ColorVision Spyder2 Suite Win/Mac
by ColorVision, Inc.
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Our Price: $95.00
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Category: Software
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Software Summary
Manufacturer: ColorVision, Inc.Brand: ColorVision
Primary Contributor: Windows & Macintosh
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: CD
Release Date: 2006-03-14
Platform: Mac OS X, Windows XP
Model: S2100
Product features:
- The "Standard" in Monitor Calibration
- Rated Best Calibration by MacWorld April 2005
- Calibrates any monitor (Laptop, CRT, LCD)
- The leader in monitor calibration solutions
Software Reviews of ColorVision Spyder2 Suite Win/Mac
Customer Review: It's a start, anyway -- Amazon has a great price, too!
Summary: 4 Stars
I guess you could say when it come to ease of use -- in terms of just setting up this gizmo and running monitor adjustments -- it gets 4 stars, maybe 5, for ease of use. Install the software in a minute, position the sensor, start the program, lie to the software and say your monitor has no controls of any kind (Spyder will then kick off a completely automated, hands-free scan), and less than 10 minutes later you're home free. Unfortunately after over a dozen runs on 3 of my monitors, it's evident that Spyder's programmers are fascinated, maybe even obsessed, with the color RED. They must figure the redder the better, I guess. Finally I ignored one of their iron-clad rules: rather than leave the room totally dark or covering my monitor with a blanket during the scans, I turned on the rather subdued, soft lighting I use for PC video work (who the %$#&* works in total darkness? Do you? You can't even see your keyboard!). With some gentle ambient worklight (tungsten) nearby, I finally got a really nice adjustment from Spyder. Did a teentsy bit of tweaking with some of DVE's tv test patterns, and now it's about right. Tip: Don't calibrate in total darkness, run it in the same light you use for PC work, short of flashing strobes and circus floodlights. Caution: this will not make games or videos look "better" on your PC. Media players, games, and most other Windows programs have no way of recognizing .icm color profiles. Photoshop Pro does ($600), and Sony Vegas Pro does ($800), and a few Windows games that need $400 graphics cards -- but Windows Media Player, PowerDVD, most freebie photo printing programs, most Kodak photo-CD browsers, most consumer video editors, and most digital camera utilities do not use Windows or Mac color profiles. For that you'll have to run a manual setup on your CRT and push your own sliders. Sorry, LCD's have notoriously goofy picture controls, so don't be surprised if manual doesn't work with LCD's (anyone who uses LCD's for graphics work is fighting a losing battle anyway). Subtract 1 star because Spyder2 told me that before adjustment my monitor was too green. It wasn't. It was too blue. Otherwise, Spyder2 on auto did neat, quick work on 3 monitors and two laptops. With some qualifications in mind, I'd recommend Spyder2 over the usual calibration videos or test pics.
Description of ColorVision Spyder2 Suite Win/Mac
For more advanced users, Spyder2 Suite calibrates your monitor and allows you to profile your printer (software based)Professional Design Software
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