fact, the Spyder Pro is arguably more accurate for SD than HD so far as color is concerned, since the color spaces of the two formats don't match exactly. The degree of difference, however, isn't serious. As with any calibration instrument, the viewer is free to tweak by eye after the job is done. Okay?

Hawk
03-01-2007, 07:32 AM
Hello, new to the forum. I am looking to get the spydertv. Anyone suggest a good place to get it cheap? I found it for 160 at .calibration-direct.com. Anyone bought from them?